Music from Portugal is slowly getting more popular around the world. While Brazilian samba and bossa nova have captivated international listeners for decades, music from Portugal did not travel across its borders beyond fado until the last 10 years after Portugal’s tourism scene boomed and the country won the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest.
As any language learner can attest, listening to music is a great way to learn new vocabulary and improve pronunciation and listening comprehension. Today, we would like to introduce musical artists from Portugal to help you with speaking European Portuguese. Of course, music from Brazil is also incredible, but the following music will help you on your path to understanding European Portuguese, especially for those of you required to pass an official A2 level language exam for Portuguese citizenship.
Without further ado, let’s discuss some Portuguese musicians that will undoubtedly help you learn European Portuguese!
1. Luísa Sobral
Those of you moved to Portugal after 2017 might have missed the seismic musical event that was Portugal winning the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time in history. Luísa Sobral wrote the music and lyrics and her brother Salvador performed the winning song “Amar Pelos Dois.” In truly one of the most heartwarming moments in Eurovision Song Contest history, Salvador brought his sister on stage to sing a duet for the encore of their winning song to close the show. When one first hears Luísa’s soulful croon, it’s hard not to immediately fall for her voice. Once you dive deeper into her music, you will understand Luísa’s playful yet powerful genius. Don’t miss her music videos either. They are filled with personality. Check out a duet with her brother entitled “Só um beijo,” the Billie Holiday-esque “Cupido,” and the unforgettable music video that accompanies “Serei Sempre Uma Mulher.”
2. Nena
Nena is a young pop singer songwriter from Lisbon who burst onto the scene in 2021 with her single “Portas do Sol,” a love letter to both the city of Lisbon and a former lover. She wrote her first song at the age of 12 and decided to focus solely on music in her early 20s. Her album “ao fundo da rua” was released in November 2022. She won a “New Artist” award in 2023 and sold out her first show at the Coliseu dos Recreios. Nena’s clear voice makes her lyrics easy to understand, and you will picking up new vocabulary in no time.
3. Bárbara Bandeira
Bárbara Bandeira had Portugal’s most popular song on Spotify in 2023 with “Como Tu,” a collaboration with Ivandro. This alone may make you want to check her out, but her gorgeous voice is surely another. Bandeira solidified her presence in the Portuguese music scene by taking home New Star of the Year at the 2018 Golden Globes Portugal and Best Portuguese Act at the 2022 MTV Europe Music Awards. Her songs now have over 32 million plays, and she released her first album “Finda” in 2023.
4. João Só
Born in Coimbra in 1988, João Só then moved to Lisbon at the age of nine. He started composing music at the age of 15 and has since partnered with many Portuguese musicians and writers including Lúcia Moniz, Miguel Araújo, and Nuno Markl. If you haven’t heard these names before, we encourage you to check them out. Só announced his 10-year tour in 2019, if that gives more insight into his prolific musical talent. He already has five full-length studio albums including his first with the band “Abandonados.” Start with “Sorte Grande” and “Não Sou Eu.”
5. Anjos
Brothers Nelson and Sérgio Rosado, known as the duo “Anjos” recently celebrated their 25th anniversary as artists. Born to musician parents in Lisbon, Nelson and Sergio were both enrolled in the National Academy of Music at a young age and performed their first concert at the ages of 12 and 8, respectively. They released their first album together, “Ficarei” in 1999 and have since 13 more albums including two Christmas albums and live tour albums. These guys are a Portuguese institution and provide plenty of learning material. Check out “A Vida Faz — Me Bem,” “Frágil,” and “Eterno.”
6. GNR, a.k.a Grupo Novo Rock
Moving away from Lisbon and up to Porto, we introduce our first rock band on the list – and truly pioneers in the Portugal scene, GNR. Not only have they played on some of Portugal’s biggest stages including Rock in Rio, but they were also awarded the “Medal of Cultural Merit” by the President of Portugal in 2005. The band was originally formed by Alexandre Soares, Vítor Rua and Tóli César Machado although several changes to the band’s line-up have occurred throughout the GNR’s long career, which first burst onto the scene in the 1980s. They have since released 13 studio albums in addition to their most recent album in 2017 looking back on their 35-year career. Maybe you want to start there. We are sure you will pick up lots of new vocabulary along the way.
7. António Variações
António Joaquim Rodrigues Ribeiro, known as António Variações, only lived until the age of 39 but his music made a huge impression on Portuguese music for decades to come. Born in the municipality of Amares, António was one of 12 children and lived a colorful life working in various professions in Portugal, Angola, and the Netherlands before returning to Lisbon in 1975 to work as a hairstylist. In 1978, he signed a contract with Valentim de Carvalho and began performing music more widely. After only two albums and six years as a signed musician, António died of bronchopneumonia, likely related to complications from AIDS. Throughout his brief career, António resisted musical genre, performing original mixes of various styles. He is also known for his reinvention of masculinity in Portugal post-dictatorship and stands alongside David Bowie and Prince in that respect. Be sure to check out “Cançao de Engate,” “‘É P’ra Amanhã,” and “O Corpo É Que Paga.” We have listed António Variações last on this list because he is probably the hardest to comprehend for new European Portuguese learners due to his singing style and propensity to elongate notes, but knowing his music will certainly connect you more to the local culture.
Final Thoughts
There is a plethora of other musicians that we could add to this list, but we think that this is a great place to start. We hope that this sharpens your European Portuguese and helps you connect with Portuguese friends. You might also impress locals with your Portuguese karaoke skills. Good luck and let us know which musician you enjoyed most.
