José Albano Cid de Ferreira Tavares (born 4 February 1942) is a Portuguese singer, composer and record producer. Internationally, Cid is best known for his 1978 progressive rock album 10,000 Anos Depois Entre Vénus e Marte and for representing Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest 1980 with the song "Um grande, grande amor".

With a career spanning more than 60 years, Cid has been awarded 25 Silver, eight Gold and three Platinum records in Portugal. In 2019, Cid received a Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming the second Portuguese singer, after Carlos do Carmo, to receive the honour.

Early life Cid was born in 1942 in Chamusca, son of Francisco Albano Coutinho Ferreira and Fernanda Tavares Salter Cid Ferreira Gameiro. At age 6, he moved with his family to the municipality of Anadia. His professional career began when he started a covers band called Os Babies ("The Babies"), in 1956.

In 1960, Cid began Law School at the University of Coimbra (FDUC). During his time in Coimbra, he created the musical group Conjunto Orfeão with José Niza, Proença de Carvalho and Rui Ressurreição. Cid subsequently joined the bands Trio Los Dos and Os Claves.

In 1965, Cid dropped out of school, without having completed his first year, and left for Lisbon to attend the National Institute of Physical Education (INEF). One of his colleagues at INEF was the brother of Michel, a member of the band Conjunto Mistério. After an audition, he was invited to join the group, later renamed Quarteto 1111.

Cid did not graduate from INEF either, because he was called to serve as an officer in the Portuguese Air Force. At the air base of Ota, he was a gym teacher from 1968 to 1972. His days were spent teaching in the mornings, and rehearsing during the afternoons, playing music in a garage. On the weekends, he performed with Quarteto 1111.

Quarteto 1111

José Cid co-founded Quarteto 1111, the first band to take a new approach to pop-rock music in Portugal, with a modern line-up and instrumentation.

Quarteto 1111 was the first symphonic rock band in Portugal. Between 1968 and 1969 they received media attention from a hit single, "El Rei D. Sebastião", a song about the loss of the Portuguese king D. Sebastião, who supposedly died in the fields of Morocco during the battle of Alcazarquivir (a loss that would eventually lead to Portugal losing its independence from Spain). All the myths related with the return of King Sebastian – a quite anchored Portuguese myth – were fairly treated in this song. The harpsichord made its first appearance in Portuguese rock music. A single with the English version of the song was released in Great Britain. José Cid was the band leader, composer, keyboard and lead singer. The rest of the band had a classic formation influenced by the usual Beatles line-up, but with a sound and song structure reminiscent of The Moody Blues. The following album continued in the same vein, combining melodic songs with new "progressive" instruments, namely the Mellotron. Later on the band evolved to the late 1970s pop sound.

Progressive rock

Cid explored symphonic rock with Cantamos Pessoas Vivas (1974), Vida – Sons do Quotidiano (1976) and 10,000 Anos Depois Entre Venus E Marte (1978). Most of the songs, influenced by a sort of mix combining The Moody Blues and Pink Floyd psychedelia, were composed by Cid, some of them with the help of guitar player Mike Sergeant and drummer Ramon Galarza. Another (unfinished) project from this lineup, Vozes do Além, explored the "Life after Death / Reincarnation" theme. Featured in the record are a poem by Natália Correia ("Creio") and two from Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen ("Quando" and "Um Dia"). Presently, work on this album has resumed, with the original lineup and the addition of younger musicians.

OTI Festival In 1979, José Cid was selected by (RTP) to represent Portugal in the eighth edition of the OTI Festival, which was held in Caracas, Venezuela. He competed with the song "Na cabana junto à praia" (In a little house next to the beach), which was well received in the festival to the point that he managed to get the third place with 32 points.

In 1981, one year after his participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, he was again selected by RTP to compete in the tenth edition of the OTI Festival, which was held in Mexico City. This time he was not as successful as in his previous attempt in the Latin-American song contest and he got the tenth place scoring 14 points.

Eurovision The pop inclinations of José Cid led him to create, during the first half of the 1970s, a 4-piece vocal pop group (Green Windows) and to participate in the 1974 Festival da Canção with Imagens and No Dia Em Que O Rei Fez Anos. He also participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 1980 with the song Um grande, grande amor.

Present day

José Cid himself made a career as a songwriter and singer, and remains a popular and active musician in Portugal.

His latest album "Menino Prodígio", released in 2015, was awarded the Pedro Osório Award for the best album of the year by the Sociedade Portuguesa de Autores (SPA) (English: Portuguese Society of Authors).

In 2016, Cid released his first album in Spain. He received a Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.

Personal life José Cid married Gabriela Carrascalão in 2013. Carrascalão is an East Timorese journalist and artist/painter. Cid and Gabriela live in a farm in Mogofores, municipality of Anadia.

Cid has one daughter, Ana Sofia Infante Pedroso (born 1964) from his first marriage with Emilia Infante Pedroso. Ana Sofia worked briefly with her father, but they are currently estranged.

