His father, Aureliano Veloso (25 February 1924 - 12 June 2019), was the first democratically elected mayor of Porto after the Carnation Revolution, in 1977.

[8] He began developing a passion for blues music from an early age, having Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, B.B.

In his youth, Veloso was part of the Magara Blues Band, singing songs in English and performing in bars and friends' houses.

The following year, he was joined by the backup band A Banda Sonora, with Zé Nabo on bass and Ramon Galarza on drums, for the recording of his first album.

According to Francisco Vasconcelos, executive manager at Valentim de Carvalho in the 1980s, "with Rui Veloso the politics went out and the social side entered the Portuguese pop music.

[4] Veloso's fifth studio album was Mingos & Os Samurais, released in 1990, a concept double-album about the life of a suburban band during the 1960s and 70s.

The songs "Não Há Estrelas no Céu" and "A Paixão (Segundo Nicolau da Viola)" become hugely successful.

[11] In 1992, Veloso recorded with Nuno Bettencourt from Extreme, in the United States, the single "Maubere", in solidarity with the East Timor people during the Indonesian occupation.

In 1996, he joined the musical project Rio Grande, a band that included other famous Portuguese musicians: Tim (Xutos & Pontapés), João Gil (Ala dos Namorados), Jorge Palma and Vitorino.

His latest studio album, Rui Veloso e Amigos, was released in 2012, and features collaboration with numerous Portuguese artists, such as Camané, Carlos do Carmo, Jorge Palma, and Expensive Soul.