António Variações
Encyclopedia
António Joaquim Rodrigues Ribeiro, (December 3, 1944 – June 13, 1984) was a Portuguese
singer and songwriter. Despite his short-lived career, due to his premature death at the age of thirty-nine, he would, under the stage name of António Variações, become one of the most culturally significant performing artists of recent Portuguese history. His recorded works blended contemporary music genres with traditional Portuguese rhythms and melodies, creating music which for many is symbolic of the liberalization that occurred in Portuguese society after the Carnation Revolution
of 1974. The original and provocative nature of his recorded works has led to him being widely recognized as one of the most innovative artists in the recent history of Portuguese popular music.
, Braga
), the fifth of ten children of Deolinda de Jesus and Jaime Ribeiro. As a child, his love of music often took him away from his field work chores and towards the local folklore celebrations. He completed his basic education at the age of eleven and soon after took up his first job making small trinkets in the neighbouring village of Caldelas.
At the age of twelve he left the interior to the capital, Lisbon
, to work at an office. From 1964 to 1967, he served the compulsory army duty in Angola
during the Portuguese Colonial War
, returning home safe and sound, but almost immediately departing to London
, to work as a dishwasher at a school, for the duration of a year. Returning once again to Portugal
for a brief time in 1976, António Variações roamed to Amsterdam
where he took up hairdressing, profession which he would continue to exert when returning to Lisbon in the following year, opening the first unisex
salon in the country and afterwards a barber shop downtown (among his clients there would be several people from the music industry, who would help launch his career).
Parallel to this day job, he started working the local club scene at night, along with a group of musicians dubbed "Variações" (translated, "Variations", a word which suggested the diversity of the singer's influences, sound and style). His garish visuals and camp
fashion accessories, uncommon for a man at the time in Portugal, soon started to become noticed.
, one of the most important record labels in Portugal, but, despite signing a contract, he would not be allowed to record anything for another four years because the executives were unsure about the genre that best suited his work, folk
or pop music
, and therefore could not come to a consensus as to what should be done with the unusual artist. In February 1981, he appeared with his band in a popular TV show presented by Júlio Isidro, called "Passeio dos Alegres", billed as "António e Variações" and performing two unreleased songs ("Toma o comprimido" and "Não me consumas"). Following this appearance, he would be a guest a few times on "Febre de Sábado de Manhã", a radio show on Rádio Comercial
presented by the same host.
"Povo Que Lavas No Rio", immortalized by the diva of the genre, Amália Rodrigues
, and an original song of his own authorship, "Estou Além". The cover song of the untouchable fado caused controversy among many, but over time became accepted as a heartfelt tribute of Variações to Amália Rodrigues, to whom he dedicated his first LP
, "Anjo da Guarda", released in 1983, to great critical and popular acclaim. Two of the songs from this release, "O Corpo É Que Paga" and "É P'ra Amanhã" experienced frequent radio airplay, the latter being released as a Summer single.
with symptoms of asmatic bronchitis
and later transferred to the Red Cross Clinic. At this time, the health of the artist was severely debilitated and rumours about his condition being brought on by AIDS
started to circulate, which, given the prejudice towards the disease at the time, made him a target of some discrimination. Save for his family and closest friends, he received few visitors during his stay at the hospital. In June the press released news that his health state had deteriorated considerably.
At the dawn of the 13th of June, António Variações died due to a bilateral bronchial pneumonia
. His funeral was held on the 15th at the Estrela Basilica
, where family, friends, fellow musicians, barbers and fans paid their last respects. The funeral stirred some controversy, because the authorities ordered that his coffin be sealed for public health concerns, which further fueled the rumours that he had died as a result of AIDS
-related complications. The family of António Variações doesn't acknowledge that this was the actual cause of death (or that he was a homosexual
), but it's assumed by most that he was one of the first public victims of the disease in Portugal. His former manager, Teresa Couto Pinto, has claimed that, prior to his death, Variações had received clinical test results performed in the United States
confirming that he was indeed HIV
positive. His remains were buried in the cemetery of Amares, where they still rest today.
and cavaquinho
, but never had the chance to become a serious musician. From his travels abroad, Variações was able to get in touch with artists and genres which were not widely known back home and began fusing genres such as pop
, rock
, jazz
, blues
and new wave
with his Portuguese folk
and fado
roots.
