HoboEye Music:
David Fonseca, Portugal

David is a musician, though he should’ve been a photographer, like he intended for so many years. “I think it was destiny”, he sighs and looks down, “but I really don’t believe that stuff.”

Whatever destiny has something to do with it or not, David is one of the most charismatic and successful Portuguese artists to date. He founded his first band (Silence 4) in the middle nineties, which introduced his songs and voice to a larger audience. This group ended up imposing itself as the biggest and most astonishing phenomenon on the recent years of Portuguese music. Their debut record, entitled “Silence Becomes It” (1998) sold more than 240 thousand copies, which represents six platinum records.

In fact, David Fonseca will hardly forget 1998… Silence 4 played all the most important Portuguese summer festivals, closed the world exhibition Expo ’98, in Lisbon, where they performed for 50 thousand people and, in December 1998, Silence 4 played at Pavilhão Atlântico, breaking up the record of audience for that place by playing in front of 18 thousand people. Silence 4 became the first Portuguese band to sell out Pavilhão Atlântico and only 6 months had passed from the release of their first record.

“I finally had something to do with my sleepless nights…who wants to sleep when everything is moving so fast around you?”, he tells us with a grin on his face.

“Only Pain Is Real” (2000) was the second record for Silence 4, selling 100 thousand copies to this day. They wrapped up their tour in December 2000, with two memorable concerts at the most mythic stage in Lisbon, the Coliseu dos Recreios, which sold out completely.

During 2001 Silence 4 went on their last tour and, in 2002, the band came to a sudden end. It was time for David to try something on his own, something a little different.

“It was just like that song…”First I was afraid, I was petrified”…but it turned out to be one of those liberating experiences you read about in those awful new age books. I suddenly realised it was the only way to go on.”

2003 was the year for David Fonseca first solo work, “Sing Me Something New”, where he played nearly all instruments, exploring his composer and interpreter sides more than ever. “Someone That Cannot Love” was the first single and it debuted on Portuguese radios in an innovative way: 150 radios played the song at midnight, on the 10th of March 2003. It was a #1 hit on airplay.

David toured for a long time with his first record. In fact, David has played all the big music venues and large festivals in Portugal since he started his career. He shared stages with international names like PJ Harvey, Portishead, Placebo, Tindersticks, Rufus Wainwright, Fatboy Slim, Beth Orton, N.E.R.D and many others.

His first album reached #2 on the National Sales Chart and certified Gold. The second single, “The 80’s” (one of David’s biggest hits) was chosen by Vodafone to be the song for their summer advertising campaign.

In 2004, he joined a supergroup called Humanos, adding his voice - together with Manuela Azevedo and Camané - to never before heard songs from António Variações, a loved gone composer and singer from the 80’s. This tribute album was quintuple platinum and stayed in #1 for weeks.

In 2005, he was ready to release his second solo album, “Our Heart Will Beat As One”. After a long time writing and composing dozens of songs, only the 11 best made it to the album. The first single, “Who Are U?”, is described by David as “the song I always wanted to write”. It reached #3 on the airplay charts.

“Our Hearts Will Beat As One” was critically acclaimed by all media and was considered pop album of the year in Portugal even before the year-end. The album went straight to #1 on National Sales Chart and reached Gold Status on the first week of sales.

“After some years searching for it, I think I finally found it. These things I wanted to say, the sounds I wanted to hear, they’re right here. And I feel this is just the beginning, that this record came as a new starting point for me. I should’ve been a photographer, but now I’m happy it turned out this way. It has nothing to do with destiny, though. Like I told you, I don’t believe any of that.”

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