António Dos Santos

António Dos Santos António Dos Santos Caio Castanheira Lisbon Portugal 14 March 1919 - 18 September 1993 Was A Portuguese Fado Singer Fadista .
Born In Socorro Lisbon He Made His Debut 3 March 1938 In The Mondego Café In Alfama Lisbon. Son Of Joaquim Castanheira And Gertrudes Ana Dos Santos António Dos Santos Was Raised By His Mother And Grandmother On Her Mother’s Side. He Lived At Rua 20 De Abril Currently Called Rua De São Lázaro 41-3º Dto In Lisbon. His Parents Had A Unique Pathway They Had A Relationship When They Were Very Young Of Which Young António Was Born But His Father Married Another Woman. When António Was Already In His Twenties They Met Again And Decided To Get Married.
Being A Sailor In The Merchant Navy Since He Was 25 António Spent A Long Time Abroad Travelling All Over The World. According To His Wife In Only One Voyage He Was Away For Two Years In The United States Of America. But He Never Stopped Singing. He Married Julieta Rebelo Martins Castanheira On The 12 August 1943 And Moved To The District Of Alfama Where He Lived At Number 9 Beco Da Bicha.
He Was One Of The Artists Who Sang For Free At The 1957 Great Fado Contest Organised By A Voz De Portugal Cf. “A Voz Portugal” 31 August 1957 For More Than 20 Years He Sang Jesting Fado A Genre Of His Preference.
In The Mid 1950’s However He Opened The Restaurant O Cantinho Do António At Beco Do Azinhal In Alfama Where He Developed A Different Fado Genre. He Became Known As The "Baladeiro De Alfama" Mainly After His Participation In The Television Zip Zip Programme In The Late 1960’s Recorded At Teatro Vilarett In Lisbon Written By Carlos Cruz Raul Solnado And Fialho Gouveia.
“Cantinho Do António” Became Very Famous As A Restaurant His Wife Was The Cook And A Fado House. Many Celebrities Of Portugal’s Social And Artistic Jet-Set Visited The Place.
After The 25 April 1974 He Sold The Restaurant Though Against His Wife’s Will.
António Dos Santos Was Often Invited To Travel Abroad Especially To Brazil But He Never Accepted. According To His Wife “he Was Afraid To Fly” And Never Managed To Solve This “small” Problem.
He Left Several Records But Only The First In The Jesting Style.
He Died On The 18 September 1993 At 74. A Month Before 12 August He Had Celebrated The 50th Anniversary Of His Marriage.
He Received A RTP Award.
His Heritage Was Donated To The Casa Do Fado E Da Guitarra Portuguesa. read less