Not knowing how to play or compose music did not stop António from making music by himself. He would, using a tape recorder, mimic sounds and rhythms while he sang, using his own voice or even tapping his hands on different objects. These recordings were then used by his supporting studio musicians as the basis for the song arrangements. Variações' music is characterized by the use of a variety of instruments, ranging from synthesizer
s, to Portuguese
and classical guitar
s, to accordions and more. Defying genre definition, he created his own description for his sound: something between Braga and New York, reflecting the cosmopolitan, yet down to earth and rural aspect of his eclectic style. He was intent on becoming a popular artist in the true sense of the word and he managed to reach audiences which were very diverse, from the blue collar to the white collar workers, to the uneducated and the intellectuals, to young and old alike.
(dedicating the LP "Dar & Receber" to Pessoa, in a cryptically unfinished sentence, and using one of his poems on the song "Canção") and some of his lyrics share similarities with the feelings expressed on some of Pessoa's poems. Another of the artist's major influences was Amália Rodrigues
, a fado
singer of international renown. Apart from dedicating his first LP to her and covering one of her songs, he also wrote an ode to the singer, recorded as the song "Voz-Amália-de-Nós", in which he sings "All of us have Amália in our voice and we have in her voice the voice of all of us" (Amália Rodrigues is a Portuguese national icon). Both artists would only meet on stage once, a concert at the Aula Magna of the University of Lisbon, on May 26, 1983. Amália paid back homage to António by attending his funeral celebration.
From his extensive travels abroad, he got acquainted with the work of foreign artists like David Bowie
, Bryan Ferry
, The Kinks
, Elvis Presley
and The Beatles
. This encounter with a different musical culture left a deep impression on him; a testament to this is the fact that his first song experiments were written in English (although he soon abandoned this approach, in search of a more authentic and personal style of writing, in Portuguese).
) and José Moz Carrapa on his first LP, "Anjo da Guarda", and then with Pedro Ayres Magalhães and Carlos Maria Trindade, at the time, part of the band Heróis do Mar (and later, Madredeus
) on the recording of "Dar & Receber". The five members of Heróis do Mar acted as António's studio band; they would become close to Variações, especially Pedro Ayres Magalhães, who speaks fondly of him on the liner notes of "Dar & Receber": "I thank you António, for your enthusiasm and trust, and I would like to write here that I've gained a friendship".
.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
singer and songwriter. Despite his short-lived career, due to his premature death at the age of thirty-nine, he would, under the stage name of António Variações, become one of the most culturally significant performing artists of recent Portuguese history. His recorded works blended contemporary music genres with traditional Portuguese rhythms and melodies, creating music which for many is symbolic of the liberalization that occurred in Portuguese society after the Carnation Revolution
Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
of 1974. The original and provocative nature of his recorded works has led to him being widely recognized as one of the most innovative artists in the recent history of Portuguese popular music.
Early life
António Variações was born in Lugar do Pilar, a small village in Fiscal (AmaresAmares
Amares is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 82.0 km² and a total population of 19,290 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 24 parishes, and is located in Braga District....
, Braga
Braga
Braga , a city in the Braga Municipality in northwestern Portugal, is the capital of the Braga District, the oldest archdiocese and the third major city of the country. Braga is the oldest Portuguese city and one of the oldest Christian cities in the World...
), the fifth of ten children of Deolinda de Jesus and Jaime Ribeiro. As a child, his love of music often took him away from his field work chores and towards the local folklore celebrations. He completed his basic education at the age of eleven and soon after took up his first job making small trinkets in the neighbouring village of Caldelas.
At the age of twelve he left the interior to the capital, Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, to work at an office. From 1964 to 1967, he served the compulsory army duty in Angola
Angola (Portugal)
Angola is the common name by which the Portuguese colony in southwestern Africa was known across different periods of time...
during the Portuguese Colonial War
Portuguese Colonial War
The Portuguese Colonial War , also known in Portugal as the Overseas War or in the former colonies as the War of liberation , was fought between Portugal's military and the emerging nationalist movements in Portugal's African colonies between 1961 and 1974, when the Portuguese regime was...
