Bandidos do Cante (PT)

About

Also known as: Amigos do Alentejo

Bandidos do Cante take the ancient vocal tradition of Cante Alentejano and wrap it in contemporary pop production, a combination that landed them squarely at the centre of Portuguese music almost immediately. The five members, all from the Beja region, first appeared on the radar in late 2022 when they sang on the single 'Casa' by D.A.M.A. in collaboration with Buba Espinho, a song that racked up millions of streams and rarely left national radio rotation. They were still going by Amigos do Alentejo back then; the Bandidos do Cante name came later, casually dropped by a D.A.M.A. member at a Coliseu dos Recreios show. Their debut single 'Amigos Coloridos' became the most listened to Portuguese song on national radio at the time of release, and they played over 50 concerts across Portugal in 2024 alone. January 2026 brought their first album, Bairro das Flores, eight original tracks on Virgin/Universal that explore where tradition meets the present, with António Zambujo guesting on 'Primavera'. That same year they won the Festival da Canção with 'Rosa' and headed to the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, representing Portugal in the first semi final.