António Mourão, artistic name of António Manuel Dias Pequerrucho, (Montijo, June 3, 1935 – Lisbon, October 19, 2013) was a Portuguese fado singer.
Interpreter of the well-known theme “Ó Tempo Volta para Trás”, he withdrew from the artistic world in the 90s.
It was while fulfilling his mandatory military service that his voice began to stand out. He began to sing, as an amateur, in Lisbon’s fado houses. In 1964, he was hired for “Parreirinha de Alfama”, typical house of Argentina Santos, where he made his professional debut. Then he was hired by the fado singer Sérgio to perform at the Lisbon fado house “Viela”.
True notability would be gained in 1965 with his participation in the magazine E Viva o Velho!, at the Teatro Maria Vitória, where he performed the song “Ó Tempo Volta para Trás”, by the duo Eduardo Damas / Manuel Paião, who would become one of the greatest successes in the history of Portuguese music. The album would go on to exceed 200,000 copies sold.
António Mourão became a very popular singer, for which, naturally, he traveled all over the country and even sang on several stages abroad, in countries such as the United States of America, Canada, Australia, Venezuela, South Africa, France and Germany.
He would return to the magazine several times, in pieces such as Ó Zé tightens the Belt or There is Nothing for Nobody.
He recorded albums for labels such as RCA, Valentim de Carvalho or Movieplay.
He also recorded other outstanding fado and folklore songs, such as “Os Teus Olhos Negros, Negros”, “Chiquita Morena”, “Oh Vida Dá-me Outra Vida”, “Fado do Cacilheiro” or “Varina da Madragoa”. He was the first name to record Carlos Paião on a single in 1979.
António Mourão took a risk again by being one of the first Portuguese to record hits by Amália Rodrigues, such as “Maria Lisboa”. Despite following a strong popular trend, in his work it is possible to find great Portuguese poets, such as Fernando Pessoa, Mário de Sá Carneiro or José Carlos Ary dos Santos.
“There is no fado without truth” was the last album he recorded.
Focusing on a certain disappointment with the Portuguese musical scene, António Mourão ended up withdrawing, almost completely, from the artistic scene in the 1990s, despite being cherished by the public and having received many awards.
Fado singer António Mourão died on October 18, 2013, aged 78, at Casa do Artista, in Lisbon.
