Quinta do Bill formed in September 1987 at a farm near Tomar, Portugal, owned by a man named Guilherme, whose nickname, Bill, gave the group its name. Founding members Carlos Moises, Paulo Bizarro, and Rui Dias built the band's sound around folk rock, later widening it with hints of Celtic, North African, and Andean music alongside the fado and popular styles already running through Portuguese radio.
A run of contest wins carried the band from local stages to a record deal: a spot in the 1988 Rock Rendez-Vous final and the top prize at RTP's Aqui D'el Rock in 1990 led to their debut album, Sem Rumo, in 1992. Os Filhos da Nacao (1994) turned that momentum into a gold record and the band's best-known songs, including the title track and "Senhora Maria do Olival," and Quinta do Bill has kept releasing music and touring since, including a symphonic concert with the Portuguese Symphonic Band at Porto's Coliseu in 2014.