A well-known and acclaimed songwriter in Portugal, Palma started his solo career in 1972 and was a busker in several cities abroad before settling back in Portugal in 1982. He achieved success in the 1980s with songs such as "Deixa-me Rir" and "Frágil", and renewed success in 2007, with the single "Encosta-te a Mim".
Palma has additionally been a member of the bands Sindicato, Rio Grande, Cabeças no Ar, and his rock project Palma's Gang.
Early life
Jorge Palma was born in Lisbon on 4 June 1950. At the age of 6, Palma learned to play the piano and to read. When he was 8 years old, he performed his first piano audition in the Portuguese National Conservatory.
In 1963, aged 13, Palma finished second in a musical contest in Mallorca, Spain. At the same time, he continued his studies, first at the Camões Secondary School and after at the Colégio Infante de Sagres in Abrantes. The following year, 1964, marks a turning point in Palma's musical preferences, in which he start leaving his classical influences and dedicates himself to pop-rock music.
Musical career
1967–1972: Career beginnings and Sindicato
During the Summer of 1967, in Algarve, Palma joined the band Black Boys as a keyboard player. In the following Summer, in 1968, he joins the band Jets also as keyboard player. He also played with the bands Extravaganza and Beatnicks.[1]
In 1969, Palma joined the rock band Sindicato, while studying Electrical Engineering in the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Lisbon.[2] With Sindicato, he played in the first edition of the Vilar de Mouros Festival, in 1971. Sindicato released one single and a covers album, before disbanding in 1972. In that same year, Palma also dropped out of his university studies.[1]
1972–1984: Start of solo career and travels
Jorge Palma's solo career started in 1972 with the release of the single "The Nine Billion Names of God", based on the short story of the same name by Arthur C. Clarke, with lyrics in English. After that, he spent some time improving his lyrical writing skills in Portuguese with the famous poet and song lyricist José Carlos Ary dos Santos, and in 1973 he launched his first single in Portuguese, "A Útlima Canção".
In February 1975, Palma participated in the 12th edition of the Festival da Canção with two songs: "O Pecado Capital" (with Fernando Girão) and "Viagem". The songs finished in 7th and 8th places.[1]
Palma's first studio album, Com Uma Viagem na Palma da Mão, was recorded and released in 1975.
In 1977, he released his second album, 'Té Já. This was followed by travels in Spain and Brazil, in which Palma played in the streets of several cities.[3] He spent time afterwards in Paris, where he performed in several bars, cafés and the Paris Métro, playing songs from well-known artists such as Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon, and others.
Back to Portugal in 1979, Palma recorded and released his third album, Qualquer Coisa Pá Música. He would then spend two more years in France.[3]
Palma in 1982
Palma returned to Portugal in 1982 and released his fourth album, Acto Contínuo.
In 1984, Palma recorded his fifth album, Asas e Penas, his first since becoming a father the year before.
1985–1991: Commercial success
In 1985, Palma released one of the most acclaimed albums of his career, O Lado Errado da Noite. The album included the single "Deixa-me Rir", which became a success in Portugal. Music critics called it "the right side of Jorge Palma" (a play on the album name, which translates to "The wrong side of the night")[4] and it won several prizes from the Portuguese press.[3] The success of the album prompted a major tour in Portugal, including Madeira and Azores.[3]
In 1986, Palma finished a 3-year General Course in Piano at the Conservatório Nacional de Lisboa, and enrolled in the Advanced Studies in Piano course in the same institution.[5] He released his seventh album, Quarto Minguante, also that year.
Three years after, in 1989, Palma released his eighth album, Bairro do Amor. The album was critically acclaimed and includes some of his most well-known songs, such as "Frágil" and the title-song "Bairro do Amor".