, returning home safe and sound, but almost immediately departing to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, to work as a dishwasher at a school, for the duration of a year. Returning once again to Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
for a brief time in 1976, António Variações roamed to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
where he took up hairdressing, profession which he would continue to exert when returning to Lisbon in the following year, opening the first unisex
Unisex
Unisex stands for the meaning that either gender or sex will be able to, but can also be another term for gender-blindness.The term was coined in the 1962 and was used fairly informally...
salon in the country and afterwards a barber shop downtown (among his clients there would be several people from the music industry, who would help launch his career).
Parallel to this day job, he started working the local club scene at night, along with a group of musicians dubbed "Variações" (translated, "Variations", a word which suggested the diversity of the singer's influences, sound and style). His garish visuals and camp
Camp (style)
Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
fashion accessories, uncommon for a man at the time in Portugal, soon started to become noticed.
Career
Signing with Valentim de Carvalho
In 1978, António submitted a demotape to Valentim de CarvalhoValentim de Carvalho
Valentim de Carvalho is a Portuguese record label founded in 1914.-History:The company started selling phonograph, musical instruments and music since its 1914 foundation at the Rua da Assunção, Lisbon.It distributes EMI in Portugal since 1920....
, one of the most important record labels in Portugal, but, despite signing a contract, he would not be allowed to record anything for another four years because the executives were unsure about the genre that best suited his work, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
or pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, and therefore could not come to a consensus as to what should be done with the unusual artist. In February 1981, he appeared with his band in a popular TV show presented by Júlio Isidro, called "Passeio dos Alegres", billed as "António e Variações" and performing two unreleased songs ("Toma o comprimido" and "Não me consumas"). Following this appearance, he would be a guest a few times on "Febre de Sábado de Manhã", a radio show on Rádio Comercial
Rádio Comercial
Rádio Comercial is a commercial radio station in Portugal aimed at young and adult people. It has a broad format including contemporary, pop and rock music. It is among the most listened radio stations in the country.-History:...
presented by the same host.
"Anjo da Guarda"
In July 1982, his first single was released, this time under the name of António Variações. This recording featured a cover of the seminal fadoFado
Fado is a music genre which can be traced to the 1820s in Portugal, but probably with much earlier origins. Fado historian and scholar, Rui Vieira Nery, states that "the only reliable information on the history of Fado was orally transmitted and goes back to the 1820s and 1830s at best...
"Povo Que Lavas No Rio", immortalized by the diva of the genre, Amália Rodrigues
Amália Rodrigues
Amália da Piedade Rodrigues, GCSE, GCIH, , also known as Amália Rodrigues was a Portuguese singer and actress.She was known as the "Rainha do Fado" and was most influential in popularizing the fado worldwide. She was one of the most important figures in the genre's development, and enjoyed a...
, and an original song of his own authorship, "Estou Além". The cover song of the untouchable fado caused controversy among many, but over time became accepted as a heartfelt tribute of Variações to Amália Rodrigues, to whom he dedicated his first LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
, "Anjo da Guarda", released in 1983, to great critical and popular acclaim. Two of the songs from this release, "O Corpo É Que Paga" and "É P'ra Amanhã" experienced frequent radio airplay, the latter being released as a Summer single.
"Dar & Receber"
After a series of concerts, António returned to the studio and, between the 6th and 25 February 1984, recorded his second and final LP, entitled "Dar & Receber", which would be released in May of the same year and received once again with great enthusiasm on all fronts (having in the song "Canção de Engate" one of the artist's biggest hits). Two months later, he would perform his last concert in the Portuguese parish of Viatodos (part of the municipality of Barcelos), during the festival of "Feira da Isabelinha". In April he would make his last public appearance at the TV show "A Festa Continua", hosted by Júlio Isidro.Death
On May the 18th of 1984, Variações was admitted to the Pulido Valente hospitalHospital Pulido Valente
Hospital Pulido Valente is a hospital located in Lisbon, Portugal. It is dedicated mainly to Pulmonary Care Medicine, being the biggest hospital of this speciality in Portugal....
with symptoms of asmatic bronchitis
Bronchitis
Acute bronchitis is an inflammation of the large bronchi in the lungs that is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks. Characteristic symptoms include cough, sputum production, and shortness of breath and wheezing related to the obstruction of the inflamed airways...
and later transferred to the Red Cross Clinic. At this time, the health of the artist was severely debilitated and rumours about his condition being brought on by AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
started to circulate, which, given the prejudice towards the disease at the time, made him a target of some discrimination. Save for his family and closest friends, he received few visitors during his stay at the hospital. In June the press released news that his health state had deteriorated considerably.
