Avo Cantigas

by Evan C. Gutierrez
Carlos Alberto Vidal, known to Portuguese music fans both young and old as Avo Cantigas, was born in the Lousa district of Coimbra in 1954. Having sung in public and at parties from the age of seven, Vidal knew early on that he was called to a life in music. Moving to Cascais at 12, he began participating in all forms of performance, including music and theater. Learning to accompany himself on the guitar, Vidal began studying at the National Conservatory of Music. As an author and composer, Vidal began selling his songs to a publishing company while still in his teens. His debut record was released in 1973, entitled As Filhas da Tia Anica. Vidal spent the next several years touring and recording, completing eight records by 1982, a year that marked a new phase of his career. On 1982's As Cantigas do Alvo Cantigas, Vidal assumed the identity of Avo Cantigas (Grandfather Cantigas), soon to become one of the most beloved characters in Portuguese children's music. A series of television appearances soon followed, and Vidal became an overnight success. Over the course of Cantigas' career, which would span two decades, his music would become so universal that it would be incorporated into the Portuguese elementary school curriculum. In 2002, with an enormous and popular discography, Vidal celebrated the 20th year of his Avo Cantigas character with the release of E Bom Ser Assim, which featured numerous guest artists such as António Pinho Vargas, Jo?o Gil, and Jorge Palma, to name a few. To celebrate Cantigas' 25th year, Columbia released Fantasminha Brincalhao, Vidal's 27th original release.