The Heart & Hustle of Portugal
Episodes
Capitão Fausto: When the president shows up in the front row
27 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, Capitão Fausto revisits its beginnings: long nights spent in an old Citroën, listening to records by the river and t...
Two siblings, one sound, no safety net: The Manic Boys and Girls Club
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Manic Boys and Girls Club revisit the roots of their sound: a childhood in a deeply Portuguese household, early gigs that happened by accident and...
Xutos and Pontapés: The punk sound of a free Portugal
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Tim, a founding voice of Xutos & Pontapés, revisits the origins of a band that helped shape modern Portuguese music. In a conversation mark...
Kura: Taking Portuguese sound to the world’s biggest EDM stages
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast “The Heart and Hustle of Portugal,” Kura revisits a journey built on persistence, unseen work, and a deep c...
IPMA: How Portuguese music built its own global stage
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The episode of “The Heart of Hustle of Portugal” explores the origins and evolution of the International Portuguese Music Awards (IPMA), f...
D.A.M.A.: “We’re not a genre, we never were. We are a style of music”
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
There is no doubt that D.A.M.A. are one of the most successful bands in contemporary Portuguese music. For over 13 years, they have performed more tha...
Carolina Deslandes: “I don’t write songs for my haters”
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Singer-songwriter Carolina Deslandes’ conversation with Tony Gonçalves that kicks off season 4 of “The Heart and Hustle of Portugal...
Rerelease: Mariana Van Zeller goes in depth on bacalhau
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Journalist Mariana Van Zeller returns to The Heart and Hustle of Portugal and expands her love for Portugal’s mascot: Bacalhau. Listen again to ...
Rerelease: Chazz Palminteri’s love for Portuguese sardines is unmatched
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Listen again to this episode of The Heart and Hustle of Portugal with the actor Chazz Palminteri.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Rerelease: MARO’s music is global, but her taste is still Portuguese
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Revisit the first episode of season 3 of The Heart and Hustle of Portugal with the singer-songwriter MARO.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...
Rerelease: André de Freitas’ unfiltered guide to eating (and avoiding) in Portugal
02 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Revisit this episode from season 3 of The Heart and Hustle of Portugal with comedian André de Freitas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...
Afonso Pimentel: how a Portuguese actor closed a 30-year circle in the Atlantic
26 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Actor Afonso Pimentel, one of the most recognizable faces from Netflix’s “Turn of the Tide”, carries with him a story that reveals h...
Piper Perabo on acting, activism, and a little bit of Portugal
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Actor Piper Perabo’s path to the screen began with a landline phone call: producer Jane Rosenthal contacted the young performer at home with the...
Paula Lobo Antunes: The New York–born actress who became a Portuguese icon
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Paula Lobo Antunes’s recent role in the film “A Teacher’s Gift” is as memorable as the path that brought her here. Whether pla...
Portuguese holidays, family, and food with David Rodrigues
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
David Rodrigues is the man behind @howtocookstuff, a very entertaining collection of videos and reels about authentic Portuguese food (and slang). Bor...
Ticha Penicheiro: Lady Magic and the craft of a legendary point guard
27 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ticha Penicheiro changed the game. A true pioneer in women’s basketball, she played in the WNBA from 1998 to 2012, became a four-time All-Star, ...
Griffin Dunne on finding your voice and rediscovering yourself at any age
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Griffin Dunne has an acclaimed career with classics like “An American Werewolf in London” or “After Hours”, but the New York a...
Special episode live at Tribeca Lisboa with Joana Vasconcelos: Portugal’s national treasure
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Joana Vasconcelos is Portugal’s most celebrated (and bigger artist), her works have been shown at Versailles, Guggenheim, Hong Kong or featured ...
André de Freitas: A comedian’s journey from surfing to stand-up
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tony Gonçalves thought he was going to interview a funny guy. Instead, the mic was turned on him when Andre de Freitas flipped the script and a...
