Vozes da Rádio are a male vocal group formed in 1991 in the city of Porto. With almost twenty albums released and a career marked by a cappella music, the group is known for its mostly original work. Having existed for more than three decades, Vozes da Rádio are the most important Portuguese vocal group.
1990s
On April 20, 1991, Vozes da Rádio presented itself to the public for the first time in the Parish Hall of Perafita, still under the name “Ars Vocis”. Jorge Prendas, Nuno Aragão, Mário Alves, Ricardo Abreu and José Fidalgo (double bass) were the members of the quintet, who at the end of this concert decided to change the name to Vozes da Rádio. In 1992, Ricardo Abreu and José Fidalgo left, joining António Miguel, Ricardo Fráguas and Rui Vilhena. The group was a sextet until April 1996.
In 1994 they participated in the tribute album to José Afonso “Filhos da Madrugada” with a version of the theme “Índios da meia-praia”. The album went platinum and gave the group a contract with the multinational BMG. Still in 1994, they participated in Fernando Girão’s album, with the theme “Highland Gardens”.
With the BMG label, in 1995 they released the CD of originals “Bruxas, Heróis e males d’Amor”, which received unanimous support from critics. It was considered by the Público newspaper to be one of the ten best albums of that year.
In terms of shows, the now quintet performed on stages as diverse as the Alvalade Stadium (as part of the live presentation of the “Filhos da Madrugada” project), the C.C.B., Coliseu do Porto and Lisbon, D.Maria II, Fórum da Maia or Queima das Fitas in Porto and traveled to Macau as part of the program of the International Music Festival in that territory.
As a result of the vocal work that the group developed, they were invited to participate in shows and record editions by other artists. Thus, in 1995, he was invited by Ivan Lins and Paulo de Carvalho to participate in three shows that the Portuguese-Brazilian singing duo performed in Lisbon, Coimbra and Porto. In 1996, they collaborated on the recording of “Alma” by Ala dosdados, participated in several concerts with Rui Veloso, recording with him an a cappella version of the theme “Porto Sentido” for the closing show of Portugal Fashion/97. They sing with the Delfins at the end of their tour at the Coliseu do Porto and record with the Gaiteiros de Lisboa on the album “Bocas do Inferno”.
Vozes da Rádio also participated in the record projects “Espanta Espíritos” and “Voz e Guitarra” where they are accompanied by the best-known names in Portuguese music.
In October 1997, the group released its second original work entitled “Mappa do Coração”, from which the single “Dunas” was taken, which appeared on the radio charts at the end of that year. This album featured the collaboration of Rui Veloso, Sara Tavares, Gaiteiros de Lisboa and Manuel Luís Goucha as well as some other instrumentalists.
Between 1998 and 1999, Vozes da Rádio presented their “Mappa do Coração” throughout the country, having been present at Expo’98 on several occasions, highlighting their participation in the tribute to Amália Rodrigues and in the Portugal Day concerts. They also participated in the “Festival Zeca Afonso” in Coimbra and in the São João show integrated into these festivities in the city of Porto.
2000’s
The quintet also continues to collaborate with other groups, such as participating in the live album at Ala dos Outubro and in the shows that this group gave at C.C.B. and at the Coliseu do Porto to close the tour. In 2000, the quintet recorded live in the city of Porto a record that was released in 2002 and participated in the recordings of the album “Cristal” by Ala dos Outubro as well as in the live album by Gaiteiros de Lisboa, “Dança Chamas”.
In December 2000, Vozes da Rádio conceived a specific show with the title “Mais Perto (a communicative production)” for the official inauguration of the Transport and Communications Museum where the 5 voices were joined by 5 instruments. The album with the songs from this show was released in October 2001. At the end of 2000, Tiago Oliveira joined the quintet, replacing Mário Alves in some concerts, becoming part of the group definitively in 2002.
In 2001, the quintet participated in numerous concerts that included the Azores and Madeira, highlighting the participation in the celebrations of Portugal Day in Macau and in “Porto Cantado”, within the scope of the 2001 European Capital of Culture, where they shared the stage with Manuela Azevedo, Rui Veloso, Rui Reininho and Sérgio Godinho.
In 2002, Vozes da Rádio began its experience on radio with the weekly program “O dia dos Senhores” which from March to January 2003 was on air on Rádio Nova. In this two-hour radio space, together with radio host Sérgio Sousa, all the humor and healthy madness was present, both in the originals they created for this purpose and also in the versions. This year it is also worth highlighting the start of operation of the first website www.vozesdaradio.com (now extinct) where, in addition to information about the group, it was also possible to listen to the radio programs produced. They recorded two medleys for the Farol publishing house included on the CD “Assongs da television” with themes from TVI series and soap operas.
