Afonso Pais nasceu em Lisboa em 1979.
Em Setembro de 1995 ingressa na Escola de Jazz do Hot Clube de Portugal, para o estudo da guitarra como instrumento principal. Teve por professores de guitarra Vasco Agostinho, António Pinto, Mário Delgado e Nuno Ferreira.
Em 1996 começa a tocar com a “Big Villas Band” /Big Band de alunos e de sócios do Hot Clube), na qual permanece durante dois anos, actuando um pouco por todo o país. Também nessa altura começa a fazer concertos, especialmente como ‘sideman’.
Foi premiado com a mais elevada bolsa de estudos atribuída no universo de cerca de 150 participantes pela Berklee College of Music. Ainda em Perugia fez dois concertos num clube de Jazz com músicos locais.
A partir de 1997 começou a fazer concertos regularmente, tanto como lider, como ‘sideman’, tendo a oportunidade de tocar com grandes figuras do jazz português como João Moreira, Bernardo Moreira, Aldo Caviglia, Nelson Cascais, Rodrigo Gonçalves, Pedro Gonçalves, Nuno Ferreira, Carlos Barretto, Carlo Morena, André Sousa Machado, Gualdino Barros, assim como músicos internacionais como Bart Deefort, Dave Burnette, Esteban Pi Alexis Cuadrado ou o pianista Albert Sanz.
No Outono de 1998 vai estudar na prestigiada New School for Social Research, em New York e ingressa no programa de Jazz and Contemporary Music, graduando-se no curso ‘Performance’, em Dezembro de 2000. Aí tem oportunidade de estudar com figuras conceituadas do jazz, como Vic Juris e Peter Bernstein (professores regulares de guitarra), Kurt Rosenwinkel, Charles Tolliver, Buster Williams, Joe Chambers, Joanne Brackeen, Andrew Cyrille, entre outros. Paralelamente, toca com Peter Bernstein, Peter Zak ou Ben Waltzer, em bares e clubes de New York.
Lecciona actualmente na Escola de Jazz do Hot Club de Portugal e no Conservatório de Música da Madeira, mantendo a sua actividade de ‘freelancer’ no circuito profissional do jazz português.
Afonso Pais was born in Lisbon in 1979. In September 1995 he joined the Hot Clube de Jazz School of Portugal to study the guitar as the main instrument. He had for guitar teachers Vasco Agostinho, António Pinto, Mário Delgado and Nuno Ferreira.
In 1996 he began playing with the "Big Villas Band" / Big Band of students and members of the Hot Club), where he remained for two years, acting a bit throughout the country. Also at that time he started to make concerts, especially as a sideman.
It was awarded the highest scholarship awarded in the universe of about 150 participants by the Berklee College of Music. Still in Perugia he made two concerts in a Jazz club with local musicians.
From 1997 he began to make regular concerts, both as a leader and as a sideman, having the opportunity to play with great figures of Portuguese jazz such as João Moreira, Bernardo Moreira, Aldo Caviglia, Nelson Cascais, Rodrigo Gonçalves, Pedro Gonçalves, Nuno Ferreira, Carlos Barretto, Carlo Morena, André Sousa Machado, Gualdino Barros, as well as international musicians like Bart Deefort, Dave Burnette, Esteban Pi Alexis Cuadrado or the pianist Albert Sanz.
In the fall of 1998 he studied at the prestigious New School for Social Research in New York and joined the Jazz and Contemporary Music program, graduating from the Performance course in December 2000. There he has the opportunity to study with Jazz, such as Vic Juris and Peter Bernstein (regular guitar teachers), Kurt Rosenwinkel, Charles Tolliver, Buster Williams, Joe Chambers, Joanne Brackeen, Andrew Cyrille, among others. In addition, he plays with Peter Bernstein, Peter Zak or Ben Waltzer, in bars and clubs in New York.
He currently teaches at the Jazz Club of the Hot Club of Portugal and at the Madeira Conservatory of Music, maintaining his freelance activity in the professional circuit of Portuguese jazz