Alexandre Soares

Alexandre José de Medeiros Pereira Soares was born in Porto, on June 15, 1958. As a teenager, he started playing the classical guitar. At the age of 18, he started playing the electric guitar.

For some time he even played with Pesquisa who later formed Taxi.

In 1980 he was playing alone at home and looking for elements to form a band. He meets Vítor Rua and Toli César Machado with whom he forms the GNR. Alexandre Soares took over the vocalizations on the first two singles (“Portugal na CEE” and “Sê Um GNR”).

In 1981 he played with Vítor Rua and Rodrigo Freitas in Pastorinhos de Fátima.

In GNR he also releases the maxi-single “Twistarte” and the LPs “Independança”, “Defeitos Especiais”, “Os Homens Não Se Querem Bonitos” and “Psicopatria”.

In 1986 he co-wrote, together with his brother João Pedro Soares, the music for the ballet “Barcos Negros” which won first prize at the Lisbon International Ballet Competition.

The following year he leaves GNR due to dissatisfaction with his work in the group.

He released his first solo album in 1988. The album “Um Projecto Global”, mostly instrumental, included the theme “Luzes de Hotel” with lyrics by Pedro Ayres Magalhães.

In 1990 he composed the music for the play “Coração na Boca”, by Sam Shepard, with lyrics by Rui Reininho. The play featured Xana, Ricardo Carmo and actors Natália Luísa and Virgílio Castelo.

That year he suffered a car accident that prevented him from playing for two years. For some time he dedicated himself to making Ban’s live sound. In 1992 he joined the Song Experience project, which later changed its name to Zero. It is with this new designation that the group’s only album is released.

In 1993, he collaborated on the Zero project, with which he recorded the debut album. In the exhibition La Imagen Frágil by Fundacion La Caixa Barcelona, he produced a sound intervention in the installation Señor Estupor by Javier Dias.

Still in 1992 he was invited to participate in the album “Partes Sensíveis” by Três Tristes Tigres. The first full-length collaboration on the project took place after Paula Sousa left, in 1993, on the version of “Anjinho da Guarda” included on the tribute album to António Variações.

He produced a sound intervention in the installation “Señor Estupor”, by Javier Dias, for the exhibition “La Imagen Frágil” by Fundación La Caixa (Barcelona).

He also composed the music for the film “Sapatos Pretos”, by João Canijo and for a short film by Rui Simões.

In 1998 he was considered the Portuguese composer of the year, by the newspaper Público, due to the album “Guia Espiritual” by Três Tristes Tigres.

In 1998, his project “Flight 2000” had a theme – “Lunar Strings” – in Kami’Khazz’s maxi “The Sonic Abuse”. The other theme on this record was “Mr.Mckeena” by Mute Life Dpt.

He also composes the original music for “Buenas Noches, Mi Amor”, with texts by Al Berto read by João Reis at Teatro Nacional S. João (1999).

With “Vooum” he started his collaboration with choreographer Né Barros, which followed with “No Fly Zone” (premiered on October 19, 2000) and “Exo” (2001). Audeo released in 2000 the album with the soundtrack of “Vooum”.

He composes the music for the film “Ganhar a Vida”, by João Canijo. He also made the soundtrack for the telefilm “Rádio Relâmpago” by José Nascimento.

In 2003 he co-produced Mesa’s debut album. At Teatro Carlos Alberto (TeCa) the show “Rua!” with music by Vítor Rua and with the participation of Alexandre Soares and Nuno Rebelo.

He continues his collaboration with Né Barros by signing the soundtrack for the choreography “Vaga” in 2004.

I’m not very fast at work. There are things that move very quickly, but then there are small details that may not even be noticed when I walk around for months. As I record at home, I have to do everything: connect the cables, I’m a technician, an electrician… But I like it better that way. I’m really afraid of having to redo everything, inside a studio, in three weeks, with very good technical conditions, but with the emotional contact all changed. The big question when I’m making music is to be emotionally connected to the themes I’m working on. The “sampler” edition itself must have an emotional content. I work the machines like someone playing the guitar. AS/1998

Co-founder of the GNR group as a composer and guitarist, he began his recording career in 1980. In 1988 he released his only solo album, Projecto Global. In 1990 he was responsible for the musical composition for the play Heart in the Mouth by Sam Shepard.

It was also in 1993 that he had his first connection with the group Três Tristes Tigres on the album Partes Sensíveis, and on the collection of songs by António Variações with Anjinho da Guarda. The integration in Três Tristes Tigres resulted in the albums Guia Espiritual, Comum and more recently Minima Luz.

He was considered Portuguese composer of the year 1998 by Jornal Público. He composed the music for the film Sapatos Pretos by João Canijo. He was invited by the Teatro Nacional S. João to compose the original music for Buenas Noches, Mi Amor, a video-music device with texts by Al Berto read by João Reis, to be staged in February 1999.

He took to the stages of CCB and Rivoli, with Três Tristes Tigres, the show Ferida Consentida, based on the book a kiss given later, by Maria Gabriela Llansol. Since 1999 he collaborates with the choreographer Né Barros, for whom he composed the songs for Vooum, No Fly Zone, exo, Vaga, Dia Maior, Segundo Plano, Free Sheet, Story Case, A Praça, Estrangeiros, Landing, Sol Subterrâneo, Citânia. Citania and Walls.