José Manuel Cerqueira Afonso dos Santos (2 August 1929 – 23 February 1987), 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
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
'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.
Afonso's song "
Grândola, Vila Morena" was used as a radio-broadcast signal by the
Armed Forces Movement
230px, A mural dedicated to the MFA, it reads: "Towards freedom. Long live the 25th of April!"
The Armed Forces Movement (; MFA) was an organization of lower-ranking officers in the Portuguese Armed Forces. It was responsible for instigating th ...
during their
military coup operation in the morning of 25 April 1974, which led to the
Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution (), code-named Operation Historic Turn (), also known as the 25 April (), was a military coup by military officers that overthrew the Estado Novo government on 25 April 1974 in Portugal. The coup produced major socia ...
and the transition to democracy in Portugal. Subsequently, Afonso's music, along with "Grândola, Vila Morena," became emblematic of the revolution,
anti-fascism
Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were op ...
, the Portuguese
labor movement, and the
political left
Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy either as a whole or of certain social hierarchies. Left-wing politi ...
.
Biography
1929–1940: Early life
José Afonso was born in
Aveiro on 2 August 1929. His parents were José Nepomuceno Afonso dos Santos, a
magistrate
The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judi ...
, and Maria das Dores Dantas Cerqueira, a primary school teacher.
In 1930, his parents travelled to
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...
, a Portuguese colony at the time, where his father had been placed as a judge in the city of Silva Porto (present-day
Cuíto). For health reasons, Afonso stayed in Aveiro, in a house near the Fonte das Cinco Bicas, with his aunt Gigé and his uncle Xico, a "republican and anticlerical" man. In 1933 Afonso travelled to Angola at his mother's request. On the ship he met a missionary who became his companion during the voyage. Afonso stayed for three years in Angola, where he began his primary education.
In 1936, he returned to Aveiro. In 1937 he went to live overseas for the second time, this time to
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...
, another Portuguese colony in Africa, where his parents were then living with his siblings João and Mariazinha.
He returned to Portugal in 1938, this time to the house of his uncle Filomeno, mayor of the town of
Belmonte. There he finished the fourth grade. His uncle, a fierce fascist supporter, made him a join the "
Mocidade Portuguesa",
a paramilitary style political indoctrination
youth organization
The following is a list of youth organizations. A youth organization is a type of organization with a focus upon providing activities and socialization for Minor (law), minors. In this list, most organizations are international unless noted othe ...
conceived by the right-wing regime of Salazar and the
Estado Novo, to provide regime aligned cadres and future leaders.
1940–1956: The Coimbra years

He went to
Coimbra
Coimbra (, also , , or ), officially the City of Coimbra (), is a city and a concelho, municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2021 census was 140,796, in an area of .
The fourth-largest agglomerated urban area in Po ...
in 1940 to continue his studies. He studied in the D. João III Lyceum and lived with his aunt Avrilete. His family went from Mozambique to
East Timor
Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the coastal exclave of Oecusse in the island's northwest, and ...
, also a Portuguese overseas territory at that time, where his father continued his job as a judge. Mariazinha went with them while his brother João returned to Portugal. After
the occupation of Timor by the Japanese, Afonso received no news from his parents for three years, until the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
in 1945.
When he was in his 5th year of lyceum studies, Afonso started singing
seranades as a ''bicho'' (meaning a non-human ugly or scary creature), a rank used in the
University of Coimbra
The University of Coimbra (UC; , ) is a Public university, public research university in Coimbra, Portugal. First established in Lisbon in 1290, it went through a number of relocations until moving permanently to Coimbra in 1537. The university ...
''
praxe'' for lyceum students. He became known as the "''bicho-cantor"'' (singing creature).
From 1946 to 1948 he worked to finish his lyceum studies, after failing two years. He met Maria Amália de Oliveira, whom he married secretly due to his parents' opposition. He traveled with some of the most important university musical groups, such as
Orfeon Académico de Coimbra, and played football for
Associação Académica de Coimbra.
