Born in Évora in 1976 but spent a good part of his childhood and adolescence in a small village near to Spain, in Alentejo (South region of Portugal). It was in this [Raiano**] context that he learned to look at the map as an imagined territory and the border as a line, above all, imaginary.
He studied piano and classical guitar, later jazz guitar. He went through several projects, from rock to experimental music, fusion, and improvised music. He later discovered folk music and the pleasure of turning it upside out. He has been engaged, for several years, in the exploration and reinvention of traditional repertoires, alongside his compositions, in an instrument in particular: the viola campaniça, which he has placed in different musical contexts, from popular music to rock or experimental and soundscape. His viola played and recorded in Europe, America, Africa, and Asia. António has several works in video/cinema, theater, contemporary dance, performance, puppet theater, circus, and cabaret. He ministries regular viola campaniça workshops, sound exploration, and musical creativity. António was an active member in projects like Uxu Kalhus and No Mazurka Band; founder of Há Lobos sem ser na serra, Bicho do Mato, among others. He recently recorded with Kepa Junkera for Ath Thurda, Omiri (Alentejo Vol. 1), Celina da Piedade, António Caixeiro, Daniel Catarino, Cantadores de Paris and O Gajo.
António is co-founder of Boa Companhia, a Portuguese artist collective and theatre for all company, integrating all its projects as musician, music director and/or actor/performer.
Recent discography: Recent discography: Robertos, Viola & Campaniça, é neste país 2019 and 2018; Há
Lobos Sem ser na Serra: Cantares do Sul e da Utopia, Vachier Music editions 2017; A Vingança do Bicho do Mato [Bicho do Mato 2016, Vachier Music editions, Capote Música], Extravagante [Uxu Kalhus 2012, disco Antena 1 e Sapo Música], A-do-Baile [No Mazurka Band 2010]Transumâncias Groove [Uxu Kalhus, 2009].
Recente participations: Subterrâneos [O Gajo] 2021 Alentejo Vol.1 [Omiri], AT Thurdâ [Kepa Junkera] Sangue Quente Sangue Frio [Daniel Catarino, 2019 apoio GDA], Errorismo [Payasos Dopados, 2019], Cantadores de Paris 2019, António Caixeiro EP 2018, Sol [Celina Piedade, 2017], O cante das Ervas [Celina Piedade, 2015], Orgânica Mente Humana [Luís Pucarinho 2015], Aqui há Baile [Aqui há Baile, 2014], Dona Vitória
[Uaninauai 2014, Capote Música]
* The viola campaniça is one of the Portuguese violas. Campaniça means ‘do campo ', from the countryside but also from the campaniça region (south of Portugal, Alentejo). It usually has 5 double strings (can have 12 strings, 2 of which are triple) and is traditionally used to accompany the typical singing forms of the Alentejo region and also to play traditional ball tunes.This instrument almost disappeared back at the '80s of the 20th century, the [few] players who resisted at that time were elderly. It was only in the early 1990s that a lot of dissemination actions in the Baixo Alentejo region allowed the training of new players over the years. Nowadays, fortunately, there are already many musicians who play the viola as their one and only instrument.
** Raiano means "from the raia". In this case, raia is the frontier line, so raiano means from this territory between two nations (Portugal and Spain in this case) that creates a particular cultural ecosystem, common on both sides of the border.
