Banda do Casaco

Banda do Casaco are a Portuguese Prog-Folk band active from 1974 to 1984 considered by some to be one of Portugal's greatest Progressive rock bands. Their seminal album was the Hoje há Conquilhas, Amanhã não Sabemos released in 1976.

After the failure of the Filarmónica Fraude project, more for political reasons than quality, António Pinho (singer) and Luís Linhares (keys) joined with the ex Musica Novarum member Nuno Rodrigues (vocals and guitar) and Celso de Carvalho (Cello and Double bass) to form the group Banda do Casaco. Many guest musicians passed through the band in their active period and many used the band as a springboard for their own careers.

The first album released was 1975's Dos Benefícios de um Vendido no Reino dos Bonifácios followed by Coisas do Arco da Velha in 1976 which won the "Album of the Year" award in Portugal, notable for the appearance of Cândida Branca Flor on vocals. Their most renowned and considered by some, their most experimental, album was their 1977 release Hoje há Conquilhas, Amanhã não Sabemos which featured António Pinheiro da Silva on guitar, Rão Kyao on saxophone and Gabriela Schaaf on vocals. They went on to release Contos da Barbearia in 1978 followed by No Jardim da Celeste in 1981 which featured the inclusion of female singer Né Ladeiras and Jerry Marotta, Peter Gabriel's former drummer.The band played live on only three occasions: at Aula Magna, Festa de S. Mateus in Viseu and Casa do Povo in Cacia. In 1982 Pinho left the group to write for girlband Doce but the band continued and released Também Eu in 1982. The band's final studio album was Com Ti Chitas, released in 1984, which featured Ti Chitas (Catarina Sergentina). The group disbanded shortly after.

The group joined traditional Portuguese folk music with Progressive rock and their lyrics were often satirical and included social criticism, approaching the idea of crossing modern urbanisation with Portuguese rural history. The band consisted of eight members with instruments including brass, keyboards, strings (violin, cello, contra bass) and vocals (two female vocalists: Judi Brennan and Helena Afonso).

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