Afonso Rodrigues, known for projects such as Sean Riley & The Slowriders and Keep Razors Sharp, is now preparing to make his solo debut with his first songs written in Portuguese.
Afonso’s solo project represents a continuation and evolution of his artistic journey. Until now, he has always performed and composed as part of groups that wrote and sang in English. This new chapter began to take shape after a trip to Africa in 2022, where the foundation was laid with some texts and songs conceived during the pandemic.
These writings and poems gradually transformed into songs, this time in Portuguese, blending a classic singer-songwriter style with a contemporary and fresh sound.
The first single from Afonso Rodrigues’ solo project, “Já Nem Sei”, will be released at the end of this month on 29th November. It marks the first glimpse of his debut album, set to arrive in 2025.
Stay tuned for more frequent updates, which will be shared on the artist’s social media channels here.
ABOUT AFONSO RODRIGUES
Afonso Rodrigues, renowned for his role in Sean Riley & The Slowriders and Keep Razors Sharp, has always been immersed in music.
His love for music began with his father, who introduced him to records of Fado, MPB, and Jazz. Later, he joined school bands, worked as a radio host at Radio Universidade de Coimbra, became a DJ, an event promoter, and an A&R at a multinational record label.
When Afonso started writing songs “more seriously” during university, he chose English as his primary language—partly out of shyness and largely due to the influence of the writers he admired most at the time. He never managed to explain it better.
Portuguese, however, always held a special place in his heart. The guitar and voice on Zeca Afonso’s records, which he listened to with his father, called to him. But he didn’t know how to pursue it—time and a sense of purpose seemed to elude him.
He never felt particularly tied to being Portuguese or belonging to any one place. English served his desire to communicate with the world. Yet, over time, as his children were born in Lisbon and his roots grew deeper in this land, the language finally emerged. Today, he feels it as his truth.
