Paulo Gonzo’s 30-year career makes him an icon of Portuguese music, not only for an entire generation that grew up listening to him but also for a new wave of fans and artists who are inspired by him and listen with admiration.
Paulo Gonzo started playing in local bars and clubs in 1975, as a founding member, singer and songwriter of the Go Graal Blues Band. It was the first album, entitled “Go Graal Blues Band” and the single “Outside” that Paulo Gonzo started a long and successful musical career.
This first album quickly became a Gold Record. In 1980, “White Noise” was released, which included the single “Touch Me Now”. After other successful albums and singles such as “Lonely” (single, 1981), “Black Mail” (album, 1983) and “Dirty Brown City” (1984), Paulo Gonzo finally decides to go solo with the single “So Do I”, a song that achieved immediate success, selling more than 50,000 copies.
The year 1986 was a milestone in the career of Paulo Gonzo, who recorded his debut album “My Desire”. This work brings together original material written by Charlie Midnight, Dan Hartman, Daniel Lavoie and Jimmy Scott, as well as a stunning performance by Otis Redding in “These Arms of Mine”.
During this period, the single “Stay” was released, which sold 10,000 copies and remained at the top of the best-selling songs for weeks on end. Following this success, Paulo Gonzo records “My Girl/She Knocks Three Times” and, at the end of 1989, “Can’t Be With you” is released.
But it is in 1992 that Paulo Gonzo releases his first album in Portuguese, “Pedras da Calçada”. Of the twelve songs that line up this record, one stood out in terms of popularity through its distinctive melody and sensuality: “Jardins Proibidos”. This theme solidifies the career of Paulo Gonzo, who becomes a reference in the Portuguese music scene.
The album that followed was “Fora D’Horas”. Launched in 1995, this work involved the participation of numerous renowned artists, both nationally and internationally, such as Pedro Abrunhosa, Rui Reininho, Pedro Malaquias and Frank Darcel (producer of Etienne Daho), who produced this record. His great songs, such as “Acordar”, “Tiro à Queima Roupa”, “Leve Beijo Triste” and “Noite das Sete Colinas”, are unavoidable references of modern Portuguese popular music.
However, it was the album “Quase Tudo” (1997) that proved to be Paulo Gonzo’s biggest hit to date, reaching six times platinum and further solidifying the musician’s name and career in Portugal. The compilation brings together some of his best work to date, including a version of “Jardins Proibidos”, sung in partnership with Olavo Bilac (Santos e Pecadores).
Paulo Gonzo’s next project, “Suspeito” (1998), was produced by Frank Darcel and some of his songs’ lyrics were written by Pedro Malaquias and Rui Reininho. Paulo Gonzo joined a range of extraordinary musicians such as Bernardo Sassetti, Zé Pedro (Xutos e Pontapés), Gonçalo Pereira, Texino, Dalu, Nani Teixeira, Phillippe Decock and Flak (ex-Radio Macau). The success stories of Paulo Gonzo’s songs were repeated in “Pagava P’ra Ver”, “Ser Suspeito”, “Fogo Preso” and “Humano e Little More”.
In 1999, Paulo Gonzo releases “Live Unplugged”, a live album that portrays his career from his first solo single, “So do I”, to “Ser Suspeito”. This album includes the hits “Jardins Proibidos” and “Dei-te Quase Tudo”, among other musical gems.
2005 was the year in which Paulo Gonzo celebrated 20 years of solo career, returning with a new album, the same name. “Paulo Gonzo” and the concept that surrounds it indelibly trace the “bluesy” past of Paulo Gonzo, bringing to the surface the musical influences that have accompanied him since the beginning with the “Go Graal Blues Band”. This time the recording had the participation of Rui Veloso.
In 2007, Paulo Gonzo joins the prestigious series ‘Perfil’, in which some of the biggest names in current Pop music have already been published, such as Adriana Calcanhotto or Tom Jobim. “Perfil” by Paulo Gonzo is a collection with all the songs that made the musician famous, including an unreleased song, ‘Diz-me Tu’, as well as a new version of the classic ‘Leve Beijo Triste’, recorded in duet with Lúcia Moniz.
Edited in 2010, “By Request” retrieves some of the best themes from the American Songbook. Great hits like “Midnight hour”, “Love Man” or “These arms of mine”, are part of this fabulous record sung in English and recorded in New York with the production of the duo Cindy Blackman/Jack Daley.
In November 2011, Paulo Gonzo released the original album “Só Gestos”, with the special participation of Tito Paris, Pedro Jóia and Miguel Sousa Tavares, the latter as lyricist of the theme “Vem”. The two singles “São Gestos” and “O (teu) brinquedo” quickly conquered a prominent place in the playlists of the main radio stations in the country.
In 2012, Paulo Gonzo celebrated 35 years of career with two sold-out concerts at the Coliseus in Porto and Lisbon, where he had very special guests such as Jorge Palma, Rui Reininho, Lúcia Moniz, Zé Pedro and Tito Paris.
On March 25, 2013, the special edition of “Só Gestos” by Paulo Gonzo will be released, which will include the theme “Vencer Ao Amor” in a duet with the Spanish sensation India Martínez. This new edition will feature 2 bonus tracks, two versions of this very special duet, in Portuguese and Spanish.
Paulo Gonzo is an obligatory reference in pop music produced in Portugal in the last two decades. Thanks to a unique voice, remarkable songs and a strong personality, Paulo Gonzo is an artist who manages to appeal to both female and male audiences, also covering different age groups.
Paulo Gonzo’s talent and success as a singer, songwriter and performer make this musician (who has sold over 400,000 albums to date) one of the most renowned Portuguese artists today and one of the great voices of our days.