Palma finished his piano studies in 1990. After his final exam, he was proposed by Tozé Brito, who worked for Polygram at the time, to record an album of rearrangements of his songs with only piano and voice. Palma liked the idea and recorded some of most iconic songs played with a Steinway piano at the Valentim de Carvalho studios.[6] The album was named Só and released in 1991. It was critically acclaimed and, in 2014, was considered one of the best Portuguese albums of all-time by music magazine Blitz.[7][8]
1992–2001: Palma's Gang and Rio Grande
After Só, Palma decided to go back to guitar-oriented rock and formed the band Palma's Gang, with members of the bands Xutos & Pontapés and Rádio Macau. The band released a live album in 1993, titled Palma's Gang: Ao Vivo no Johnny Guitar, which also explored Palma's repertoire but this time with a hard-rock sound. During the following year, Palma performed in several stages across Portugal, solo or with Palma's Gang.[3]
In 1996, Palma accepted an invitation to join a new project, named Rio Grande, a band that included other famous Portuguese musicians, Tim (Xutos & Pontapés), João Gil (Ala dos Namorados), Rui Veloso and Vitorino. The first album of the band, released that same year, was inspired by Portuguese traditional music and became a major success. In 1997, Rio Grande released a live album recorded at the Coliseu dos Recreios in Lisbon, which included an unreleased song by Palma, "Quem És Tu De Novo".
In 1998 Palma took part in several concerts at the Expo '98 World Fair in Lisbon. He was also musical director of the play Aos Que Nasceram Depois de Nós.[3]
Besides Palma's Gang and Rio Grande, during the 1990s Palma's musical activity also included collaborations with numerous Portuguese artists such as Censurados, Né Ladeiras, Xutos & Pontapés, Paulo Gonzo and Mafalda Veiga.[3]
2001–present: Later years
After 10 years, Palma returned to solo releases with the album Jorge Palma, in 2001. The album was awarded the José Afonso Prize for best Portuguese album of 2001.[3]
In 2002, Palma released his first solo live album, No Tempo dos Assassinos. His son Vicente participates in some of the performances.[3] That year, he also joined the musical project Cabeças no Ar, which was basically a reunion of Rio Grande without Vitorino. They released one self-titled album.
In 2004, Palma released a new studio album, titled Norte.
In 2007, the album Voo Nocturno was released, supported by the single "Encosta-te a Mim", which became a major success in Portugal. The following year, the live album Voo Nocturno ao vivo, recorded during the tour to promote the album, is released.
In 2011, Palma released Com Todo o Respeito, his only studio album released during the 2010s.
During 2015 and 2016, Palma played shows together with Sérgio Godinho. The show at the Theatro Circo in Braga was released in the live album Juntos - Ao Vivo no Theatro Circo, in 2015.
Palma released his latest studio album, titled Vida, in April 2023.
Personal life
Jorge Palma has two children, Vicente (born 1983) and Francisco (born 1996). In November 2008, Palma married Rita Tomé, his current wife, in Las Vegas.
José Manuel Cerqueira Afonso dos Santos, known professionally as José Afonso and also popularly known as Zeca Afonso, was a Portuguese singer-songwriter. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of Portugal's folk and protest music scene. His music played a significant role in the resistance against the dictatorial Estado Novo regime, making him an icon in Portugal.
Da Weasel are a Portuguese hip hop/rap rock band from Almada, fronted by MCs Pacman and Virgul. They are one of the oldest hip-hop projects in Portugal, having been formed in 1993 and terminated in 2010, and known for being a full session band, instead of relying on a DJ and samples. The band announced their reunion in 2019. Their music uses elements from hard rock, pop and ska.
Clã is a Portuguese pop rock band of a mixed nature in terms of style, ranging from moments of pure balladry, through jazzy details, to enthusiastic pop songs.
Sérgio de Barros GodinhoOL is a Portuguese singer-songwriter, composer, actor, poet and author.
Rui Manuel Gaudêncio VelosoComIH is a Portuguese singer-songwriter and musician.
Ornatos Violeta are a Portuguese rock band from Porto. The band, often referred to simply as Ornatos, consists of vocalist Manel Cruz, bassist Nuno Prata, guitarist Peixe and drummer Kinörm. Elísio Donas was the band's keyboardist until his death in 2023.
