Pedro Abrunhosa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pedro Abrunhosa
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Pedro Abrunhosa in 2017
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Pedro Machado Abrunhosa |
| Born | 20 December 1960 Porto, Portugal |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals, piano |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Labels |
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Pedro Machado Abrunhosa, born on December 20, 1960, is a famous Portuguese singer, songwriter, and musician. He is also a composer. Pedro is known for his jazz background. He started his music journey in the 1980s. He played in jazz bands and taught music in schools in Porto. He even helped start the Jazz School of Porto.
In 1994, Pedro Abrunhosa began his solo career in pop music. His first album, Viagens, was a huge hit. It became the fastest-selling album in Portugal at that time. It reached number one on the charts and sold over 140,000 copies. His second album, Tempo (1996), was also very successful. It showed that Pedro was a major artist in Portuguese music. Six of his eight studio albums have reached the top of the Portuguese album charts.
Besides his music, Pedro Abrunhosa is famous for always wearing sunglasses when he is in public. He also acted in the 1999 film The Letter, playing himself. He is a board member of the Portuguese Authors Society.
Contents
Early Life and Music Studies
Pedro Abrunhosa was born in Porto, Portugal. He began studying music in 1972 at the Music School of Porto. He learned about music analysis, composition, and history. He also started playing the double bass.
Later, he studied musical composition at the "Conservatório de Música do Porto". He was invited to join the Madrid Contemporary Music Group. This gave him the chance to perform in Portugal and Spain. In 1981, he received a diploma in Musical Pedagogy.
Music Career Highlights
Starting Out in Music (1984–1994)
In 1984, Pedro Abrunhosa went to Madrid to study with famous musicians. He also finished his composition course in Porto. He started learning double bass with Alejandro Erlich Oliva.
In 1985, he went back to Spain for an International Jazz Seminar. He worked with more great musicians there. In the same year, he formed a quartet called "Banda de Bolso" with Joaquin Iglesias.
He continued to attend jazz seminars and play with different musicians. In 1987, he taught double-bass at the Jazz School of Hot-Club in Lisbon. He also hosted a radio show called "Até Jazz". He toured Portugal and Europe with various groups.
Pedro composed music for films like "Amour en Latin" and "Adão e Eva". He won an award for Best Soundtrack at the Madrid Film Festival for the film "Novo Mundo". He also wrote music for plays and a video.
He helped create the Jazz School of Porto. There, he taught harmony and group music for three years. He also led the orchestra of the Jazz School of Porto. He taught at other music and arts schools too.
He formed and led the Cool Jazz Orchestra. This group played mostly Rhythm & Blues. After three years, it became "Pedro Abrunhosa e a Máquina do Som". They performed original songs written by Pedro.
Viagens and Big Success (1994–1995)
In 1994, Pedro Abrunhosa released his first album, Viagens. He recorded it with his new band, Bandemónio. The famous sax player Maceo Parker, who played with James Brown, also joined the album. Viagens was a huge success. It sold 140,000 copies in Portugal and became triple platinum.
With Viagens, Pedro became the fastest-selling artist in Portuguese music history. From October 1994 to January 1995, he played over 120 concerts. More than 200,000 people came to see him. Songs like "Não Posso Mais" and "Socorro" were popular in dance clubs. Billboard magazine called his sudden popularity a "music revolution". Major publications named him the best act of 1994. In 2009, Blitz magazine called Viagens the best Portuguese album of the 1990s.
Pedro Abrunhosa and his band, "Pedro Abrunhosa e os Bandemónio", also released a book called F. It showed the band's adventures and trips.
In 1995, Pedro was very active in protests. He spoke out against the sale of Coliseu do Porto, a famous concert hall. He even chained himself to the building. His actions helped stop the sale.
Tempo and International Tours (1996–1998)
In September 1996, Pedro Abrunhosa went to Memphis and Minneapolis. There, he finished mixing and mastering his second album, Tempo. The album was recorded in Porto, Lisbon, Memphis, and Minneapolis. Tom Tucker, who worked with Prince, helped with the mixing.
Pedro invited The New Power Generation Horns to play on the album. These musicians also worked with Prince. Other artists like Carlos do Carmo and Rui Veloso also joined. Tempo was released on November 11, 1996. In its first week, it sold over 200,000 copies. This made it double platinum.
He started his "Tempo Tour 97/98". He played concerts across Portugal and in other countries. These included France, Canada, Switzerland, Brazil, and the United States. To reach more people, he recorded some Tempo songs in Spanish, French, and English.
In May 1997, he filmed the music video for "No Way" in London.
He wrote the music and script for a musical called "O Rapaz de Papel" ("The Paper Boy"). It was shown in March 1998 before Expo 98.
He also produced the first solo album for singer Diana Basto, called Amanhecer (Dawn). He wrote the lyrics and music for it.
Pedro was invited by Caetano Veloso to perform at his show at Expo 98. He also performed his own show at the Sony Plaza in September. This performance was broadcast worldwide.
He was invited to act in the film La Lettre (The Letter) by Manuel de Oliveira. He played the main role. The film won an award at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.
He finished his third album, Silence, in November 1999. It featured musicians who played with Caetano Veloso, Nina Miranda, Radiohead, and dEUS.
Pedro won many awards for his work. These included four Blitz Awards, a Bordalo award, and a Globo de Ouro ("Golden Globe").
Later Career (1999–Present)
In 1999, Pedro gave many talks across Portugal. He spoke about art, music, and cinema. Some of his talks were later published.
In 2002, he performed two shows called “Intimidade”. They were very popular with critics and the public. The show then toured Portugal and was a big success.
His album Momento (2002) was written and composed entirely by him. It featured the Helicon String Quartet. The famous Portuguese director Manoel de Oliveira directed a short film for the album's first song, "Momento".
In Portugal, Momento became double platinum. It was also the most played album on the radio. Pedro Abrunhosa released the album in Brazil. Brazilian artists like Zélia Duncan and Lenine sang on it. Many artists in Brazil perform his songs.
His first DVD, Intimidade, also went double platinum in just two weeks.
He continues to be a board member of the Portuguese Authors Society.
Pedro's Public Image
Pedro Abrunhosa is well-known for always wearing sunglasses in public. In the 1990s, he was a very important person in Portugal. He had a "strong image" and spoke clearly about his ideas.
Albums
- Viagens (1994)
- Tempo (1996)
- Silêncio (1999)
- Momento (2002)
- Luz (2007)
- Longe (2010)
- Contramão (2013)
- Espiritual (2018)
See also
In Spanish: Pedro Abrunhosa para niños
- Music of Portugal