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
. His funeral was held on the 15th at the Estrela Basilica
Estrela Basilica
The Estrela Basilica is a basilica in Lisbon, Portugal, built by order of Queen Mary I of Portugal, as a fulfilled promise for giving birth to a son...
, where family, friends, fellow musicians, barbers and fans paid their last respects. The funeral stirred some controversy, because the authorities ordered that his coffin be sealed for public health concerns, which further fueled the rumours that he had died as a result of AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
-related complications. The family of António Variações doesn't acknowledge that this was the actual cause of death (or that he was a homosexual
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
), but it's assumed by most that he was one of the first public victims of the disease in Portugal. His former manager, Teresa Couto Pinto, has claimed that, prior to his death, Variações had received clinical test results performed in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
confirming that he was indeed HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
positive. His remains were buried in the cemetery of Amares, where they still rest today.
Musical style
António Variações had no formal music training. His first musical influence was his father, who played accordionAccordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
and cavaquinho
Cavaquinho
The cavaquinho is a small string instrument of the European guitar family with four wire or gut strings. It is also called machimbo, machim, machete , manchete or marchete, braguinha or braguinho, or cavaco.The most common tuning is D-G-B-D ; other tunings include D-A-B-E...
, but never had the chance to become a serious musician. From his travels abroad, Variações was able to get in touch with artists and genres which were not widely known back home and began fusing genres such as pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
with his Portuguese folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and fado
Fado
Fado is a music genre which can be traced to the 1820s in Portugal, but probably with much earlier origins. Fado historian and scholar, Rui Vieira Nery, states that "the only reliable information on the history of Fado was orally transmitted and goes back to the 1820s and 1830s at best...
roots.
Not knowing how to play or compose music did not stop António from making music by himself. He would, using a tape recorder, mimic sounds and rhythms while he sang, using his own voice or even tapping his hands on different objects. These recordings were then used by his supporting studio musicians as the basis for the song arrangements. Variações' music is characterized by the use of a variety of instruments, ranging from synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s, to Portuguese
Portuguese guitar
The Portuguese guitar or Portuguese guitarra is a plucked string instrument with twelve steel strings, strung in six courses comprising two strings each. It is one of the few musical instruments to use Preston tuners. It is most notably associated with fado.-History:The origin of the Portuguese...
and classical guitar
Classical guitar
The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
s, to accordions and more. Defying genre definition, he created his own description for his sound: something between Braga and New York, reflecting the cosmopolitan, yet down to earth and rural aspect of his eclectic style. He was intent on becoming a popular artist in the true sense of the word and he managed to reach audiences which were very diverse, from the blue collar to the white collar workers, to the uneducated and the intellectuals, to young and old alike.
Lyrics
Despite having only the minimum education (at the time, four years of basic instruction, although he also attended night school classes in Lisbon for some time) and no music training, Variações had a deep sense of rhythm and a keen mastery of the written word. Variações' lyrics are often a mix of proverbs, popular wisdom and personal experiences and he had a notable ability of spinning commonplaces into original and compelling imagery. This popular character of his words made it easy for most of his listeners to identify with the themes of the songs, which often speak about restlessness, feelings of escapism or the deceitful nature of love affairs. A few of his songs have an autobiographical resonance (such as "Olhei P'ra Trás", where he describes the sorrowful but hopeful departure from his small village or "Deolinda de Jesus", dedicated to his mother).Influences
António Variações was a fervent admirer of the Portuguese poet Fernando PessoaFernando Pessoa
Fernando Pessoa, born Fernando António Nogueira de Seabra Pessoa , was a Portuguese poet, writer, literary critic and translator described as one of the most significant literary figures of the 20th century and one of the greatest poets in the Portuguese language.-Early years in Durban:On 13 July...
(dedicating the LP "Dar & Receber" to Pessoa, in a cryptically unfinished sentence, and using one of his poems on the song "Canção") and some of his lyrics share similarities with the feelings expressed on some of Pessoa's poems. Another of the artist's major influences was Amália Rodrigues
Amália Rodrigues
Amália da Piedade Rodrigues, GCSE, GCIH, , also known as Amália Rodrigues was a Portuguese singer and actress.She was known as the "Rainha do Fado" and was most influential in popularizing the fado worldwide. She was one of the most important figures in the genre's development, and enjoyed a...
