A TAUNTON trumpeter has been immortalised in his native country by a Portuguese Banksy.

A giant mural of award-winning composer and musician Luis Martelo has been created by graffiti artist Vile on the side of a five-storey building in Montijo.

Luís will attend the official unveiling on Thursday, June 22, of the artwork, which is part of a campaign promoted by Projeto (C)ASAS, which aims to raise awareness and demystify steroetypes of homeless people.

Luís, 33, won the silver medal for best instrumentalist at the Global Music Awards in March and who recently recorded for famous international singers and movie soundtracks, was homeless for three years before e,barking on his music career, that has earned him international recognition and a clutch of awards.

Born in Barcouço, in Mealhada, he grew up in a humble family and at seven joined the Lyra Barcoucense 10 d'Agosto Philharmonic Band, where he started playing music.

He took up the trumpet aged 11 and joined the Army Symphonic Band in Queluz after embarking on his military career.

He later transferred to the Évora military band before quitting after five years.

Meanwhile, his parents had split up and he found himself homeless living in Vila Nova de Mil Fontes for the next three years, having to sell his trumpet to buy food.

Luís then moved to London, where worked on construction sites and in factories, and where he met his wife.

After four years, he came to Taunton and applied to an orchestra, allowing him to get back to the level he always knew he was at.

During the pandemic he conquered the country by playing on the streets, in nursing homes, hospitals and for the most vulnerable, recorded his first album with musicians such as Mark Upton who plays with Andrea Bocelli and Rod Stewart; Rudney Machado, Ivete Sangalo's trumpet player; Diogo Duque, HMB's trumpet player, and Salvador Sobral, Gonçalo Seco from Kumpania Algazarra, Sandro Félix from Boss AC, and many other top world names.

That album won two silver medals at the Global Music Awards in the USA. The following year he was voted best emerging artist and best band and in March this year he won silver for best instrumentalist with a version of Adeus Tristeza by Fernando Tordo, which is on his latest album Roots, due out in September.