In 1949 he started studying History and Philosophy at Coimbra University. With the Orfeon Académico de Coimbra, he travelled to Angola and Mozambique.
In January 1953, his first son José Manuel was born. Later that year, his first recordings were released. These were two
78-rpm records of
Coimbra fado songs, of which no copies exist today.
Between 1953 and 1955, he served compulsory military service. He was mobilized to
Macau
Macau or Macao is a special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most List of countries and dependencies by p ...
, a Portuguese territory at the time, but due to health problems he was discharged. He was afterwards stationed in Coimbra until completing military service. His daughter Helena was born in 1954. During this time he experienced many economic difficulties and eventually divorced his wife.
1956–1968: Work as a teacher, first albums and early political action
In 1956 Afonso released his first EP, ''Fados de Coimbra''. After his military service, he started working as a teacher. From January to September 1957 he worked at a private school in
Mangualde and afterwards worked at the Industrial and Commercial School of
Lagos
Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...
between October 1957 and July 1959. Due to his financial problems, he sent his children to the Portuguese overseas territory of
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...
in 1958, to live with his parents.
In that year he became enthralled by
Humberto Delgado's presidential campaign; Delgado lost due to massive electoral fraud perpetrated by the authoritarian
Estado Novo regime.
Between October 1959 and July 1960 he worked at the Technical School of
Alcobaça. It was during 1959 and 1960 that he started singing in his trademark musical style, coloured with political and social connotations, touring with many popular groups around the country and gradually becoming a favourite among the working class and the rural population. He toured for a month in Angola with the Orfeon Académico de Coimbra. In 1960 he released another EP, ''Balada do Outono.''
From 1961 to 1962 he followed the pro-democracy student strikes and demonstrations demanding the end of the authoritarian Estado Novo regime, which were brutally repressed by the police. He continued releasing many of his songs and introduced important new guitar arrangements. He played in Switzerland, Germany and Sweden, with a
fado
Fado (; "destiny, fate") is a music genre which can be traced to the 1820s in Lisbon, Portugal, but probably has much earlier origins. Fado historian and scholar Rui Vieira Nery states that "the only reliable information on the history of fado ...
guitar group that included
Adriano Correia de Oliveira, José Niza, Jorge Godinho, Durval Moreirinhas and the singer Esmeralda Amoedo.
He released a new EP, named ''Baladas de Coimbra'', in 1962. He completed his university studies in 1963 with a thesis about
Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary criticism, literary critic, considered a leading figure in 20th ...
, which got a grade of 11 out of 20. That year he also finalized his divorce from his wife Maria Amália.
In 1964 he released his first studio album, ''Baladas e Canções'' ("Ballads and Songs"). In May 1964, Afonso performed at the ''Sociedade Musical Fraternidade Operária Grandolense'' (Workers' Fraternity Musical Society of Grândola'')'' in
Grândola, where he found the inspiration to compose his most famous song, "
Grândola, Vila Morena". The song would be recorded years later for his album ''Cantigas do Maio'', and would become one of signals for the start of the
Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution (), code-named Operation Historic Turn (), also known as the 25 April (), was a military coup by military officers that overthrew the Estado Novo government on 25 April 1974 in Portugal. The coup produced major socia ...
in April 1974.
From 1964 to 1967, Afonso was in
Lourenço Marques
Maputo () is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Mozambique. Located near the southern end of the country, it is within of the borders with Eswatini and South Africa. The city has a population of 1,088,449 (as of 2017) distributed ov ...
(now Maputo) and
Beira, in Mozambique, with his second wife Zélia, where he reunited with his children. In his last two years in the overseas province, he taught in Beira and composed music for the
Bertolt Brecht
Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known as Bertolt Brecht and Bert Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a p ...
play ''The Exception and The Rule''. In 1965 his daughter Joana was born and by 1967, marked by the colonial reality and the
Portuguese Colonial War
The Portuguese Colonial War (), also known in Portugal as the Overseas War () or in the Portuguese Empire, former colonies as the War of Liberation (), and also known as the Angolan War of Independence, Angolan, Guinea-Bissau War of Independence ...