, a fado
Fado
Fado is a music genre which can be traced to the 1820s in Portugal, but probably with much earlier origins. Fado historian and scholar, Rui Vieira Nery, states that "the only reliable information on the history of Fado was orally transmitted and goes back to the 1820s and 1830s at best...
singer of international renown. Apart from dedicating his first LP to her and covering one of her songs, he also wrote an ode to the singer, recorded as the song "Voz-Amália-de-Nós", in which he sings "All of us have Amália in our voice and we have in her voice the voice of all of us" (Amália Rodrigues is a Portuguese national icon). Both artists would only meet on stage once, a concert at the Aula Magna of the University of Lisbon, on May 26, 1983. Amália paid back homage to António by attending his funeral celebration.
From his extensive travels abroad, he got acquainted with the work of foreign artists like David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Bryan Ferry
Bryan Ferry
Bryan Ferry, CBE is an English singer, musician, and songwriter. Ferry came to public prominence in the early 1970s as lead vocalist and principal songwriter with the band Roxy Music, who enjoyed a highly successful career with three number one albums and ten singles entering the top ten charts in...
, The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
, Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
and The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. This encounter with a different musical culture left a deep impression on him; a testament to this is the fact that his first song experiments were written in English (although he soon abandoned this approach, in search of a more authentic and personal style of writing, in Portuguese).
Collaborators
Because Variações did not have the knowledge to properly compose music by himself, collaboration with other musicians at the writing, recording and producing stages was necessary. He would first collaborate with the musicians Vítor Rua, Tóli César Machado (both from the band GNRGNR (band)
GNR is a Portuguese band founded in 1981. This band shares its acronym with the Guarda Nacional Republicana and is inseparable from the concept of Portuguese rock. Many years after its creation, numerous recordings show the band's popularity...
) and José Moz Carrapa on his first LP, "Anjo da Guarda", and then with Pedro Ayres Magalhães and Carlos Maria Trindade, at the time, part of the band Heróis do Mar (and later, Madredeus
Madredeus
Madredeus is a Portuguese band. Their music combines traditional Portuguese music with influences of modern folk music...
) on the recording of "Dar & Receber". The five members of Heróis do Mar acted as António's studio band; they would become close to Variações, especially Pedro Ayres Magalhães, who speaks fondly of him on the liner notes of "Dar & Receber": "I thank you António, for your enthusiasm and trust, and I would like to write here that I've gained a friendship".
Humanos
At the time of his death, Variações left behind a box containing over forty tapes and studio reels, which were forgotten for a long time, at first in the possession of his brother, Jaime Ribeiro. These were then kept for over ten years by David Ferreira at EMI-Valentim de Carvalho, until journalist Nuno Galopim took up the enterprise of listening to and transcribing them, which would become the beginning of the musical project known as HumanosHumanos
Humanos is the name of a musical band from Portugal formed in 2004. The idea behind it was to bring to light some unreleased songs by a famous Portuguese artist, a singer-songwriter from the 1980s, António Variações....
.
Lifetime releases
- Singles
- 1982 - Povo Que Lavas No Rio/Estou Além
- 1983 - É P'ra Amanhã.../Quando Fala Um Português...
- LPs
- 1983 - Anjo da Guarda
- 1984 - Dar & Receber
Posthumous releases and remasterings
- Singles
- 1997 - Canção de Engate
- 1997 - O Corpo É Que Paga/É P'ra Amanhã... (remixed by Nuno Miguel)
- 1998 - Minha cara sem fronteiras - entre Braga e Nova Iorque
- Albums
- 1997 - O Melhor de António Variações (best-of)
- 1998 - Anjo da Guarda (third studio album, includes the bonus track Povo que lavas no rio)
- 2000 - Dar & Receber (fourth studio album, includes three versions (two of which are remixes) of Minha cara sem fronteiras)
- 2006 - A História de António Variações - entre Braga e Nova Iorque (best-of which includes previously unreleased demos)
Tributes
- Cover songs
- 1987 - DelfinsDelfinsDelfins is a Portuguese pop-rock band, from Cascais. Its lead vocalist is Miguel Ângelo.In 1998, the Delfins contributed "Canção De Engate " to the AIDS benefit compilation album Onda Sonora: Red Hot + Lisbon produced by the Red Hot Organization.-Albums:*1987 Libertação *1988 U outro lado...
