David Fonseca facts for kids

Quick facts for kids David Fonseca
Background information
Born	(1973-06-14) 14 June 1973 (age 52)
Origin	Leiria, Portugal
Genres	Alternative rock
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Years active	1998–present
Labels	Universal, Castle of the Amazing Cats
Associated acts	Silence 4, Humanos

David Fonseca (born on June 14, 1973, in Leiria, Portugal) is a talented Portuguese musician, singer, songwriter, and photographer. He plays many instruments, like the acoustic guitar and organ. David is famous for his successful music career. He was a member of the band Silence 4 and has been a solo artist since 2003. He also designs his album covers and helps direct his music videos. From 2004 to 2006, he was part of a special music project called Humanos.

Early Life and Interests

David Fonseca studied cinema at the Lisbon Theatre and Film School. He earned a bachelor's degree there. He also attended another art school in Lisbon from 1992 to 1994. David started his career as a photographer, working for fashion companies. He showed his photos in many art shows. He also worked at a radio station for a while.

David Fonseca chose to dedicate his life to music. He became a pop/rock musician. Many artists influenced his music, like Sérgio Godinho, Jeff Buckley, The B-52's, Pixies, Roy Orbison, Aphex Twin, and Ryan Adams. These artists helped shape his unique musical style. He once said he really liked the group Yeah Yeah Yeahs. David has a son and a daughter from his first marriage. On December 27, 2019, he married model, actress, and TV host Ana Sofia Martins.

Music Journey

David Fonseca performing live.

Starting with Silence 4

David Fonseca's music career began with a band called Silence 4. This group was formed by friends from his hometown. Their first album, Silence Becomes It, came out in June 1998. It was a huge hit, selling 250,000 copies. This was a big achievement in Portugal. The album had only two songs in Portuguese. One of them, "Sexto Sentido", featured the popular Portuguese singer, Sérgio Godinho.

In 1998, Silence 4 played at many summer festivals in Portugal. They also performed at the closing of the famous Expo '98 in Lisbon for about 50,000 people. In December of that year, Silence 4 was the first Portuguese band to sell out the Pavilhão Atlântico. They played for an amazing 18,000 fans, just six months after their first album.

Two years later, in July 2000, their second album, Only Pain Is Real, was released. It sold about 100,000 copies. The band's tour for this album ended with two sold-out concerts at the famous Coliseu dos Recreios in Lisbon. These concerts were later released as a CD and DVD. Silence 4 went on their last tour in 2000. In 2001, the band decided to take a break, which continues to this day.

David's Solo Music

David Fonseca started his solo career in the early 2000s. His solo music had a different sound from Silence 4. For his first solo album, Sing Me Something New, recorded in 2003, David sang and played almost all the instruments himself. He explored new sounds on his own. The album was recorded in Portugal and later mixed in New York City by famous sound engineer George Marino. Marino had worked with bands like Coldplay.

The first song from the album was Someone That Cannot Love. It was played on about 150 Portuguese radio stations at the same time on March 10, 2003. The song quickly reached number 2 on the national sales chart and became a Gold record. David toured a lot to support this album, playing at many big music venues and festivals across Portugal.

His second solo album, Our Hearts Will Beat As One, came out in the fall of 2005. David said this album was "scarily personal." The first song from it was Who Are U?, which David called "the song I always wanted to write." It reached number 3 on the Portuguese charts. Our Hearts Will Beat As One was praised by critics and was considered a top pop album in Portugal. It went straight to number 1 on the sales chart and became Gold in its first week.

In October 2007, David released his third album, Dreams in Colour. The first song, Superstars II, became very popular because a cellphone company used it in a campaign. In July 2009, the song "A Cry 4 Love" was released. His new album, Between Waves, came out on November 2, 2009. On the same day, David's online fan community, Amazing Cats Club, started. David's fourth album, Seasons:Rising, was released on March 21, 2012. The first song, What Life Is For, came out on February 4, 2012.

Being Part of Humanos

In 2004, David joined a new project called Humanos. The idea was to record songs by a famous Portuguese artist from the 1980s, António Variações, that had never been released. David Fonseca, Manuela Azevedo, Camané, Sérgio Nascimento, Hélder Gonçalves, Nuno Rafael, and João Cardoso were the seven members of this group. They became a huge success in the Portuguese music scene. Their album, also called Humanos, sold incredibly well, reaching five times platinum. It stayed at number 1 for many weeks. Songs like "Muda de Vida," "Maria Albertina," and "Rugas" were big hits for the group.

The Humanos project had three sold-out concerts, two in Lisbon and one in Porto. They also performed for 40,000 people at the "Sudoeste" Portuguese Festival in 2005. The Humanos project was always meant to be short because there were only a few unreleased songs by António Variações. So, a CD and DVD of their live concerts were released in November 2006, marking the end of the Humanos project.

Live Performances

David Fonseca is known for his energetic dancing on stage. He often wears his Chuck Taylor All-Stars shoes. He plays different instruments during his shows and is joined by his band. The band includes Sérgio Nascimento (drums), Ricardo Fiel (guitar), Rita Redshoes (piano and vocals), Nuno Simões (bass), and Paulo Pereira (Hammond organ). David plays his popular solo songs and also lesser-known tracks.

He often plays "Angel Song", the first song he wrote when he was 18. This song was on Silence 4's first album and is very loved by his fans. During his shows, he sometimes leaves the stage and returns wearing a white suit. He then announces that "dancing time" has begun and often does the "moonwalk" dance move.

Music Albums

Studio Albums

as part of Silence 4

• 1998: Silence Becomes It
• 2000: Only Pain Is Real

as part of Humanos

• 2004: Humanos

Solo

Other Releases

Christmas CDs

Live Albums

as part of Silence 4

• 2004: Ao Vivo - Coliseu dos Recreios
• 2014: SongBook Live 2014

as part of Humanos

• 2006: Humanos Ao Vivo

Solo

Compilation Albums

DVDs

• 2008: Dreams in Colour Live
• 2009: Streets of Lisbon - Acoustic Live Sessions (Bonus-DVD with Between Waves CD)
• 2011: Christmas 2011 DVD [Between Waves Tour @ Coliseu do Porto]

Singles

Music Collaborations

David Fonseca has worked with many other artists. These include Trovante and Sérgio Godinho. In 1999, he went to England to work with producer Darren Allison. They worked on the song "City" by the band Phase. Fonseca also appeared in the music video for "Encosta-te a mim" by Jorge Palma.

Books Written

• 2012: Right Here, Right Now

Film and TV Work

• 1996: Gel Fatal (director of photography)
• 2002: Esquece Tudo O Que Te Disse: David/Jovem no Karaoke (small acting role)
• 2005: Lastro (Composer)
• 2008: Os Contemporâneos: Ele Próprio (TV sketch: Music video for "Salvem os Ricos")
• 2010: Gru – O Maldisposto as Vector (voice actor)

See also

In Spanish: David Fonseca para niños