José Cid is a liberal monarchist and openly and vigorously defends the Portuguese monarchist cause. In 2022, he said:"I am a monarchist, but I am not a monarchist of this PPM (Monarchist People's Party), mind you. Being a progressive monarchist is simple. It is what Sá Carneiro did not have the courage to assume, although he was married to a Swede, to follow the countries of northern Europe, the least corrupt, the most cultured, the best living countries in the world – and the most boring because they must be full of snow now. We have the best people in the world, the best climate in the world, the best gastronomy in the world, the best shape in the world because we have endured amazing things, from a regicide, two dictatorships, the Salazarist and the Marcelista, and another one very close to a gentleman who won with an absolute majority and who walks around on the loose in Ericeira [reference to Socialist Party's former Prime Minister of Portugal, José Sócrates]."

Discography

With Quarteto 1111

Album ReleaseDate Format & TracksA Lenda de El-Rei D.Sebastião1967 EP (A Lenda De El-Rei D. Sebastião, Os Faunos, Fantasma «POP», Gente)Balada para D. Inês1967 EP (Balada para D. Inês, Partindo-se, Vale da Ilusão, Dragão)Meu Irmão / Ababilah1968 SingleDona Vitória1968 EP (Guarda Nocturno, Perspectiva, Tempo de Inocência, Dona Vitória)Nas Terras do Fim do Mundo / Bissaide1969 SingleGénese / Os Monstros Sagrados1969 SingleTodo o Mundo e Ninguém / É Tempo de Pensar em Termos de Futuro1970 SingleBack to the Country / Everybody Needs Love, Peace and Food1970 SingleDomingo em Bidonville1970 EP (João Nada, Estrada Para A Minha Aldeia, Domingo Em Bidonville, Epílogo)Quarteto 11111970 LP (Prólogo, João Nada, Domingo em Bidonville, Estrada Para A Minha Aldeia, A Fuga dos Grilos, As Trovas do Vento Que Passa, Pigmentaçäo, Maria Negra, Lenda de Nambuangongo, Escravatura, Epílogo)Ode to the Beatles / 11111971 SingleSabor a Povo / Uma Nova Maneira de Encarar o Mundo1972 SingleBruma Azul do Desejado (with Frei Hermano da Câmara)1973 LP (Vem Senhor Jesus, Graças Ao Senhor, O Sonho, Hino da Esperança, Bruma Azul do Desejado, Estrela do Mar, Saudai o Senhor, Hino de Natal, Paz na terra, Um Presépio Em Belém)Onde, Quando, Como, Porquê, Cantamos Pessoas Vivas1974 LP (Onde, Quando, Como, Porquê, Cantamos Pessoas Vivas (parts 1 & 2)) – progressive rockAntologia da Música Popular Portuguesa1981 Compilation (A Lenda de El-Rei D. Sebastião, Os Faunos, Balada para D. Inês, Partindo-se, Dona Vitória, Nas Terras do Fim do Mundo, Meu Irmão, Domingo Em Bidonville, João Nada, As Trovas do Vento Que Passa, Back to The Country, Ode to The Beatles, Uma Nova Maneira de Encarar o Mundo)Memo / Os Rios Nasceram Nossos1987 SingleA Lenda Do Quarteto 11111993 Compilation (Os Faunos, A Lenda de El-Rei D. Sebastião, Balada para D. Inês, Partindo-se, Dona Vitória, Meu Irmão, Dragão, Os Monstros Sagrados, Génese, Bissaide, Nas Terras do Fim do Mundo, Domingo Em Bidonville, João Nada, As Trovas do Vento Que Passa, Maria Negra, Todo O Mundo E Ninguém, É Tempo de Pensar Em Termos de Futuro, Back to The Country, Ode to The Beatles, Uma Nova Maneira de Encarar o Mundo)A Lenda De El-Rei D. Sebastião - Colecção Caravela1996 Compilation (A Lenda de El-Rei D. Sebastião, Meu Irmão, Ode to The Beatles, As Trovas do Vento Que Passa, Domingo Em Bidonville, Balada para D. Inês, Dona Vitória, João Nada, Dragão, Nas Terras do Fim do Mundo, Pigmentação, Fantasma Pop)Singles e EPs2005 Compilation (A Lenda De El-Rei D. Sebastião, Os Faunos, Gente, Balada Para D. Inês, Partindo-Se, Dona Vitória, Nas Terras Do Fim Do Mundo, Meu Irmão, Domingo Em Bidonville, João Nada, As Trovas Do Vento Que Passa, Epílogo, Back to the Country, Ode to the Beatles, Uma Nova Maneira De Encarar O Mundo)

with Green Windows Album ReleaseDate Format & TracksTwenty Years/The Story of a Man1973 SingleImagens/Doce E Fácil Reino Do Blá, Blá, Blá1974 SingleNo dia em que o rei fez anos1974 EP ( No Dia Em Que O Rei Fez Anos, Doce E Fácil Reino Do Blá, Blá, Blá, Count James, Bola De Cristal, A Rosa Que Te Dei, Imagens, Another Time To Live, Another Time To Die, Cantiga Portuguesa, Uma Nova Maneira de Encarar O Mundo, Vinte Anos)Quadras Populares/Ana Karen1975 SingleOs Grandes Êxitos dos Green Windows1977 Compilation ( 20 Anos, Rita Rita Limão, Só Eu Sei, Meu Amor, Uma Nova Maneira De Encarar O Mundo, Quem Te Manda Sapateiro, Imagens, Lembranças, No Dia Em Que O Rei Fez Anos, Historia Alegre, Bola De Cristal, O Que Custar, Doce E Fácil, Reino Do Blá, Blá, Blá)

Solo work