Rodrigo Costa Leão Muñoz Miguez is a Portuguese singer-songwriter born on October 15, 1964, in Lisbon. One of the most revered figures in modern Portuguese music, he has collaborated extensively with artists of all genres, including Beth Gibbons, Neil Hannon, Stuart Staples, Joan As Police Woman, Scott Matthew, Rosa Passos, and Thiago Petit. He began his career as a founding member of Sétima Legião in 1982, a seminal band in the Portuguese rock scene of the 1980s. His journey continued in 1985 when he co-founded the acoustic project Madredeus with Pedro Ayres Magalhães and Gabriel Gomes. In 1993, Rodrigo Leão released his first solo album, Ave Mundi Luminar, a mostly instrumental effort that incorporated elements from neo-classicism and minimalism. A year later, with Sétima Legião on hiatus, he left Madredeus to focus on his solo career. He also started a project named Os Poetas, setting music to the poems of some of Portugal's renowned bards. At the turn of the century, he released the album Alma Mater, a blend of pop music and classical music that featured cameos by Adriana Calcanhoto and Lula Pena on tracks like "Pasión." Apart from his studio albums, Rodrigo Leão has scored several pieces for film and television. His music was featured in Lee Daniels' Oscar-nominated film The Butler, earning him an ASCAP award, and in the TV documentary series Portugal – A Social Portrait by António Barreto. Moreover, his talent extends to composing soundtracks for mobile education apps like Art Legacy and the history app Back in Time.
