7 Radio Stations You Cannot Miss in Lisbon

Nowadays my music sources are mostly Youtube, Spotify, iMusic, and... that's about it. There was a time when I bought and recorded CDs, and I also have some vynils, but I listen to them very rarely. Live music is the other main source of music, either in concerts or in bars and clubs. But what about radio?

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I usually listen to radio when I am in my car, and very rarely when some particular genre show is playing, but I can say that ninety percent of my Shazams come from radio listening and I have discovered some really good music from them. Radio stations are not only the source of new music to our ears, they are also constantly playing great hits that everyone loves and likes to be remembered. Radio stations also offer cultural experiences and sometimes even company.

When I was doing Erasmus in Warsaw I never thought of listening to a Polish radio station, the main reason being I did not have a car, which was the place where I would listen to radio. I did not think of it as a way of experiencing Polish culture, but if I had realized that it is a very cultural thing I would probably have tried it. The kind of music people hear varies from country to country, city to city, home to home, person to person. And that is why there is so much variety in stations. Yet, out of the many that exist, one can know which music people are hearing, because how else would these radio stations be alive?

Lately I have been listening to much more music that other people show me than doing my own research for music I like. I like this because it is pure, it is as if people are giving me a gift, the gift of sharing their musical tastes and I can say that I love this sensation. Moreover, although I have always been varied in musical genres, I like more genres of music than ever. For this reason radio seems to be another gift of source of music offered by these stations.

As so, I would be happy to share with you some Radio Stations that play really good and varied music in Lisbon, so you can know to what Portuguese people are listening to, from Electronic and House music, to Fado and Pimba traditional music. Here is a list of seven genres you can find in Lisbon's frequencies:

Electronic

If you are a true lover of electronic music you should listen to Radio Oxigénio. This radio is my main source of new electronic music. I can say that I have many times used Shazam to discover the names of songs that this radio plays, in fact maybe sixty percent come from this radio alone. The latest was Xinobi's "Searching For" and it is really good. Beside electronic music you can also find really good:

1. Jazz
2. Hip-hop
3. Funk
4. Reggae

Here you will not find comercial songs, so be prepared to only find new and innovative music. You can tune it at 102. 6 MHz.

Hip-Hop

If you like english or american hip-hop then you should check Radio Oxigénio again. But if you want to explore Portuguese hip-hop culture then you should head to Antena 3 (92. 3 MHz) and check "Rimas e Batidas", a show that airs on Wednesdays from 00h00 till 02h00, and is full of portuguese hip-hop for your ears. If you do not want to wait untill Wednesday, then you should check Hit-Radio (106. 4 MHz). This radio provides national and international hip-hop 24 hours per day, and also some RnB and electronic music.

Comercial

Everyone loves to hear some great hits now and then. These great hits unite people, even those who like rock or classical music can dance to some Justin Bieber or Lady Gaga for fun.

1. Cidade FM (91. 6 MHz) provides lots of RnB and pop for your ears
2. RFM (106. 6 MHz) is the queen of pop music in Lisbon
3. Megahits (92. 4 MHz) is like Cidade FM but with less RnB and more pop
4. Orbital (101. 9 MHz) and Rádio MEO Sudoeste (100. 8 MHz) which only play electronic and house pop music

MEO plays artists that go, or have been to, MEO SW Festival, a summer festival in Zambujeira do Mar, in the south coast of Portugal.

Traditional

Here you can find music that is really part of our culture. Amália FM (92. 00 MHz) provides Fado music, which is typical Lisbon music, twenty four hours per day. If you are trying to delve into our traditions and learn more about the Portuguese language and instruments you should try this radio station. The name of the station is in honor of our greatest Fado singer, Amália Rodrigues. Sometimes you may get some really deep and sad songs, but others are about daily life and love and are full of happiness and energy to start your day and live Lisbon!

Caption: Amália Rodrigues. Source.

But Fado is more typical of Lisbon. If you want to discover more of the rest of the country then you should try Popular FM (90. 9 MHz). Here you will find lots of Pimba music, a kind of music played with accordion that is traditional in all the country. Songs are always happy and have really funny lyrics that join daily life with obvious puns with sexual relations, love and drinking!

Caption: Traditional fest dancing Pimba. Source.

If you are learning Portuguese and aim to become a master and like football then you should try TSF radio (89. 5 MHz). This is the radio that I use to hear post match coach conferences, but it also narrates matches live with commentators. These can be really fast in talking sometimes, as the game demands them to narrate things with speed, so if you manage to understand a whole game you are a proficient portuguese speaker!

Alternative

If you are looking for the likes of Tame Impala, Toro Y Moi, or Beirut, then Vodafone FM (107. 2 MHz) is your radio. This radio is a continuous source of alternative music, and it plays lots of bands that are going, or have gone, to Festival Paredes de Coura, a summer festival in the northernmost tip of the country. Here you can also find really good upcoming portuguese bands that play alternative rock music, so it is one more way to explore the nation's contemporary culture with bands such as Capitão Fausto.

Caption: Capitão Fausto Band. Source.

Classic

When I say classic I mean those radios that play the classics. Nostalgia FM (90. 4 MHz) plays lots of classic rock such as The Doors and Dire Straits (have rocked many times to Sultans of Swing). There is also M80 Rádio (96. 6 MHz) which focuses directly in the eighties' classics. My parents love this one and there were times when I did not like it, but I ended up loving eighties hits. If you like Queen, Bruce Springsteen or Michael Jackson go to this radio.

Classical

Classical music is beautiful. It is the soundtrack to life, and that is why there is a radio that constantly plays it in Lisbon. Antena 2 (88. 0 MHz) has lots of variety and even explains where many compositions come from and who played them. However, I never pay attention to their explanations, I just like to simply hear the music and let it flow through me, therefore, I cannot promise you twenty four hours of Mozart and Strauss, but I can say that their music is being played somewhere in the sea of variety that this radio station offers.

Check out my full article on Lisbon for more experiences and places in the city!

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