, he returned to Lisbon. He left his older son, José Manuel, with his grandparents in Mozambique.
Back in Portugal, Afonso took up a secondary school teacher position in
Setúbal
Setúbal ( , , ; ), officially the City of Setúbal (), is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the entire municipality in 2014 was 118,166, occupying an area of . The city itself had 89,303 inhabitants in 2001. It lies withi ...
, where he developed a severe health crisis which left him hospitalized for 20 days. After receiving hospital discharge, he found out that he had been expelled from public school teaching because the regime censors disapproved of his leftist political ideals and considered his songs highly subversive. Later, the book ''Cantares de José Afonso'' (Songs of José Afonso) was published. The
Portuguese Communist Party
The Portuguese Communist Party (, , PCP) is a Communism, communist and Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist List of political parties in Portugal, political party in Portugal. It is one of the strongest List of communist parties, communist par ...
leadership invited him to become a party member but Afonso refused. He signed a contract with the record label Orfeu, which would record 70% of his works.
1968–1974: Prolific period and anti-regime activities
In 1968, after being dismissed from the government teaching job, Afonso became a private tutor and started singing more regularly with popular groups from the south bank of the
Tagus
The Tagus ( ; ; ) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales between Cuenca and Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally westward, and empties into the Atlantic Ocean in Lisbon.
Name
T ...
river, a region which had a stronger influence of the Portuguese Communist Party. Around Christmas, Afonso released the album ''Cantares do Andarilho'' ("Songs of the Wanderer"), in collaboration with Rui Pato, the first album recorded for the label Orfeu. Afonso had a special contract with Orfeu, for he was paid 15,000
escudos per month, a princely sum at the time, under the condition that he recorded an album per year.
In 1969, with the replacement of hardliner
António de Oliveira Salazar
António de Oliveira Salazar (28 April 1889 – 27 July 1970) was a Portuguese statesman, academic, and economist who served as Portugal's President of the Council of Ministers of Portugal, President of the Council of Ministers from 1932 to 1 ...
by the more moderate
Marcelo Caetano
Marcello José das Neves Alves Caetano (17 August 1906 – 26 October 1980) was a Portuguese politician and scholar. He was the second and last leader of the Estado Novo after succeeding António de Oliveira Salazar. He served as prime mini ...
as head of the
Estado Novo regime, the nation got a slight taste of democracy, such as permission to rebuild a democratic Labour Union movement. José Afonso joined the movement and supported it by all the means he could while also taking part in the second wave of student rebellion against the regime in the
university town
A college town or university town is a town or city whose character is dominated by a college or university and their associated culture, often characterised by the student population making up 20 percent of the population of the community, bu ...
of
Coimbra
Coimbra (, also , , or ), officially the City of Coimbra (), is a city and a concelho, municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2021 census was 140,796, in an area of .
The fourth-largest agglomerated urban area in Po ...
. That year, his album ''Contos Velhos Rumos Novos'' ("Old Tales New Courses") was released. For the first time an instrument other than the guitar was used on a José Afonso album. For this album he was awarded the prize for best album of the year by ''Casa da Imprensa'', a distinction he would repeat in 1970 and 1971. His fourth and last son, Pedro, was also born in 1969.
In 1970, Afonso released the album ''Traz Outro Amigo També''m ''(''"Bring Another Friend as Well"), which was recorded in London at the
Pye Studios. It was the first album without frequent collaborator Rui Pato, who had been forbidden to travel by the
Portugal's secret police. On 21 March, ''Casa da Imprensa'' (representing the Portuguese press) gave Afonso an honorary award for his "high quality work as a singer and composer and for his decisive influence upon Portuguese popular music". He participated in an international festival in
Cuba
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
.
