"I was born on March 15, 1946 in the Parish of Furnas, County of Povoação in the Azores. Son of elderly parents I had a very normal childhood. At the age of seven I started attending the local primary school and was always a good student, if somewhat quiet and reserved and the best at art in my class.

Once I had completed my primary school years, I went to work as an apprentice carpenter and cabinetmaker in a village workshop belonging to my cousin, Master José da Cunha and his partner, Master João Orlando. I worked there for just over a year and as I was not paid for my efforts I decided to try my luck working for the Municipal Road Works on the Achada das Furnas Road, where I fulfilled a number of functions, but mostly that of jack of all trades and master of none. Luckily I was quite talented, a lot more, I might sadd, than the foreman himself.

Back then in my homeland I would give vent to my creativity by making Christmas cribs, everything right from the figures to miniature reproductions of the houses and churches, in fact of the whole village itself.

As I had always adored music, I decided to build my very own musical instruments, as no musician would even dream of lending one theirs to any of us boys. My first attempt was a mandolin, the second a violin followed by a guitar on which I learned a few chords, two or three, on my own.

To improve my knowledge of music, I decided to join the local the Furnense Philharmonic Band where I commenced my studies in solfeggio at the age of sixteen. Immediately after, in 1962, I received my sponsorship letter allowing me to immigrate to Canada and the following year off I went, a mere seventeen at the time. Naturally my solfeggio studies had to be put aside, but once I got to Canada I bought myself a very nice guitar from a Canadian music teacher and from then on I would spend my free time tinkering on it, playing the little I had learned.

In 1964 I joined the St. Mary's Church musical group where I met António Rebelo, an accordionist, and José Aguiar, a drummer. We soon got a band together, which we named Boa Esperança. But the following summer I decided to go tabacco-picking and when I got back the group had found a substitute for me and no longer required my musical services. A period of eight years of musical non-activity ensued.

Boa Esperança Band

One day, - I was already married and father of a five-year-old boy by then - I was feeling a bit out of sorts so I decided to go out a while to shake it off. Maybe a game of billiards would do the trick so I made my way to a local poolroom. When I got there I happened to hear some music drifting out of the basement. Naturally being as curious as I am, I immediately made it my business to find out what was going on. So I went downstairs where I found a band jamming and generally having a whale of a time. I introduced myself to them and they soon informed me that Frank, their guitarist, was going to get married and leave the band. I told them that I fiddled about on the guitar and they invited me to join the group right there and then. I promptly accepted and was soon off to buy myself a brand new guitar and amplifier.

And so it was that I once more got involved with the music world as the Águias Negras guitarist. I haven't stopped since then. Later I came to play with Desire, Chave Douro, Road Runner, Last Chance and finally Os Vadios, the band I am with presently.

I must confess that there have been more musicians I have played with in bands than those I haven't played with.

Through all my years as a musician I have gotten the most support from my son who has been my right hand over the last twelve years.

Music has been my most treasured "lover", and has been a faithful companion throughout my life, in sickness and in health, in bad times and good, in times of plenty and of little. It is with music that I am with myself."

English text by Adiaspora.com

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