Resistência, one of the most emblematic formations of Portuguese music from the first half of the 90s, a super-group responsible for some unforgettable successes.
The voices and guitars of Tim, Pedro Ayres, Fernando Cunha, Olavo Bilac and Miguel Angelo, together with Fernando Júdice’s bass, Alexandre Frazão’s drums, José Salgueiro’s percussions and even more guitars by «Dudas» (Rui Luís Pereira) and Fred Mergner reduced to the essential a series of classics of Portuguese music, betting on acoustic purity and the strength of a collective to elevate themes such as «A Noite» by Sitiados, «Não Sou o Único” by Xutos & Pontapés, “Fado” by Heróis do Mar, “Nasce Selvagem” by Delfins or “Perigo” by Trovante.
Together, all these musicians represented an important slice of the most relevant Portuguese music of recent decades. And, of course, they are all still active, in projects such as Madredeus, Quinteto de Lisboa, Santos e Pecadores, Xutos & Pontapés, Ar de Rock or in solo careers full of applause, as is the case with former Delfins singer Miguel Angelo.
In 2015 they returned to the studio and recorded the album ‘Horizonte’. Since then they have not stopped giving concerts, including the memorable concert at the Bataclan in Paris among many others.
In 2017 they entered the studio to record new songs, releasing in September of that year the first single with Jorge Palma’s theme ‘A Gente Vai Continuar’.
In 2018, they released the album ‘Ventos & Mares’.
More about Resistência
Start
In the city of Lisbon, at the 1989 Book Fair, the first step was taken towards the creation of the project that would later be called Resistência. Teresa Salgueiro, Anabela Duarte and Filipa Pais, alongside Pedro Ayres Magalhães, the project’s mentor, were present in a key experimental session.
In the following meeting, the female voices of Madredeus, Mler Ife Dada and Lua Extravagante, gave way to a completely male cast, whose core included Pedro Ayres Magalhães, Miguel Ângelo, Tim, Fernando Cunha and Olavo Bilac (at this time there were already Santos & Pecadores, but they hadn’t recorded it yet). This list of artists was joined by musicians José Salgueiro and Alexandre Frazão on drums and percussion, Rui Luís Pereira (Dudas) and Fredo Mergner on guitars and also Fernando Júdice and Yuri Daniel on bass. The cast was thus complete with three main voices and six acoustic guitars.
Impact of records
The first record, “Palavras ao Vento”, hit stores in 1991, having been recorded in October and November of the same year, at Êxito studios (Lisbon), with Jonathan Miller and Tó Pinheiro da Silva (Sound Engineers) and Paula Margarida and Rui Silva (Sound Assistants). Mastering was also carried out by Jonathan Miller, although done at CTS Studios, in Wembley, England.
The following year the band went on the road, performing thirty concerts during the summer.
After achieving double platinum, Resistência presented another album in 1992: “Mano a Mano”. The second album took shape with the same musicians as the first work, but there was some innovation. The album “Mano a Mano” included songs such as “Timor”, “Esta Cidade”, “Perigo”, “Fim”, “Prisão em Si”, and also the successful “Um Lugar ao Sol”, “A Noite” and “That Winter”.
Made for the road
At the end of the year, they returned to the stages in Porto and Lisbon, with their performances in the capital giving rise to a live album released in 1993. The album “Ao Vivo no Armazém 22” presented some new material and also included an introduction written by the author. by Pedro Ayres Magalhães.
1993 was also marked by the return to shows, which took the Resistance to twenty cities in Portugal. The group also participates in the first “Portugal ao Vivo”, in Alvalade.
The group also released the video “Ao Volante do Éter”.
Last works
In 1994, they were invited to participate in the tribute album to José Afonso, “Filhos da Madrugada”, released that year. The theme “Chamaram-me Cigano” was chosen for the tribute and is the third track on the second album.
At the end of the following June they also participated in the presentation concert, which took place at the then José de Alvalade Stadium.
The group participates in the tribute album to António Variações called “Variações – As Canções de António”, with the theme “Voz-Amália-de-nós”.
The end
Despite the obligation to the publisher to record a fourth album, the band was inactive from 1995 onwards and the musicians returned to their respective projects.
In 2012, the compilation “As Vozes de Uma Geração” was released with all the songs from the first two albums, the songs “Voz-Amália-De-nós” and “Chamaram-Me Cigano” and two songs from the live album. There is also a book with a biographical text written by journalist António Pires, dozens of photos by Augusto Brázio and song lyrics.
Return to concert
In September 2012, the group’s return was announced for two concerts, one on December 19, 2012 at Campo Pequeno, in Lisbon, and another at Multiusos de Guimarães, on December 29, 2012, which serve to mark the twenty years since the group’s live debut.
After the success of the concerts in Lisbon and Guimarães, they will perform two concerts in Porto on the 26th and 27th of April 2013. Their participation in the Portugal ao Vivo festival, at the Restelo stadium on the 22nd of June, has also been announced. On July 31, 2013, they participated in Expofacic in Cantanhede.
New album in 2014
On November 24, 2014, Resistência returned with the album “Horizonte” which marked the group’s return to the recording studios, after 22 years of absence, with 11 new songs added to the repertoire of Madredeus & a Banda Cósmica, Delfins, Xutos & Pontapés, Tim and Rádio Macau.
In 2016, “Ao Vivo em Lisboa” was released, on CD and DVD, which presents in full the concert that Resistência held at Campo Pequeno, in Lisbon, on December 17, 2015.
