The Lusitanian Ghosts collective brings ancient Portuguese chordophones into modern music, brewing traditional sounds with contemporary pop-rock influences. Founded by Portuguese-Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Leyton and Swedish musician Mikael Lundin (Micke Ghost), the group integrates guitar instruments like the violas amarantina, braguesa, campaniça, terceira, and others, which are nearly forgotten in modern Portuguese culture. The collective also includes João Sousa on drums, Janne Olson on bass, and chordophone players ToZé Bexiga and Abel Beja.
With a focus on humanist and sociopolitical themes, Lusitanian Ghosts use these historic instruments to craft songs that resonate on both an emotional and intellectual level. Their sound is a unique fusion of indie songwriting and traditional Portuguese music.
The collective’s debut project included a documentary that explores the historical significance of these chordophones, revealing how they nearly became extinct. The instruments themselves serve as the true “Lusitanian Ghosts,” representing a lost cultural heritage.
Their second album, Exotic Quixotic, was recorded on analog tape at Clouds Hill Studios in Hamburg and released digitally in late 2021. The album was produced with contributions from a diverse group of musicians, including Vasco Ribeiro Casais (OMIRI) and Primitive Reason’s Abel Beja, expanding the sound palette with instruments like the nyckelharpa and the viola toeira.
The third album, released in September 2023, was recorded on 2” 24-track tape at Clouds Hill Studio by engineer Sebastian Muxfeldt. The final mixes, completed in both stereo and mono formats, were mastered at Soundgarden Tonstudio by Chris von Rautenkranz, ensuring the recordings retained their raw, analog essence.
The Lusitanian Ghosts III, chordophone collective was made up of:Neil Leyton on vocals; Mikael Lundin (aka Micke Ghost) on vocals and viola amarantina; João Sousa on drums and adufe; Abel Beja on viola terceira and backing vocals;António “ToZé” Bexiga on viola campaniça; and Janne Olsson on bass and viola beirão.
Discography:
Lusitanian Ghosts (Lusitanian Music, 2019)
Exotic Quixotic (Lusitanian Music, 2021)
Lusitanian Ghosts III (Lusitanian Music, 2023)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.