Canto livre is a kind of protest music infused with traditional folk and Western music, predominantly supportive of ideas from left-wing political parties, especially the Communist Party, arising after the 1974 Carnation Revolution in Portugal. Notable artists and lyricists from the genre included José Barata-Moura, Manuel Alegre, Ary dos Santos, and Zeca Afonso.[1] [2] [3]
Canto livre was originally nova canção, but after the collapse of the Portuguese dictatorship, artists such as Sérgio Godinho and Luís Cília had a need to explore democracy and its possibilities, and so it evolved into canto livre. Different artists drew upon various influences; Vitorino drew on surrealist ideas, while his brother Janita Salomé drew on Arabic influences, both known as solo artists and for their work with Zeca Afonso in Lua Extravagante.[4]