Still in 2002, they met again with Gaiteiros de Lisboa for a concert they called P.U.N. – National Unity Project where, combined with good mood, a repertoire specially designed for this show came together. In November, “O somMaravilha dos Senhores” was released, the group’s fourth album and the first with its own edition. In 2003, the highlights were the two months (January/February) at the Wonder Bar at Casino Estoril, livening up Friday nights, as well as the now famous “Marés de Agosto” festival that takes place annually on Santa Maria Island. Reviews once again praised the quality and fun that this quintet reveals on stage. November 2003 was marked by the recording and publishing of the fifth album entitled “Natal” and which, as the name suggests, is entirely composed of Christmas songs. This album includes traditional songs from several countries and is sung in 7 different languages: Portuguese, French, Catalan, English, German, Polish and Hungarian. With this album, Vozes da Rádio performed several Christmas shows throughout the country and islands. The version of the traditional Portuguese song “Entrai, Pastores, Entrai”, included on the album Natal, was part of a collection of Christmas themes organized by the UER (European Broadcasting Union).
In 2004, in addition to regular performances throughout the country, including a visit to 3 Azorean islands, the quintet recorded the album “Mulheres”, the sixth of their career and which was released in May 2005. This album has lyrics by João Monge and presents Vozes da Rádio accompanied by instruments in a pop/rock register without, however, giving priority to vocal harmonies. Still in 2004, Vozes da Rádio participated in Manuel Paulo’s (Ala dos Outubro) album “Assobio da Cobra” singing “Samba do Acento” in the company of Dany Silva, Carlos Guerreiro and Arnaldo Antunes. At Christmas this year, Uxia Senlle and the Galician group Malvela join together and present a unique show in which they invoke the various Christmases around the world. The show passed through Santiago de Compostela, Pontevedra and Viana do Castelo.
At the beginning of 2005, they returned to São Miguel for the reopening of the Coliseu de Ponta Delgada. They also travel to Galicia where they perform in Santiago de Compostela and Porriño. They release and present the album “Mulheres” live. They return to Spain for another series of concerts and are special guests on Television de Galicia’s Christmas program. This year, World Connection published a version of a song by Amália Rodrigues sung by Vozes da Rádio.
2006 is marked by the group’s 15th anniversary and the proposal of a concert made essentially a cappella, bringing together the best that Vozes have developed to date. In the same year, on Saint Martin’s Day, they participated in the Gato Fedorento (GF) program: He says it’s a kind of magazine.
The year 2007 was marked by the release of the album “7 and pico, 8 and thing, 9 and such”, a tribute that Vozes da Rádio wanted to pay to Conjunto António Mafra. This work had the participation of Rui Reininho, Sérgio Castro, Carlos Tê, Miguel Guedes, Manuela Azevedo, Rui Veloso, Sérgio Godinho, Newmax, Vítor Silva, Sérgio Silva and Conjunto António Mafra himself. Later this year he recorded with Trabalhadores do Comércio on the album Iblussom.
On April 16, 2008, they participated in the RTP program Prós e Contras. They also perform the anthem for Captain Moura from the program Liga dos Últimos. They are also invited to perform in England where they are accompanied by an ensemble of musicians from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 2009, the album “Pérolas e Porcos” was released, an album that was not planned at all, as they themselves claim. It includes moments from the program “Dia dos Senhores” on Rádio Nova, jingles, models, generics, appearances on television programs and also some original songs made for Vozes no Rádio, a daily space that Vozes da Rádio had on Rádio Clube Português. That same year they recorded and released the DVD and CD “Ora Vejam Lá”, a concert shared with Conjunto António Mafra, Newmax and Sérgio Castro. Also this year they recorded “Radioterapia”, a DVD recorded live, at Teatro Helena Sá e Costa, in Porto, but which was never released. 2009 is a year of strong activity for Vozes with numerous concerts and a tour of Spanish Extremadura, with the group visiting Badajoz, Mérida, Villa Nueva de la Serena, Almendralejo, Cáceres, Navalmoral de la Mata and finally Plasência. In 2009, they were also responsible for the training “Histórias do Sul”, a creative project of the Casa da Música Educational Service that involved more than one hundred musicians/trainers. On June 1st the work was presented in two sold-out sessions in the Suggia room.
At the end of 2009 they participated in the film “O Barão” by Edgar Pêra, creating the entire soundtrack and being part of the cast. The film was released in 2011.
10s
The year 2011 is marked by the quintet’s 20th anniversary and the “Vintage” concert, made up of 20 songs suggested by the group’s followers. The “Vintage” tour passed through Porto, Lisbon, Aveiro, Guimarães and Espinho. They return to the studio with Trabalhadores do Comércio to record the album “Das Turmêntas hà Boua Isperansa”.
In 2013 they returned to Casa da Música, this time to perform with the Banda Sinfónica Portuguesa, in an original show based on the group’s songs. At the end of this year the Voices announce a halt.