Chazz Palminteri's “A Bronx Tale”: the one-man show’s new chapter in Lisbon
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chazz Palminteri is a tour de force — an actor, writer, and producer best known for “A Bronx Tale”, the powerful one-man show where ...
Patrícia Vasconcelos: She cast “Love Actually” and built a bridge for Portugal’s talent
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Patrícia Vasconcelos is a renowned casting director and founder of Passaporte, a platform to help promote Portuguese actors abroad. She shares ...
From island dreams to Netflix stardom: The rise of Augusto Fraga and “Turn of the Tide”
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Augusto Fraga was born in the Azores but he always dreamed far beyond his island. His smash hit series “Turn of the Tide” turned him (and ...
Rui Pedro Tendinha: How a Portuguese critic hustled his way into Hollywood’s inner circle
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rui Pedro Tendinha has interviewed everyone: Oprah, Tarantino, Jack Nicholson are just a few. And he will not stop. A self-confessed cinema addict, Ru...
Borderless, Restless, Relentless: Ricardo Pereira’s Journey from Lisbon to Rio and Back Again
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ricardo Pereira’s acting career has crossed borders. Literally. It’s extremely unusual for a Portuguese actor to work consistently in Braz...
From MoMA to MAAT: architect turned curator Pedro Gadanho’s intersection of design and sustainability
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pedro Gadanho is an architect and curator, responsible for Lisbon’s MAAT Museum and a former curator of MoMA. A creative, Gadanho expresses his ...
Mariana Van Zeller is back. Meet the fearless woman that faces criminal overlords and brings home Emmys
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This year’s Upwardly Global honoree Mariana Van Zeller is back and she brings another four Emmys back home. The fearless journalist that stars a...
Ricardo Araújo Pereira doesn’t care what you think (but he loves making you laugh)
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ricardo Araújo Pereira is one of the sharpest and most distinctive voices in Portugal. He’s also very funny. His Sunday prime time show a...
The feeling comes first: How MARO found her sound
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The incredible journey of singer-songwriter MARO is nothing short of amazing: from her humble roots in Lisboa to living in LA and being praised by Bil...
Sebastiao Bugalho on democracy, journalism and not looking like a fool
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sebastião Bugalho’s meteoric rise from journalism to politics is astonishing, specially considering he wasn’t even 30 years old whe...
Rerelease: Lindy Reid brought a New York staple food to Lisbon (and it turned out to be an amazing idea)
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lindy Reid founded Rhodo Bagels, a bagel shop in the heart of Lisbon’s downtown that features amazing bagels, cookies and coffee. Listen to this...
Rerelease: Tim Vieira on giving back to the community by running for President
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tim Vieira believes that everyone wants to be Portuguese. See why in this conversation between Tim and Tony Gonçalves, originally published in ...
Rerelease: From small town to unicorn: Virgilio Bento and Sword Health’s success
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
V, as he likes to be called, is the CEO of Sword Health, a unicorn company from Portugal. Listen to this conversation originally published in April.Se...
Rerelease: Building community through business: Insights from John Calvao
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
John Calvao is a partner at Arrow Global and discusses his unique background in this insightful conversation on the challenges of building and investi...
Special episode with Ana Rita Guerra: An inside out look at Los Angeles through the eyes of a Portuguese immigrant
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Portuguese journalist Ana Rita Guerra covers a range of topics from tech to AI to entertainment and US Politics for Lusa, Expresso, Diário de N...
Rerelease: Chef Lauren Covas: eat local, try everything: the joy of comfort food
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chef Lauren Covas just released her Cookbook “Little Portugal”. Listen to her conversation with Tony Gonçalves, originally publishe...
Comedian Mike Rita: Turns out, being Portuguese was the whole joke
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian Mike Rita isn’t just a stand-up. He’s a naturally funny guy who also happens to be Portuguese. Born in Canada to immigrant parent...
