{{Unreferenced stub, date=October 2014
Canto livre is a kind of music with roots in
Alentejo
Alentejo ( , ) is a geographical, historical, and cultural region of south–central and southern Portugal. In Portuguese, its name means "beyond () the Tagus river" (''Tejo'').
Alentejo includes the regions of Alto Alentejo and Baixo Alent ...
music, predominantly inspired by political messages, in particular from left-wing thinkers. It was very common after the 1974
carnation revolution
The Carnation Revolution ( pt, Revolução dos Cravos), also known as the 25 April ( pt, 25 de Abril, links=no), was a military coup by left-leaning military officers that overthrew the authoritarian Estado Novo regime on 25 April 1974 in Lisbo ...
in
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
since the country had liberated from an almost 40-year right-wing dictatorship. Currently, it is not heard much, although the term "canto livre" can also mean a gathering of singers which perform freely without charging for their show.