At the end of 1971, the album ''
Cantigas do Maio'' ("Songs of May") was released. The album was recorded at
Château d'Hérouville, near
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
. This album is generally considered the best album of his career. In 1972, he released the album ''Eu Vou Ser Como a Toupeira'' ("I Will Be Just Like The Mole"), recorded in Madrid at the Cellada Studios.
In 1973, José Afonso continued his "pilgrimage", singing all over Portugal. Many of his appearances were forcibly cancelled by the
PIDE/DGS. In April he was arrested and sentenced to 20 days in the
Caxias prison (a facility used mostly to jail political prisoners). In the prison he wrote the poem ''Era Um Redondo Vocábulo''. For Christmas, he released the album ''Venham Mais Cinco'' ("Let Five More Come"), recorded in Paris and on which
José Mário Branco collaborated. Janine de Waleyne from the Blue Stars of France, a prominent vocalist in French chanson, guested on the title track.
On 29 March 1974, Afonso participated in a concert event at the
Coliseu dos Recreios in
Lisbon
Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
, called "First Meeting of the Portuguese Song" (Portuguese: ''Primeiro Encontro da Canção Portuguesa''). This was an event sponsored by ''Casa da Imprensa'' in which several folk singer-songwriters and musicians with anti-
Estado Novo inclinations participated. The state censorship still operated in the event, and Afonso was forbidden from performing some of his songs with more political messages, such as "Venham Mais Cinco" and "A Morte Saiu à Rua". "Grândola, Vila Morena", however, was not seen as a subversive song and was allowed to be performed.
Almost one month later, on 25 April 1974, the Portuguese Estado Novo regime was overthrown in a nearly bloodless military coup, known as the
Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution (), code-named Operation Historic Turn (), also known as the 25 April (), was a military coup by military officers that overthrew the Estado Novo government on 25 April 1974 in Portugal. The coup produced major socia ...
. "Grândola, Vila Morena" was one of the two songs used as a radio-broadcast signal by the Portuguese
Armed Forces Movement
230px, A mural dedicated to the MFA, it reads: "Towards freedom. Long live the 25th of April!"
The Armed Forces Movement (; MFA) was an organization of lower-ranking officers in the Portuguese Armed Forces. It was responsible for instigating th ...
during their coup operation and is considered ever since the anthem of the revolution.
1974–1980: Revolutionary period

In December 1974, Afonso released the album ''Coro dos Tribunais'' ("Courthouse Chorus"), which was recorded in London, again at the Pye Studios, with musical arrangements by
Fausto Bordalo Dias. The album includes two
Brechtian songs, composed in Mozambique in the period between 1964 and 1967: "Coro dos Tribunais" and "Eu Marchava de Dia e de Noite".
From 1974 to 1975 he became directly involved in the popular revolutionary movements. The
PREC (Ongoing Revolutionary Process) became his passion. He performed on 11 March 1975 (the day of a failed coup led by
António de Spínola) in the RALIS, a leftist military stronghold. Afonso established a collaboration with the far-left movement LUAR (Revolutionary Action and Unity League). LUAR released his single "Viva o Poder Popular" (Hail to the People's Power). In Italy, the revolutionary organizations ''
Lotta Continua'', ''
Il Manifesto'' and ''Avanguardia Operaia'' released the album ''República'', recorded in Rome on 30 September and 1 October 1975. The money received from the sales of the album went to support the striking workers of the newspaper ''República''.
In 1976 he supported
Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho's presidential candidacy. Otelo was an important commander of the Carnation Revolution military operations, and Afonso would support him again in 1980. He released the album ''Com as Minhas Tamanquinhas'' ("With My Little Clogs").
