José Manuel Neto

José Manuel Neto is a Portuguese guitarist and composer, born in Lisbon in 1972. He plays the Portuguese guitar and is known chiefly for his work in fado, both as a solo performer and as an accompanist to singers. A self-taught musician, he began his professional career in Lisbon’s fado houses during the 1990s.

Neto has performed and recorded with many leading fado artists, including Carlos do Carmo, Camané, Ana Moura and António Zambujo. In 2016, he released the solo album Tons de Lisboa, the first release on Museu do Fado Discos. He received the Francisco Carvalhinho Prize for best instrumentalist in 2004 and the Amália Rodrigues Foundation’s Best Instrumentalist award in 2008. His more recent album Madrepérolas brings together original material and works by musicians from different generations, focusing on the Portuguese guitar between traditional fado and newer contemporary musical languages.