2016 is marked by the return of Vozes da Rádio with the release of “Canções do Homem Comum”, a large set of songs that Vozes da Rádio had never before recorded or even sung live. Volume 1 of these songs came out on April 16, 2016 and was marked by a sold-out concert at Sala Suggia at Casa da Música. The recording of this concert was broadcast on RTP and Porto Canal. The 25th anniversary tour was based on the two volumes that Vozes recorded at the end of 2015 and beginning of 2016 as well as songs never before sung live such as “O teu pé” released on the album “Pérolas e Porcos”.
2017 marks the return of Vozes da Rádio to the studio to finish volume II of Canções do Homem Comum. In this second volume, António Zambujo, Uxía Senlle, Mário Alves, Pedro “Peixe” Cardoso, Sérgio Pacheco, Filipe Deniz, Acácio Salero, José Topa participated, a wind quintet that includes Daniela Castro (flute), Sara Moreira (oboe), Horácio Ferreira (clarinet), Gabriel Fonseca (bassoon) and Nuno Costa (horn) and also the female quintet Aquilo que Vocês Quiserem. The album was released on April 16, 2018, exactly two years after the first volume. During 2018, Vozes da Rádio presented Songs of the Common Man in several auditoriums and theaters across the country. In October they participated in the IPO concert at the Coliseu do Porto, where a tribute was paid to Zé Pedro, from Xutos & Pontapés.
At the beginning of 2019, the Voices performed as a quartet. In November, marking ten years since the filming of O Barão with Edgar Pêra, they released an album with some of the tracks that served as the basis for the film’s soundtrack, starting with the opening theme and Verde Gaio, a popular Portuguese theme mentioned in the book by Branquinho da Fonseca. This is the group’s most experimental album to date, where the exploration of the voice moves into other fields. Interestingly, this twelfth work by Vozes is the first to include photographs of the group’s members on the cover. In December they released a single on digital platforms, Metaphysics De Linha Branca, resuming the tradition of revealing something new at Christmas time.
20s
2020 begins with a concert by Reis, with the Portuguese Guitar and Mandolin Orchestra. On International Women’s Day, March 8, they launch the album Mulheres on digital platforms. A period of confinement caused by the pandemic follows. In April and to mark the 25th of April, Vozes da Rádio recreated their version of Índios da Meia-Praia, in a version recorded individually on a smartphone, with the participation of Paulo de Carvalho, Rita Redshoes, Berg, Helena Caspurro, Rui Veloso, Uxía, Miguel Guedes, Sérgio Castro, Patrícia Costa, Noa, Celso Viáfora, Pedro Viáfora, Daniel Pereira Cristo, Filipe Pinto, Helena Sarmento, João Gil, Lúcia Moniz, in addition to the former members of Vozes da Rádio Mário Alves, Nuno Aragão and Ricardo Abreu. They also record a new version of Tu Lês em Mim in confinement and participate in several TV programs from home. In December they make their usual Christmas release with two versions: Over the Rainbow and What a Wonderful World. The first of these themes was the musical basis for a SIC report on the pandemic and shown in December.
2021 marks a gradual return to the stage. In April they return to the Ermesinde Forum for an online concert that marks freedom day. In July they participate in the Cultura Online festival. In September they perform four concerts with the Orquestra Clássica do Centro: Condeixa, Batalha, Soure and Penedono. 2021 is also marked by 30 years of Vozes da Rádio. To celebrate the round number, Vozes launches monthly on digital platforms. They publish old concerts never before published such as Vintage, Mais Perto or Radioterapia, models such as 2001, a cappella in space, recreate themes such as Tu Lês em Mim and release originals such as Ócio or the Christmas album 3 por 4. In total there were 81 songs and 5 hours and 29 seconds of music, with recordings from 1998 to 2021, covering almost all periods of the Voices. There were 11 releases: 4 albums and 7 EPs. All that remained was to edit one original, Voz, which, despite being recorded in December, ended up being left out of these releases.
In 2022 they return to recording in the studio. They returned to Estúdios Rangel and recorded Brasil, an album with 15 songs, 14 of them originals by Jorge Prendas. This album has numerous Brazilian guests: MPB4, Ivan Lins, Tunico da Vila, Fábio Porchat, Tetê Espíndola, Daniela Procópio, Demónios da Garoa, Breno Ruiz, Lilian Raquel, Cláudio César Ribeiro, Mestre Porto, Luiz Gabriel, Thiago Vichi, Léo Bianchini , Luís Arrigo, Gabi Farias, Dan Stump, Carlos César Motta, Celso Viáfora, Rafael Altério, Cauê Nardi, Douglas Germano, Gileno Santana and also the Portuguese Paulo Coelho de Castro, Joaquim Alves and Filipe Monteiro. Brasil was presented in October at Casa da Música and published in December. Still this year, Vozes did another special project, this time with Banda de Fajões, in an open-air concert in Oliveira de Azeméis.