The album ''Enquanto Há Força'' ("While There is Strength"), released in 1978, another collaboration with Fausto, shows some of Afonso's concerns about colonialism and imperialism and is also a critique of the Catholic Church. It includes the participation of other Portuguese artists such as
Adriano Correia de Oliveira and
Sérgio Godinho.
In 1979 the album ''Fura Fura'' ("Drill Drill") was released, with the collaboration of Júlio Pereira and the band Trovante. It contains eight songs that were meant for theater plays. He participated in the Anti-Eurovision Festival in
Brussels
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
.
1980–1987: Zeca's last years
In 1981, after two years out of the spotlight, Afonso returned to his Coimbra roots with the album ''Fados de Coimbra e Outras Canções'' ("Coimbra fados and other songs"). He played in Paris at the
Théâtre de la Ville.
In 1982 he started developing the first symptoms of
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or—in the United States—Lou Gehrig's disease (LGD), is a rare, Terminal illness, terminal neurodegenerative disease, neurodegenerative disorder that results i ...
, a severe disease that would affect him for the rest of his life. He played in
Bruges
Bruges ( , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders, in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is in the northwest of the country, and is the sixth most populous city in the country.
The area of the whole city amoun ...
at the Printemps Festival.
On 23 January 1983, Afonso, already weakened by the disease, played a sold-out show at the Coliseu dos Recreios in Lisbon. This show was recorded and immortalized in the live album ''Ao Vivo no Coliseu,'' released later that year. Afonso's last concert was on 25 May 1983, at the
Coliseu do Porto, in
Porto
Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...
.
At the end of 1983 he released the album ''Como Se Fora Seu Filho'' ("As If He Was His Son") The city of Coimbra awarded him its Golden Medal of the City. "Thank you Zeca, come back whenever you wish, this is your home", the mayor of Coimbra, Mendes Silva, told him; to which Afonso replied "I don't want to become an institution, but I feel very grateful for the homage". The President of Portugal
Ramalho Eanes Ramalho is a Portuguese surname. Ramalho may refer to:
People
*João Ramalho (1493–1580), Portuguese explorer
*Ramalho Ortigão (1836–1915), Portuguese writer
*Rosa Ramalho (1888–1977), Portuguese ceramist
*José Ramalho (rower) (1901–1967) ...
wanted to bestow upon him the
Order of Liberty, but Afonso refused to fill in the papers. Also in 1983 Afonso was reinstated in his official teaching position, whence he had been expelled in 1968; he was sent to a school in
Azeitão to teach History and Portuguese. His disease worsened.
In 1985 his last album, ''Galinhas do Mato'' ("Guineafowls"), was released. Afonso was unable to sing all the songs on the album, being replaced by Luís Represas, Helena Vieira, Janita Salomé, José Mário Branco, Né Ladeiras and Marta Salomé. Musical arrangements were done by Júlio Pereira and Fausto.
In 1986 he supported the presidential candidacy of
Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, a progressive Catholic woman;
she was not elected.
José Afonso died in
Setúbal
Setúbal ( , , ; ), officially the City of Setúbal (), is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the entire municipality in 2014 was 118,166, occupying an area of . The city itself had 89,303 inhabitants in 2001. It lies withi ...
at 3 a.m. on 23 February 1987, aged 57, a victim of the
sclerosis that had been diagnosed in 1982. His funeral in Setúbal occurred the following day and was attended by more than 30,000 people. The procession took two hours to cover 1300 meters. His coffin was covered with a red flag with no symbols, as he had wished, and it was borne by, among others, his fellow musicians
Sérgio Godinho, Júlio Pereira,
José Mário Branco, Luís Cília and Francisco Fanhais.
Afonso is buried in the Nossa Senhora da Piedade cemetery in Setúbal.
Legacy
On 18 November 1987, the Associação José Afonso was created with the objective of fulfilling Afonso's intentions in the areas of Portuguese music and art.
