Biography
If any Portuguese group ever embodied unrealized promise, it was Ornatos Violeta. The band, which began life under the name Suores dos Reis, came together in 1991. Its core membership stayed fixed from the outset, aside from a short interval during which Ricardo handled vocals; once he left, Manel Cruz stepped away from guitar to become frontman and Elísio Donas joined on keyboards, locking in a permanent five-piece completed by Peixe on guitar, Nuno Prata on bass, and Kinorm on drums.
Recognition arrived in 1994 when the group captured the Most Original Band prize at an unsigned-band competition organized by public broadcaster RTP2. Inclusion of three demo tracks on a 1995 unsigned-band compilation further raised their profile, and an intensive touring schedule ultimately secured a deal with BMG Portugal. The resulting debut, Cão!, appeared in 1997 and earned widespread praise from both critics and listeners for a sound that drew equally from Faith No More, Soundgarden, Nick Cave, and Echo & the Bunnymen; the band’s already formidable live reputation only amplified that acclaim. Sales approached the threshold for a silver plaque, driven largely by the singles “Punk Moda Funk,” “Mata-me Outra Vez,” and “A Dama do Sinal.” In 1998 the group added another honor, taking Best New Band at the awards staged by the influential newspaper Blitz. That same year they premiered “Tempo de Nascer,” a track that introduced a more expansive, Radiohead-inspired dimension to their eclectic style—an approach fully embraced on the 1999 follow-up O Monstro Precisa de Amigos. The album nearly reached gold status, propelled by the duets “Ouvi Dizer” with entertainment veteran Vítor Espadinha and “Capitão Romance” with Gordon Gano of the Violent Femmes. Blitz showered the band with further accolades the next year, naming them Group of the Year, awarding Song of the Year to “Ouvi Dizer,” Male Voice of the Year to Manel Cruz, and Album of the Year to the record itself.
Speculation about their future ended in 2002 when Ornatos Violeta announced their dissolution, leaving behind a devoted cult audience and the sense that their commercial peak had still lain ahead. Manel Cruz and Peixe resurfaced two years later in Pluto; Nuno Prata issued his first solo album in 2006; Elísio Donas launched Per7ume; and Kinorm turned to graphic design.
Recognition arrived in 1994 when the group captured the Most Original Band prize at an unsigned-band competition organized by public broadcaster RTP2. Inclusion of three demo tracks on a 1995 unsigned-band compilation further raised their profile, and an intensive touring schedule ultimately secured a deal with BMG Portugal. The resulting debut, Cão!, appeared in 1997 and earned widespread praise from both critics and listeners for a sound that drew equally from Faith No More, Soundgarden, Nick Cave, and Echo & the Bunnymen; the band’s already formidable live reputation only amplified that acclaim. Sales approached the threshold for a silver plaque, driven largely by the singles “Punk Moda Funk,” “Mata-me Outra Vez,” and “A Dama do Sinal.” In 1998 the group added another honor, taking Best New Band at the awards staged by the influential newspaper Blitz. That same year they premiered “Tempo de Nascer,” a track that introduced a more expansive, Radiohead-inspired dimension to their eclectic style—an approach fully embraced on the 1999 follow-up O Monstro Precisa de Amigos. The album nearly reached gold status, propelled by the duets “Ouvi Dizer” with entertainment veteran Vítor Espadinha and “Capitão Romance” with Gordon Gano of the Violent Femmes. Blitz showered the band with further accolades the next year, naming them Group of the Year, awarding Song of the Year to “Ouvi Dizer,” Male Voice of the Year to Manel Cruz, and Album of the Year to the record itself.
Speculation about their future ended in 2002 when Ornatos Violeta announced their dissolution, leaving behind a devoted cult audience and the sense that their commercial peak had still lain ahead. Manel Cruz and Peixe resurfaced two years later in Pluto; Nuno Prata issued his first solo album in 2006; Elísio Donas launched Per7ume; and Kinorm turned to graphic design.
Albums
