Pilar Homem de Melo
Pilar Homem de Melo (Lisbon, July 5, 1963) is a Portuguese singer-songwriter and one of the main responsible of the New Pop Music in Portugal. She's married to the spanish painter Antonio Alonso Martinez[1]
Biography
Born in an old aristocratic Portuguese family, daughter of João Pedro Monteiro da Cunha Homem de Melo and D. Ana Mafalda de Almada, Pilar moved to Rio de Janeiro in 1975 along with his family, exiled by requirement of the Portuguese Revolution April 25, 1974.
In Rio de Janeiro meets the most relevant representatives of Música popular brasileira (MPB) – emphasizing the great friendship made with Caetano Veloso – who decisively influenced her music.
She graduated at Berklee College of Music, Boston, in 1985.
In 1988 she signed with EMI label releasing in the following year, her homonymous debut album produced by Wayne Shorter. In 1991 acts in the first part of Suzanne Vega's concert, in the Cascais Pavilion and in Oporto Coliseum.
In 1993 she released the album "Pecado Original", recorded at Marcus Studio in London, produced by Steve Davis, with the participation of Vicente Amigo.
She presents in 2000, together with Anamar and Né Ladeiras, the SM-58 show which was released in 2002 the CD "Live – Anamar Né Ladeiras Pilar".
In 2001 she release the CD "Nao quero saber" and in 2003 the album "Poe um bocadinho + alto".
In 2005 Pilar presents the Cristal concert at the Great Hall of São Luiz Theatre in Lisbon. This show was presented with new compositions and versions of themes such as "Fria Claridade" by Pedro Homem de Mello and "Um Indio" by Caetano Veloso with the participation of the Senegalese percussionist Thio Mbaye .
In 2006 Pilar traveled to Senegal where she worked on new arrangements and compositions with Habib Faye and Thio Mbaye – both musicians of Youssou N'Dour and Peter Gabriel – performing at Casino du Cap Vert in Dakar.
Pilar moved to Spain in 2011.
In September 2013 she releases online the Single "Teatro" – poem by Pedro Homem de Mello, 1955 – being the first artist of history composing in a Pop style to the poems of this poet. Pedro Homem de Mello, whose poems have always been associated to Fado, thus arises in a universal and timeless language. To reinforce the universality of his poems, Pilar beyond singing in a Pop style also sings in Portuguese from Brazil. This single is part of a future CD entirely dedicated to the poet, her great-uncle.
References
Discography
- 1989 – Pilar
- 1993 – Pecado Original
- 2001 – Não Quero Saber
- 2002 – Ao Vivo (Pilar with Né Ladeiras and Anamar)
- 2003 – Põe um Bocadinho + Alto