Jorge Palma

Jorge Manuel d’Abreu Palma, known as Jorge Palma (born on June 4, 1950 in Lisbon, Portugal), is a Portuguese rock'n'roll singer and songwriter.

Early Life and Career

Palma learned to play piano at the same time he learned to read, with only six and with only eight years he performed his first piano audition in the Portuguese National Conservatory.

In 1963, aging 13, Palma finished second in a musical contest in Majorca, Spain. At the same time he continued his studies, first in the Camões highschool and next in a school in Abrantes.

1964 marked a turning point in Palma's musical style, after leaving his classical influences he started to play rock'n'roll and taught himself to play guitar.

In 1969 he joined the hard rock band Sindikato and at the same time he continued his studies in the University of Lisbon. The presence in the band gave him the opportunity to play in the very 1st edition of the Vilar de Mouros Festival, in 1971. In that same year, aided by some friends, like Rão Kyao, João Maló, Rui Cardoso and Vítor Mamede he started to write lyrics and composing songs, in the end he recorded, with Sindikato, an album with a single and some covers.

The solo Career

Jorge Palma's solo career started with the release of the single "The Nine Billion Names of God" in English language, after that he spends some time improving his writing skills in Portuguese language with the famous poet José Carlos Ary dos Santos.

His first LP, named "Com Uma Viagem na Palma da Mão" was released in 1975.

In 1977 he released his second album, "Té Já", album that made him play abroad, in Spain and Brazil.

Palma spent the next years, 1978 and 1979 in France , mainly in Paris, where he perfomed in several bars, but also playing with huge names of the musical panorama, such as Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon and others. In 1979, Palma released his 3rd album, "Qualquer Coisa Pá Música".

In the early 1980s, he traveled to Paris, and only returned in 1982 in order to finish the record of his 4th album, "Acto Contínuo", album that was first meant to be a live album, but due to some difficulties, was recorded in studio.

In 1983 Palma recorded his 5th album, "Asas e Penas".