José Afonso – Ao vivo no Coliseu album art

José Afonso, often affectionately called Zeca Afonso, was a pivotal figure in Portuguese music and politics. A singer-songwriter and poet, blending traditional Portuguese folk with innovative and socially engaged compositions. His music was deeply intertwined with political resistance, particularly against the Estado Novo dictatorship (1933–1974). Songs like “Grândola, Vila Morena” became symbols of freedom, with this very song serving as the secret signal for the Carnation Revolution on 25 April 1974, which led to the fall of the regime. Beyond his activism, his work explored themes of justice, solidarity, and the struggles of the working class, making him a timeless reference in both Portuguese cultural heritage and political history.

On the night of January 29, 1983, José Afonso played at Coliseu dos Recreios in Lisbon, in one of his last performances before leaving us, with his final one at the Coliseu do Porto on May 25 of the same year. His legacy has endured since his departure on February 23, 1987. This emblematic concert was immortalized through recording on vinyl/CD and filming by RTP (Portuguese Radio Television).

We were honored with the invitation to redesign the new edition of this legendary record, in an authentic and complete version, now on triple vinyl, meticulously remastered from a careful restoration of multiple audio sources from the concert. This edition remains unedited, preserving the full concert exactly as it was performed.

One of the key aspects of this reissue, compared to the original release from 1983, was acknowledging that during the concert, a large number of musicians and friends of José Afonso took to the stage. With this edition, the family wanted to reflect that and give a sense of the different musical line-ups that performed that night.

Previously unseen colour images from Luís Filipe Rocha’s footage helped bring this vision to life, selected at the Anim/Cinemateca, now featured in this edition. Another key element was the original concert manual containing the concert setlist and the respective musician line-ups. This A4 manual also included heartfelt messages of encouragement written for José Afonso, as he was already in an advanced stage of illness and exhaustion at the time. These are now featured in the vinyl inlays and back cover.

We wanted a refined yet sober typeface, one that wouldn’t overshadow the documentary images while remaining versatile.

José Afonso became the voice of a revolution, with his music forever linked to the Carnation Revolution. We chose to highlight a powerful symbolic moment—a carnation held by Zeca during the concert—placing his name above it as a defining element and drawing over the carnation in red.

The digipack version features a spot varnish on the cover.

[More info on Discogs]