- Canção de Engate - 1995 - Amarguinhas - Estou Além
- 1996 - MDA - Dar & Receber
- 1996 - MDA - Estou Além
- 2004 - Donna Maria - Estou Além
- 2005 - RAMP - Anjinho da Guarda
- 1987 - Delfins
- Albums
- 1989 - Lena D'ÁguaLena D'ÁguaHelena Maria de Jesus Águas, aka Lena d'Água , is a Portuguese singer.-Biography:In 1973, Lena d'Água enrolled briefly in Sociology but did not graduate, as the 25 April 1974 Carnation Revolution in Portugal changed everything...
- Tu Aqui - 1994 - Variações - As Canções de António
- 2004 - HumanosHumanosHumanos is the name of a musical band from Portugal formed in 2004. The idea behind it was to bring to light some unreleased songs by a famous Portuguese artist, a singer-songwriter from the 1980s, António Variações....
- Humanos
- 1989 - Lena D'Água
Variações (film)
A biographical movie about António Variações is currently in pre-production. The first script was written by film director João Maia but was not considered suitable for production. A new script has been written by Evan J. Maloney. João Maia is currently in a legal dispute with Utopia Filmes the production company financing the film. The film was scheduled for release in 2009.Trivia
- António Variações died on the day consecrated to St. Anthony of Lisbon (the saint's name, in Portuguese, is also António), and the birthday of Fernando PessoaFernando PessoaFernando Pessoa, born Fernando António Nogueira de Seabra Pessoa , was a Portuguese poet, writer, literary critic and translator described as one of the most significant literary figures of the 20th century and one of the greatest poets in the Portuguese language.-Early years in Durban:On 13 July...
, whose poetry influenced Variações greatly.
- When Fernando Pessoa died, he left behind a trunk full of unpublished works and written fragments, much like Variações' box containing unheard recordings, works in progress and lyrical fragments.
- Variações pitched his singer/songwriter talents to popular radio and TV host Júlio Isidro, while giving him a haircut.
- He also cut the hair of the members of Heróis do Mar. At the time, they were in a band called Corpo Diplomático and he gave them New Wave-looking haircuts for a photo shoot. He also gave his manager, Teresa Couto Pinto, a radical buzz cutBuzz cutA buzz cut, induction cut or wiffle is a very short haircut.The cut is usually performed using hair clippers without a comb guard. The sides are cut closely and then the top is either shaped or cut to the same short length all over. The cut takes just a few minutes to perform. A buzz cut can...
haircut, which earned her the moniker "Punk Teresa".
- His house was described by visitors as a strange place, with a plastic mannequin right at the entrance. His bedroom walls were painted in hot pink, which was brightened even further when a red lamp was lit. His barber shop was similarly decorated in an extravagant manner, with bold colors, vintage ballroom dresses and old perfume bottles.
- He had a passion for knick knacks, collecting different objects at flea markets and ordering them by themes (such as type, color, etc.). It is said that his collections were so great in number, that they filled up entire spaces from floor to ceiling.
- He didn't smoke or drink alcohol, and he usually started off his day working out at the gym.
- While giving interviews, António was famous for making bold and provocative remarks. At one point he stated that AmáliaAmália RodriguesAmália da Piedade Rodrigues, GCSE, GCIH, , also known as Amália Rodrigues was a Portuguese singer and actress.She was known as the "Rainha do Fado" and was most influential in popularizing the fado worldwide. She was one of the most important figures in the genre's development, and enjoyed a...
could sing rock music.
- He considered himself to be a "non-practicing" catholic, but appreciated the peaceful ambience and beauty of churches.
- António Variações ranked at #98 on the public poll/television show Os Grandes PortuguesesOs Grandes PortuguesesOs Grandes Portugueses was a public poll contest organized by the Portuguese public broadcasting station RTP and hosted by Maria Elisa. Based on BBC's 100 Greatest Britons, it featured individual documentaries advocating the top ten candidates...
.
- Variações was openly gay before his death.