Twelve strings and a thousand stories: Marta Pereira da Costa
04 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Marta Pereira da Costa’s story speaks to instinct, dedication, and cultural pride. She began on the piano but what spoke to her was the unique 1...
From José dos iPhones to Business Maverick
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
José Costa Rodrigues started selling iPhones to his friends in his teens, now he’s making it big in the United States. The true definitio...
Tim Vieira still believes in utopias, that’s why he’s running for President
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tim Vieira was born in South Africa but his Portuguese heritage shines bright. A businessman, entrepreneur and investor, Tim is running for President ...
Bringing bagels to Portugal: Lindy Reid’s journey gave us Rhodo Bagels
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What do you do when you miss a childhood staple food from your home country? Well, you make a business out of it, of course. Lindy Reid was baking bag...
John Calvão on investing in Portugal with purpose (and controlling the destiny)
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
John Calvão is a Partner and Fund Principal at Arrow, one of Europe’s leading credit and real estate investment platforms. In this episod...
Special Episode: Julia Machado won The Voice Kids but it’s her offstage voice that stays with you
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Julia Machado may only be 14, but Tony’s conversation with her showed that she is wise beyond her years. Winner of The Voice Kids Portugal, Juli...
She fell in love with the Azores and Tribeca gave her a million dollars to tell the story
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lilian Mehrel went to the Azores with her mother for a vacation and left there with a script. She teamed up with Portuguese producer Andreia Nunes and...
Special Episode: Snap elections, Chega’s ascent and Portugal’s political Future: Ricardo Costa on the rise of Chega and the new political era in Portugal
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The far-right has become Portugal’s leading opposition force. Tony Gonçalves sat down with Ricardo Costa, Chief Content Officer at Grupo ...
Joel Sousa: Electrifiying Famel all the way to Times Square
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Joel Sousa is leading the revival of Famel, the iconic motorcycle brand that was a staple of Portugal’s working class from the 60s through the 8...
From Murtosa to the mainstream: chef Lauren Covas on food, family, and the flavor of Portugal
16 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lauren Covas is a proud Portuguese-American chef, two-time Food Network champ and now the author of “Little Portugal”, her cookbook that c...
Gifford Miller, the American owner of Atlético Clube de Portugal that fell in love with Portuguese football
09 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gifford Miller planned a stop over in Lisbon on his way to Seville, but 36 hours later, he was house hunting and never made it to Seville. Today, he&r...
Catarina Portas, from A Vida Portuguesa: identity, soul and craftsmanship
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Catarina Portas, the founder of A Vida Portuguesa, a store that celebrates and revives iconic Portuguese brands and products, shares her journey from ...
Virgílio Bento: “The success of a company is what I can create and how happy, energised and at peace I am. That’s Portugal to me”
25 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Virgilio Bento, CEO of Sword Health and leader of one of Portugal’s notable unicorn companies joins host Tony Gonçalves for this episode ...
Neemias Queta: a giant among us: the rise of the first Portuguese NBA player is a story of resilience and routine
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Neemias Queta is an icon: the first Portuguese NBA player. The 25 year old basketballer, currently playing for the Boston Celtics, shares his journey ...
Tony Gonçalves: Work Hard, be curious, be kind
11 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Before we kick off the second season of “The Heart and Hustle of Portugal,” our host, Tony Gonçalves, steps into the guest’s ...
Rerelease: George Mendes’s journey and the Portuguese Michelin starred restaurants that are competing globally at a higher level
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
George Mendes, the chef from Amar in Boston, shares his personal journey from his culinary school nickname 'George Burns' to earning a Michelin Star i...
Rerelease: Rodrigues’ Sisters (not Roberts), reclaiming a name and their grandparents legacy
21 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Filmmaking duo Marlee and Karlee Rodrigues share their experiences reclaiming their grandparents heritage using documentary as a means to perpetuate t...