In 1991, the city of
Amadora
Amadora (), officially Amadora City (), is a List of cities in Portugal, city and concelho, municipality in the northwest of the Lisbon metropolitan area and 10 km from central Lisbon. The population in 2011 was 175,136, in an area of 23.78&nb ...
inaugurated a statue of José Afonso in the city's Central Park.
On 30 June 1994, as part of Lisboa-94,
European Capital of Culture
A European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union (EU) for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong pan-European dimension. Being a European Capital of Culture can ...
, a festival in homage to José Afonso took place. Many Portuguese musicians, both veterans and younger artists, joined in the tribute festival, called "Filhos da Madrugada" ("Children of Dawn", the title of one of Afonso's most famous songs). Earlier that year, BMG had released an album with the same title as the festival, and with the same artists performing their own versions of Afonso's songs. Performers at this event included
Brigada Victor Jara, Censurados,
Delfins, Diva, Entre Aspas, Essa Entente, Frei Fado D'El Rei, GNR,
Madredeus,
Mão Morta, Opus Ensemble, Peste & Sida, Resistência, Ritual Tejo,
Sérgio Godinho,
Sétima Legião, Sitiados, Tubarões,
UHF, Vozes da Rádio, and
Xutos & Pontapés. Thirteen years earlier, Afonso had remarked that "If rock is the musical style that the young prefer, then we should ask for good quality rock music".
In 1995 José Mário Branco, Amélia Muge, and João Afonso, José Afonso's nephew, released another album in homage to Afonso, called ''Maio, Maduro Maio'', that included many of his songs and two previously unreleased ones, "Entre Sodoma e Gomorra" and "Nem Sempre os Dias São Dias Passados".
For the 10th anniversary of Afonso's death, in 1997, EMI released for the first time in CD format the 1964 album ''Baladas e Canções''.
In 1998, Vitorino and Janita Salomé took part in a concert in homage to José Afonso, included in Expo'98's programme.
In 2007 he was elected the 29th
Greatest Portuguese.
Discography
Studio albums
* ''Baladas e Canções'' (1964)
* ''Cantares do Andarilho'' (1968)
* ''Contos Velhos Rumos Novos'' (1969)
* ''Traz Outro Amigo Também'' (1970)
* ''
Cantigas do Maio'' (1971)
* ''Eu Vou Ser Como a Toupeira'' (1972)
* ''Venham Mais Cinco'' (1973)
* ''Coro dos Tribunais'' (1974)
* ''Com as Minhas Tamanquinhas'' (1976)
* ''Enquanto Há Força'' (1978)
* ''Fura Fura'' (1979)
* ''Fados de Coimbra e Outras Canções'' (1981)
* ''Como Se Fora Seu Filho'' (1983)
* ''Galinhas do Mato'' (1985)
Live albums
* ''José Afonso in Hamburg'' (1982)
* ''Ao Vivo no Coliseu'' (1983)
Extended plays
* ''Fados de Coimbra'' (1956)
* ''Balada do Outono'' (1960)
* ''Baladas de Coimbra'' (1962)
* ''Dr. José Afonso em Baladas de Coimbra'' (1963)
Posthumous releases
* ''Os Vampiros'' (1987)
* ''De Capa e Batina'' (1996)
References
External links
Associação José Afonso (José Afonso Association)(in Portuguese)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Afonso, Jose
Portuguese fado singers
Portuguese fado guitarists
Portuguese folk singers
Portuguese guitarists
1929 births
1987 deaths
Culture in Coimbra
People from Aveiro, Portugal
Musicians from Coimbra
Portuguese anti-fascists
Portuguese left-wing activists
Portuguese political music artists
Portuguese communists
Portuguese male poets
20th-century Portuguese male singers
Portuguese male songwriters
Counterculture of the 1960s
Counterculture of the 1970s
University of Coimbra alumni
Portuguese expatriates in the United Kingdom
Neurological disease deaths in Portugal
Deaths from motor neuron disease
20th-century Portuguese poets