The album Estrada Branca (White Road) brings the meeting of the voices of Mônica Salmaso and Portuguese singer and musician José Pedro Gil around the work of Vinicius de Moraes and José Afonso, two of the most important composers from Brazil and Portugal, respectively. In addition to the album (which is now coming to Brazil via Biscoito Fino in digital and physical CD formats), Mônica Salmaso and João Pedro Gil have performed in Porto, Sintra and Lisbon, in Portugal. João Pedro Gil collaborated with projects by other notable artists, like Maria João, Carminho, Pedro Jóia and Ney Matogrosso.

The origin of Estrada Branca is in Mônica Salmaso’s collaboration in the album Outro tempo, José Afonso, by José Pedro Gil, which was released in 2015. It was at that time that the two artists decided to invite Portuguese writer Carlos Tê to dramatize a new show that could intertwine the works of José Afonso and Vinicius de Moraes.

Besides Mônica and José Pedro, Estrada Branca (which was originally released in Portugal in 2019) was conceived by Emanuel de Andrade, Teco Cardoso, Nelson Ayres and Carlos Tê. Emanuel, Teco Cardoso and Nelson Ayres were also responsible for the musical direction. After the initial improbable coexistence between Vicinius and José Afonso, a feeling of familiarity, capable of masterfully bringing the two cultures together, emerged.