Tiago Bettencourt

Tiago Bettencourt was born in Coimbra and later moved to Lisbon. His father was born in São Jorge Island, Azores; his mother is from Coimbra[1] Together with his brother, João, he attended the Colégio D. Luísa Sigea in Estoril.[2] His mother was a teacher of Portuguese at the Salesian School in Estoril.[2]

Bettencourt was the lead singer of the band Toranja. In 2003, they released their debut album Esquissos, which sold over 60,000 copies. However, the band announced an indefinite hiatus in 2006.

After Toranja, Bettencourt left Portugal for Canada to record his first solo album in the Hotel2Tango studios in Montreal, the same studio that produced the successful album Funeral by Arcade Fire. The producer was Howard Bilerman. Here, he already worked together with his backing band, Mantha, composed of[2] Pedro Gonçalves and João Lencastre. The result of the recording sessions was released as O Jardim ('The Garden' in Portuguese) in 2007. The song Canção Simples (Simple Song) was a major hit.[2] Their second album, Em Fuga, was released in 2010, and followed by Tiago Na Toca & Os Poetas in 2011 and Acústico in 2012. The latter album contained 'unplugged' versions of earlier songs, performed together with guests including Concerto Moderno, Lura, and Jorge Palma.

In 2014, Do Principio, his latest album to date, was released, consisting of 12 songs including "Aquilo Que Eu Não Fiz", a song with a strong political message although Tiago said in an interview that it was based only on a childhood experience.

Bettencourt had a stint on the Portuguese television station TVI Canta Por Mim[3] (Sing For Me) as a celebrity where he sang alongside Dalila Carmo. Both were together until the final, where he qualified in second position.

• O Jardim (2007)
• Em Fuga (2010)
• Tiago Na Toca & Os Poetas (2011)
• Acústico (2012)
• Do Princípio (2014)
• A Procura (2017)[4]