Nuno de Aguiar

Concórdio Henriques, birth name of Nuno de Aguiar, was born at Travessa do Olival à Graça and soon surrendered himself to the world of fado. During this time of his life, Nuno would happily trade kicking balls for listening to and singing fado. The fado singer recalls the moments when his neighbours asked him to deliver messages; with the coins they gave him he would go down to Vale de Santo António to buy a glass of wine to the Portuguese guitar players at the tavern, in change for a fado. It is in the middle of Alfama, at "Retiro" of Sr. Augusto that Nuno sings some of the fados he listens to at Emissora Nacional. However, this always happen without the approval of his parents.

A curious note in this pathway: one of the admirers of Nuno was the General França Borges, former president of Lisbon Town Hall, who went to the "Retiro" of Sr. Augusto and asked him to perform a few fados in change for some coins.

Influenced by his father, a master joiner, Nuno de Aguiar learns the trade at Lisbon Industrial Institute, but soon chooses to dedicate himself exclusively to fado and starts being asked to sing, even as an amateur. He becomes noted due to his interpretations’ particular style, which differences him from so many other voices.

He becomes a professional in 1960, after winning the Fado Spring Competition, at Coliseu dos Recreios, after many trials at "Salão Luso".

After the military service, where he charmed his colleagues with fado interpretations, he is invited to "Ritz Clube" (1965), an extraordinary place where fado began at 2 a.m. lasting until 7 a.m, and where he stayed at for almost two years, until he was invited by Sr. Barros to join the cast of "Retiro da Severa". Then came the opportunity to record with the label "Estúdio", despite being advised to change his name from Concórdio to an artistic one, and so Nuno de Aguiar was “born”. He sang the fado "Bairro Alto", (lyrics by Carlos Simões Neves and music by Nuno de Aguiar) almost every night, which became a huge success.

He is later invited by Lucília do Carmo to join the cast of "Faia", in Bairro Alto, a place of continuous learning and great memories.

He was also invited to perform at Casino do Funchal for a season.

During this period, the fado singer’s career gains international contours, with countless travels and concerts all around the world and in cities the fado singer claims to know so well as the neighbourhood he was born in! In one of these visits to the U.S., Nuno de Aguiar ends up staying for 9 years, performing for the Portuguese community and others.

He spent a long period at a typical house in Lourenço Marques (Mozambique), until the 25 April 1974 revolution, when he returned to Lisbon.

After this return he begins a new circuit through Lisbon’s typical houses, with special reference to the inauguration of "Forcado" and the beginning of a regular cooperation with Rodrigo at "Picadeiro", in Cascais.

Torre da Guia is his chosen poet. They met in the army and since then he writes most of the lyrics sung by Nuno de Aguiar.

He celebrates 45 years of career in 2006, marked by the release of a CD by the label Metro- Som: "Meu Disco, Meu Fado", where he reveals his poetic nature, signing two of the 14 fados in the CD.

Source:

Museu do Fado - interviewed on the 13/18 July 2006.