Victor Gomes
Known for his Tarzan-like moves and his taste for black leather, Victor
Gomes was considered Portugal's "supreme rocker". Part of the triad of
the fathers of Portuguese rock'n'roll along with Zeca do Rock and Joaquim
Costa, Victor Gomes started his singing career at the tender age of seven in
a choir, after being abandoned by his parents in Mozambique. Working on
boats he travelled across the world, he fell in love with American tobacco and
the wild sounds coming out of jukeboxes at the parlours.
Back in
Lourenço Marques, he formed his band with other greasy rockers. He easily won
the local musical contests and at the age of 17 (in 1957) become a teen idol
and a teenage father...After a short career as a hunter to feed his family he
soon got fed up of that life and returned to the stages. Invited by a
Portuguese actor to head to Lisbon, he managed to make a stop in Angola where he became the "King of Rock" between 1961 and 1963.
When he finally arrived in Lisbon with just a piece of paper with name of the place where he should try his luck, he soon found a back up band, Os Gatos Negros" (the black
cats). Sneaking, full of "aguardente" (very strong Portuguese booze), into a benefit concert where faces from the Portuguese movie and musical scene were performing, they managed - in 20 minutes only! - to become a local legend. They were then known as the wildest event around, with Victor Gomes breaking the mic stands but still they managed to get contracts as house-bands, some airplay (as the legendary Ritmo performance) and even parts on some films! Although he never recorded an actual album with Os Gatos Negros (because he refused not only to sing in Portuguese but also to do cover songs) he did record a 7" with Os Siderais that was a hit and gave him the heartbreaker status with the song "Juntos outra vez " ("Together again"). He then went back to Africa to sing to the soldiers and especially to the female section of the Army and, among other adventures, ended up in jail.
After some years and back in Portugal he pursued a career doing sculpture work for hotels and bars across the Algarve. Due to health problems related to his trade, he returned to the stages where he still occasionally performs.
