Rui Santos

CLANNAD

JONI MITCHELL

TORI AMOS

MADREDEUS

BENT

This is a tough one... where do I start?...
I love melody. I love the odd and the original. A combination of the three will always draw my attention.
There's a place in my personality for most kinds of music, with very few exceptions, and even in those I can find many times something special that tickles me.
I love music that makes me feel good and that's obviously always a very personal experience. That's why I respect all musical tastes.

If I had to choose the album of my life, though, that would have to be Watermark by ENYA. It was 1988, I was 16, addicted to music already, when suddenly I was thrown into this whole new level and new world of music I didn't know existed. New musical conceptions and awareness evolved in me from there.
Next thing, I was in love with Ireland and all their musical tradition and heritage. CLANNAD soon became another strong reference in my life (genes' fault??).
MÁIRE (or MOYA) BRENNAN, the voice of Clannad and Enya's older sister happens to have the most exquisite voice that ever seduced my ears.
Still in the folk/celtic realm, other favourites are CAPERCAILLIE (KAREN MATHESON is another one of those unbelievable voices), LOREENA McKENNITT, JUNE TABOR, SANDY DENNY, DAVY SPILLANE, ALTAN, CATHERINE-ANN MacPHEE, ELIZA CARTHY, DONAL LUNNY, BERT JANSCH, SAVOURNA STEVENSON, TANNAS, KATE RUSBY and more.

Electronica/Downtempo/Chill is my other big world of music - BENT (devoted fan!), ZERO 7, ROYKSOPP, AFTERLIFE, TÉLÉPOPMUSIK, CHUNGKING, JUNIOR BOYS, CUT COPY, ZOOT WOMAN, AIM, AIR, LAMB, AMALGAMATION OF SOUNDZ, GROOVE ARMADA (Vertigo days especially), DZIHAN & KAMIEN, GOTAN PROJECT, THIEVERY CORPORATION, MO'HORIZONS, DE-PHAZZ, THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA, KYOTO JAZZ MASSIVE, RAE & CHRISTIAN, KRUDER & DORFMEISTER, MASSIVE ATTACK, PORTISHEAD, MORCHEEBA (SKYE days), MOLOKO, GOLDFRAPP, NITIN SAWHNEY, LUOMO, AQUA BASSINO, ST.GERMAIN, LLORCA, MR.SCRUFF, etc etc.

Good uplifting House - MIGUEL MIGS, JULIUS PAPP, KEVIN YOST and all NAKED MUSIC label.

I also love all the not-too-carried-away-improvised Jazz - ELLA FITZGERALD, BILLIE HOLIDAY, SHIRLEY HORN, CASSANDRA WILSON, STACEY KENT, JAN GARBAREK, PAT METHENY (when he's in a good day...), MILES DAVIS, CHET BAKER, etc.

Soul/Funk/Disco - JILL SCOTT, ERYKAH BADU, MAXWELL, REMY SHAND, INDIA.ARIE, MICHAEL JACKSON (early), ROY AYERS, MARVIN GAYE, THE TEMPTATIONS, KOOL & THE GANG, etc.

World Music - too vast and non-specific to mention names.

Ambient/New Age/Contemporary (whatever you want to call it!) - VANGELIS, ENIGMA, MIKE OLDFIELD, TANGERINE DREAM, NICHOLAS GUNN, WIM MERTENS, WILLIAM ACKERMAN, GEORGE WINSTON, ANDREAS VOLLENWEIDER, DEAD CAN DANCE, etc.

Brazilian - MARISA MONTE, BEBEL GILBERTO, CIBELLE, FERNANDA PORTO, CAETANO, TOM JOBIM, JOAO GILBERTO, GILBERTO GIL, DJAVAN, GAL, CELSO FONSECA, ADRIANA CALCANHOTTO, etc.

As for pop/rock/alt, naming all my heroes would keep me here all night, so here are who's popping to my head: MADREDEUS, DAVID FONSECA, MARGARIDA PINTO, BALLA, MARIA JOÃO/MARIO LAGINHA, MELO D (that was the Portuguese section :)), JONI MITCHELL (Goddess!), TORI AMOS, FLEETWOOD MAC, GEORGE MICHAEL, SADE, JAMIROQUAI, SCISSOR SISTERS, EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL, NATALIE MERCHANT, TINA DICO, KATE BUSH, STEVIE NICKS, ANNIE LENNOX, UTE LEMPER, COWBOY JUNKIES, TRACY CHAPMAN, EDDI READER, AIMEE MANN, KINGS OF CONVENIENCE, BELLE AND SEBASTIAN, RUFUS WAINWRIGHT, PINK MARTINI, MICHAEL FRANKS, NICK DRAKE, RICKIE LEE JONES, BJORK, MANDALAY/NICOLA HITCHCOCK, THE KNIFE, FEVER RAY, AU REVOIR SIMONE, CAROLINE LAVELLE, COCTEAU TWINS, OCTOBER PROJECT, STINA NORDENSTAM, THE INNOCENCE MISSION, LOU RHODES, RÓISÍN MURPHY, BETH GIBBONS, EMILIANA TORRINI, DAVID SYLVIAN, NICK CAVE, RYAN ADAMS, PERRY BLAKE, BEAUTIFUL SOUTH, PREFAB SPROUT, CARDIGANS, A-HA, THE CURE, SUPERTRAMP, DIRE STRAITS, PINK FLOYD, ROBERT PLANT, LED ZEPPELIN, VAN MORRISON, NEIL YOUNG, and the list could go on and on............... (I knew that this would happen... uf!)

Above all, I feel proud of myself for not having any kind of prejudices about music. :)