Rerelease: Joaquim de Almeida’s role as the quintessential bad guy and his Portuguese heritage
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rerelease of the second episode of the podcast The Heart and Hustle of Portugal where host Tony Gonçalves meets up with Joaquim de Almeida, the...
Nuno Morais Sarmento: “If you don’t have the emotional availability of giving yourself to others, you’ll be dead politically“
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nuno Morais Sarmento, an important political figure in Portugal, cancer survivor, former boxer and currently head of FLAD, Foundation for Luso America...
Diogo Mónica built the first federally chartered crypto bank and invested in 150+ startups. His secret? Smart risks and a clear purpose
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Diogo Mónica joins Tony Gonçalves for an in depth conversation about crypto, tech startups and investment. Co-Founder of Anchorage Digit...
The Portuguese Kids, ambassadors of culture through comedy: “My mom still thinks, 20 years later, that we don’t have a job”
21 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Portuguese Kids are a comedy duo based in Fall River that create amazing sketches about the Portuguese community and mannerisms, bridging the gap ...
The life-changing calls that made Jon Kilik a indie film icon
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From global successes like Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing” to Alejandro González Iñárritu’s “Babel...
Carlos Moedas: “I'm always a little bit underestimated in the political scene but I like it. I prefer to be underestimated, that's a huge power”
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Carlos Moedas has held the mayor office since 2021 when he won over projected winner Fernando Medina. Being the mayor of Portugal’s capital is n...
Daniela Ruah on making it in Hollywood: “The harder I work, the luckier I get”
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast The Heart and Hustle of Portugal, Tony Gonçalves interviews actress and director Daniela Ruah, exploring her jou...
From “George Burns“ to a Michelin star: chef George Mendes’ pursuit of perfection and his Portuguese culinary mission
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
George Mendes is known in the culinary world as the executive chef of Aldea, the New York restaurant that gave him his Michelin star. Now based in Bos...
“Sorrows don't pay debts. So what's the point in being sad?” Reclaiming the portuguese heritage with filmmakers Karlee and Marlee Rodrigues
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Portuguese filmmaking duo Karlee and Marlee Rodrigues, known as the Rodrigues Sisters, based in the United States, speak with Tony Gonçalves ab...
Narcos star Pepe Rapazote and his philosophy of “swallowing life in big chunks”
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of "The Heart and Hustle of Portugal," host Tony Goncalves converses with Pepe Rapazote, a Portuguese-born actor known for roles in "N...
Black markets, the depths of the criminal world, 5 Emmys and a coup in Niger: Mariana van Zeller’s unique journalistic voice
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Award-winning journalist Mariana van Zeller shares her journey from Portugal to becoming a prominent figure in investigative journalism. She discusses...
Censorship and courage: Dennis Redmont talks about journalism under the Portuguese dictatorship
27 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of “The Heart & Hustle of Portugal”, host Tony Gonçalves interviews veteran journalist Dennis Redmont, who shar...
Randi Levine: “Portugal taught me something: it’s in the nooks and crannies, in the hidden villages and untold stories where the true soul of a nation resides”
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
US Ambassador to Portugal, Randi Charno Levine tells us that it was here where she learned that the true soul of a country resides in its nooks and cr...
“Bad Guys Have a Heart”: Joaquim de Almeida, Portugal’s Cinematic Legend
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the second episode of The Heart & Hustle of Portugal, Joaquim de Almeida shares his remarkable journey from Lisbon to Hollywood. He reflec...
“The stories that connect us all”: Joana Vicente, former CEO of two of the world’s most prestigious film festivals, Sundance and Toronto
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the inaugural episode of ‘The Heart & Hustle of Portugal’, host Tony Goncalves sits down with Joana Vicente, a notable figure in the indepe...
Welcome to The Heart & Hustle of Portugal
29 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Each week, join Tony Gonçalves—a U.S.-based Portuguese immigrant and successful media executive—as he explores the stories of those driving Portu...