Ângelo César do Rosário Firmino, better known by the stage name Boss AC is a Portuguese rapper originally from Cape Verde. The letters A and C, in Boss AC, come from the initials of his two names, Ângelo and César, respectively.
Jessé Gomes da Silva Filho, known professionally as Zeca Pagodinho, is a Brazilian singer-songwriter working in the genres of samba and pagode.
Mão Morta is a Portuguese avant-garde rock band that started its activities in 1985 in Braga. The group's name means "dead hand", based on a traditional Portuguese nursery rhyme. They are generally considered to be one of the most important bands in the Portuguese rock scene and have since reached a cult status. Since the start of their career, their live concerts became famous for their intensity and dark mood, due to their signature alternative rock sound and the performance of vocalist Adolfo Luxúria Canibal, known for occasional onstage theatrics and his gravelly voice, half-sung, half-spoken singing style. Mão Morta's music is difficult to categorize as they incorporate a variety of genres; from punk rock, metal, to industrial and experimental. Their sound, combined with Adolfo's lyrics, reflects urban violence, a human search for pleasure, freedom and a critique of contemporary consumerist society, often with sarcastic humour.
David Fonseca is a Portuguese musician, singer-songwriter and photographer. As a musician, he plays several instruments, including acoustic guitar and organ. He is recognized for his successful music career as a member of Silence 4 and, since 2003, as a solo artist. He is also responsible for the graphic design on his album covers and the art direction on his videoclips. Between 2004 and 2006, he was also part of the Humanos tribute project.
Ciro Pessoa Mendes Corrêa, also known by his Dharma name Tenzin Chöpel, was a Brazilian singer-songwriter, lyricist, guitarist, screenwriter, journalist and poet, famous for being one of the founding members of the influential rock band Titãs and for his later work with pioneering post-punk/gothic rock band Cabine C. He also formed numerous other short-lived and lesser known projects throughout the early to mid-1990s before beginning a solo career in 2003.
Vanessa Sigiane da Mata Ferreira, professionally known as Vanessa da Mata, is a Latin Grammy Award-winning Brazilian MPB singer, songwriter, and novelist. She has released four studio albums and the songs "Ai, Ai, Ai", "Boa Sorte/Good Luck" and "Amado" became number-one hits in Brazil.
The Vilar de Mouros Festival, currently named CA Vilar de Mouros for sponsorship reasons, is a music festival that takes place in Vilar de Mouros, Caminha, Viana do Castelo district in northwestern Portugal.
"Epitáfio" is the fifteenth single by Titãs, released in 2002. It was included in the soundtrack of telenovela Desejos de Mulher. As a B-side, the single featured an acoustic version of the song. Unlike the whole band, producer Jack Endino believed it could be a hit and was eventually proven right.
Voo Nocturno is the eleventh studio album by Portuguese singer-songwriter Jorge Palma. It was released on 2 July 2007 by EMI Music Portugal.
Susana Félix is a Portuguese singer, songwriter, musician, actress, producer.
The Coliseu dos Recreios is a multi-purpose auditorium located in Lisbon, Portugal.
Pedro Aires Ferreira de Almeida Gonçalves MagalhãesOIH, known as Pedro Ayres Magalhães, is a Portuguese musician, best known as a founding member and the main songwriter of the musical group Madredeus. Magalhães has also been a member of the pop rock band Heróis do Mar and the Portuguese supergroup Resistência.
Xutos & Pontapés are a Portuguese rock band. The band was founded in 1978, in Lisbon, by the late Zé Pedro, Zé Leonel, Kalú and Tim. Their current lineup consists of Tim, João Cabeleira (guitar), Gui and Kalú (drums).
Falamansa is a Brazilian forró band created in 1998 in São Paulo. With the success of forró on the nights of the city of São Paulo, a movement emerged in the city to meet the demand of the nightclubs and the adolescent public, who identified immediately with the dance and the contagious rhythm of the style.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
