A new sound for the traditional portuguese “Viola Campaniça”.
João Morais started to play guitar when he was 15 years old, participating in several bands within the punk rock scene. In 2016, João started his solo project O GAJO (that means “THE DUDE”, in portuguese), which is inspired by his world music references.
In 2017 he released “Longe do Chão”, his debut album, and two years later 4 EPs “Rossio”, “Santa Apolónia”, “Cais do Sodré” and “Alcântara Terra” — which together form “As 4 Estações d’O GAJO’.
In 2021, “Subterrâneos” arrives, an album that features Carlos Barretto (doublebass) and José Salgueiro (percussion), renowned musicians from the national scene, who allowed the project to expand its artistic dimensions.
O GAJO had already crossed borders, participating in a few international events, such as EUROSONIC (Holland), REEPERBAHN (Germany), Festival IMATERIAL and WOMEX 2021, showing the universality and surprising nature of his music.
In this 2023, we enter a fourth cycle of O GAJO that takes us to a space of experimentation and transition, to a “Não Lugar” (trad. “No Place”).
“Não Lugar” is the name of the album that arrived in March and provides a new cycle of exploration of Viola Campaniça through various collaborations and surprising sounds. Without formalities or ready-made ideas, O GAJO's musical journey continues to break down barriers, in constant transition, always with a greater focus on music. Fasten your seat belts!