O Gajo

João Morais aka O Gajo started out playing in bands mostly in the Rock and Punk circuit. In the spring of 2016 João started the solo project called “O GAJO” (Trans: “The DUDE”) that was inspired in some of his World Music references.
After 30 years playing foreign guitars João needed to look for a more Portuguese sound and that’s when he started playing the Viola Campaniça, a traditional folk instrument from the Alentejo region.
The first album “Longe do Chão” was out on the stores in the 20th of May 2017 and since then he has been playing all over the world with excellent feedback from both public and press, including showcases at ESNS and Reeperbahn Festival.
2019 brought new studio recordings, “As 4 estações do GAJO” (translation: “The 4 stations of the Dude”), a collection of 4 EPs with 5 songs each. Each EP has the name of a train station in Lisbon and was released in each season of the year, winter, spring, summer and autumn. Some of these tracks were also released on the international compilation "Lisbon Express".
The album "Subterrâneos" followed in 2021, expanding the line-up from a solo setup to a trio with drums and double bass alongside the Campaniça.
2023 saw the release of “Não Lugar", featuring several special guests, and 2025 brings another new album, “Trovoada”, adding vocals to the mix.