Martinho d'Assunção

Born in Lisbon at the parish of Santos-o-Velho, on April 12^th, 1914 he was son of the poet, Martinho d’Assunção.

Soon he finds out his passion for music. He played guitar, mandolim and violin in his childhood. Martinho d'Assunção Júnior chose the guitar and, in 1927, after a concert at Politeama named “Guitarra de Portugal”, showed undoubtedly his skills of “so young guitar player”.

Three years before, in 1924, this young violinist for the first time performed together with the guitar player, Armandinho.

He was pupil of João da Mata Gonçalves. He may thank his knowledge to him.

In 1927, in Teatro São Luiz, the concert named “Guitarra de Portugal” was held for the 5^th year consecutive, where Martinho d´Assunção would prove once again his skills next to the young guitar player, Isabel de Sousa.

Quickly Martinho d´Assunção starts giving national and international shows and concerts, and in 1932, he went on a tour with Armandinho, Ercília Costa and João da Mata to Madeira and Azores Isles.

In 1933, he went on a tour to Angola, Mozambique and ex-Rhodesia to perform on the concert “Guitarra de Portugal” and at this time he went being part of a group called “Grupo Artístico de Fados”, together with Berta Cardoso, Madalena de Melo, Armandinho and João da Mata.

During his career of guitarist he had sung at several Fado’s places like “Salão Jansen”, “Casablanca”, “Solar da Alegria”, “Café Mondego”, “Mirante”, “Luso”, “Toca”, “Lisboa à Noite” and “Faia”, among others.

Since 1937 until 1938, Martinho d´Assunção Júnior had run through a set of guitars played by Carvalhinho, Fernando Freitas, and José Duarte Costa and Constança Maria, as vocalist. He also took part of “Conjunto Artístico Português” together with Jaime Santos, Fernando Freitas, Miguel Ramos and Freitas da Silva, (and later Alberto Correia, António Couto and Jaime Santos would replace those).

In the 40’s, he took part in “Conjunto Típico de Guitarras” together with Jaime Santos, Carvalhinho, Alberto Correia and Fernando Potier.

Later, his name was in the cast of Companheiros da Alegria, of Igrejas Caeiro and Elvira Velez.

He was not only a composer, but also a teacher of violin wide spreading this instrument.

At the end of his life, he worked mostly in exclusive to “Faia” of Lucinda do Carmo, and when this establishment closed he was the private violinist teacher of Carlos do Carmo, to whom he played several Fado’s music.

He died on March 29th, 1992.

Source:

“Guitarra de Portugal”, 04 de Junho de 1927

“Guitarra de Portugal”, 09 de Julho de 1933

Sucena, Eduardo (1992) “Lisboa, o Fado e os Fadistas”, Lisbon, Vega;

Guinot, M., Carvalho, R., Osório, J.M. (1999) “Histórias do Fado”, Col. “Um Século de Fado”, Lisbon, Ediclube.