Peste&Sida

Peste & Sida is a Portuguese rock band formed in the summer of 1986, in Lisbon. The band was formed by João San Payo (bass), Luís Varatojo (guitar) Eduardo Dias (drums) and João Pedro Almendra who joined the group to take charge of vocalizations; Orlando Cohen enters soon after.

They participated for the first time in the 4th Rock Rendez-Vous Modern Music Competition, but in the meantime they got a recording contract with the independent Transmédia and released the LP Veneno soon after. This album reveals a Peste & Sida close to the Punk aesthetic in themes such as Veneno, Furo na Cabeça, Gingão or Carraspana.

The album cover is a copy of London Calling, by the British The Clash.

The group’s sound begins to surpass the boundaries of Punk and expands to other genres such as reggae, rock and rap. This evolution is noted on the second album, Portem-se Bem, an LP that features Sol da Caparica, a version of an American song from the 60s, his biggest hit. Other themes are Chuta Cavalo…E Morrerás, the version of the popular Alentejo theme Vamos Lá Saindo and Paulinha.

The band starts to give a lot of shows and performs the first parts of the English P.I.L. (group led by John Lydon, then Johnny Rotten lead singer of the Sex Pistols). The Máxi-single Homem da Sorte/Reggaesida, released in 1989, was recorded by the quartet San Payo, Varatojo, Almendra and Raposo.

Meanwhile, Nuno Rafael joins as second guitarist, coming from Vómito, at the same time that João Pedro Almendra leaves the project. The band prepares its new album, released in April 1990, with the title Peste & Sida é Que é. This album includes a version of the theme A Morte Saiu à Rua by José Afonso and other songs such as the appealing Vamos Ao Trabalho! and Curse.

Raposo abandons the drums and Marco comes in his place, still in time to participate in the recordings of the group’s next album: Eles Andam Aí. It contains songs such as No Meu Tempo Não Era Assim and RFM (Rock Faz Mal), a criticism of the radio station RFM, which refused to play the group’s songs.

In 1993, the album O Melhor do Peste & Aids was released, a combination of two albums recorded by the Polygram record label.

João Cardoso (keyboard) and Sérgio Nascimento (drums) join the group, the latter replacing Marco. The group, with this new line-up, plays at Terreiro do Paço, in Lisbon, during the 25th of April celebrations and presents a version of Bully Bull, a rhythm’n’blues classic they call Bule Bule.

In 1994 they participated in the album and the show in honor of José Afonso with his version of O Homem da Gaita.

The group begins to have a parallel activity under the name Despe & Siga, performing Portuguese versions of rock classics. For some time there would be Pest and Despe, until the departure of San Payo (who wanted to maintain both groups) led to the extinction of Pest & Sida.

On October 21, 2002, Universal released the collection The True History of Plague & Aids.

Peste & Sida returned with full force in the spring of 2004. A new album was released with the suggestive title Tóxico. The band’s lineup now includes João Sampayo (vocals and bass), Orlando Cohen (guitar, vocals), João Alves (guitar, vocals) and Marte Ciro (drums and vocals). Orlando Cohen had already been a member of the band in one of its previous formations.