Paulo De Carvalho

Paulo de Carvalho served as drummer and backing vocalist for the popular Portuguese group the Sheiks during the mid-1960s before achieving individual recognition as a frontman. After departing the Sheiks in 1968, he secured victories at the Festival RTP of Song in both 1974 and 1976. Drawing on North American R&B, funk, and African influences, he produced some of Portugal’s most vibrant dance tracks of the 1970s.

His connection to the Festival RTP of Song extended over many years, beginning with his first appearance in 1970. The initial triumph came in 1974 through his reading of the Jose Calvario- and Jose Nize-penned “E Depois Do Adeus,” while three years later he claimed the prize again with his own “Portugal in My Heart,” backed by the band the Friends.

Two projects paired de Carvalho with the London Philharmonic Orchestra: the 1994 release Alana and the 1999 album Carvalho, Ribeiro, Freitas and Others.