Wait, what? I thought you would be talking about a woman. Who is this guy? How is he the Mariah Carey of Portugal?
Mariah Carey may have one of music’s most incredible and iconic voices, but what she is most associated with these days is one time of the year – Christmas. You can barely walk down the street around the world during Christmastime without encountering the perennial favorite “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
During the Santos Populares festivals, which take place every June in Portugal, the Portuguese would say “All I Want for Santos Populares Is Quim” – in this case, Quim Barreiros, the singer whose music you simply can’t avoid when you take part in Santos Populares throughout Portugal.
But who is Quim Barreiros? Let’s learn more about this living Portuguese legend who still performs every year in Lisbon during the Santos Populares (just like we expect Mariah Carey to do during the Christmas season for the rest of her life).
Early Life and Career
Joaquim de Magalhães Fernandes Barreiros, known professionally as Quim Barreiros, was born on June 19, 1947, in Vila Praia de Âncora, a coastal town in northern Portugal. His musical journey began early, learning to play the accordion at age 8 under Sr. Lomba. By age 9, he was already playing drums in his father’s band, Conjunto Alegria, before transitioning to the accordion.
After honing his skills in various dance bands throughout his youth, Barreiros joined the Portuguese Air Force in 1968, playing with the Air Force Band for several years before leaving military service in 1974. His professional recording career began in 1971 with his first LP “Quim Barreiros – Acordeão,” followed by “Quim Barreiros – Povo Que Canta” in 1974, which featured primarily Portuguese folk classics.
Musical Style and Rise to Fame
After his initial albums of traditional music, Barreiros began writing his own songs and developing his distinctive style—known for its spicy double entendres. He toured countries with large Portuguese immigrant communities, including the United States, Canada, France, and Germany, while continuing to release albums.
Today, Barreiros is renowned as one of Portugal’s most successful folk singers, with a career spanning over thirty years, countless hit songs, and more than twenty albums. His lyrics are characterized by metaphors and ambiguous words with sexual suggestions, making him an icon of the “pimba” genre—a style of Portuguese music that combines traditional sounds with accordion, Latin beats, and often humorous or risqué lyrics.
Some of his most famous songs include “A Cabritinha,” “Os Bichos Da Fazenda,” “A Garagem da Vizinha,” and “Bacalhau A Portuguesa,” which have become classics among his fans and staples at dances and festivities across Portugal.
Santos Populares – Portugal’s Biggest Festival Season
The Santos Populares (Popular Saints) festival is one of Portugal’s most important cultural celebrations. Taking place throughout June, these festivities honor three saints: St. Anthony (June 12-13), St. John (June 23-24), and St. Peter (June 29). The most prominent celebrations are the Festas de Lisboa on June 12-13 for St. Anthony’s day and in Porto on June 23-24 for St. John.
In Lisbon, the Santos Populares create an electric atmosphere that takes over the entire city for the first two weeks of June. The highlight is the night of June 12, when the city celebrates its patron saint, St. Anthony, with extensive festivities including the “Marchas Populares”—a huge carnival parade along the Avenida da Liberdade—followed by traditional street parties where people dance to pimba music and eat grilled sardines until sunrise.
This celebration is so significant that June 13 (St. Anthony’s Day) is a public holiday in Lisbon, giving people the chance to rest and recover from the extensive partying the night before. The festivities extend beyond just one night, with events, parties, and celebrations taking place throughout the first two weeks of June across Lisbon.
Quim Barreiros – The Voice of Santos Populares
At Santos Populares celebrations, Quim Barreiros has established himself as the undisputed King of Pimba. Despite being in his late 70s, he remains the hottest live act to catch during the June festivities and draws enormous crowds with his iconic giant mustache, accordion, cowboy hat, and playfully naughty lyrics.
For those attending the festivities, learning the choruses to some of Barreiros’ songs is considered essential preparation. His performances are a highlight of the festival, with pimba music setting the tone for the celebrations and compelling Portuguese crowds to sing and dance with incredible energy.
One of his most played songs during Santos Populares is “A Garagem da Vizinha” (The Neighbor’s Garage), which has become a festival anthem. The song, like much of Barreiros’ work, is famous for its double entendres and innuendos, although these humorous and risqué elements are part of what makes his music so popular during the festive atmosphere of Santos Populares.
His popularity during the festival season is so significant that his name frequently appears as a headliner at various arraiais (street parties) across Lisbon, like the “Santos no Tejo” festival at Doca da Marinha, where he was featured as one of the most popular names in Portuguese music.
Cultural Impact and Legacy
The connection between pimba music, particularly Quim Barreiros’ songs, and the Santos Populares festivals is fundamental to the celebration. His music, with its lively melodies, humorous lyrics, and infectious energy, plays a crucial role in these festivities. He brings people together in a shared experience of joy and celebration that reflects the playful spirit of Portuguese culture.
Barreiros is considered one of the pioneers of the pimba genre and could even be the first actual first documented case of pimba in Portuguese music. His influence on this uniquely Portuguese musical style has helped shape a significant part of the country’s cultural identity.
The Portuguese Mariah Carey? A Seasonal Phenomenon
Just as Quim Barreiros becomes the soundtrack to Portugal’s festivities in June, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is a holiday classic constantly heard around the world. What makes both artists similar is how they’ve become cultural institutions based on their seasonal popularity. Quim Barreiros can perennially bank on his status as Portugal’s most sought-after performer during the Santos Populares season, while Mariah Carey can make 2 to 3 million US dollars per year from her song without even lifting a finger. Both have created songs with cross-generational appeal that connect with multiple demographics and have become so intertwined with their respective celebrations that the holidays would feel incomplete without them. Like Carey, who is officially dubbed the “Queen of Christmas,” Barreiros’ coronation as the “King of Pimba” has made him an essential cultural figure whose music transcends mere entertainment to become a defining element of a national tradition. We wonder what might happen if the two of them ever met in Portugal.
