The Monsaraz Open Museum cultural biennial, which has been taking place since 11 July in the medieval town of Monsaraz under the motto “Memories”, closes with a weekend dedicated to the Festa do Cante in Terras do Grande Lago.
On Friday, July 25, at 22 pm, at Largo D. Nuno Alvares Pereira, the Alentejo cante group A Moda Mãe and the flamenco and Sevillian group Serva La Bari will perform.
In this show, as part of the Cross-Border Cooperation Day, A Moda Mãe will interpret compositions from the Cancioneiro Popular Alentejano and promote the viola campaniça, a musical instrument of the Alentejo cultural tradition.
The Spaniards Serva La Bari will present the flamenco “Palos”, performed by Joaquin Moreno (sings), Francisco Morales (currently considered one of the best flamenco guitarists) and Carlos Mil-Homens (percussion), accompanied by a cast of dancers who have the teachers and great masters of the flamenco school, El Maleno and Sofia Abraços. This group that promotes flamenco art and culture will present the show “Aires Flamencos”.
The Cante Gala takes place on July 26, from 22 pm, at Largo D. Nuno Alvares Pereira. The show is entitled “Ao Cair da Tarde” and intends to present the intimate relationship that Alentejo cante maintains with the community and the region, assuming itself as an integral part of its identity.
At the Gala do Cante, the Coral Group from the Parish of Monsaraz, the Group of Cantares from Évora, Celina da Piedade and Pedro Calado will be on stage.
Celina da Piedade is one of the most emblematic artists of the European traditional dance movement and uses her voice and accordion to promote the Alentejo's musical heritage through songs full of soul and personality.
Celina da Piedade has two solo albums, “Em casa” (2012) and “O Cante das Ervas” (2014), and is currently part of the group Tais Qual, which joins Tim, Vitorino, Jorge Palma, João Gil, Paulo Ribeiro , the storyteller and humorist Jorge Serafim, among others.
Pedro Calado, who will also perform at the Gala do Cante, is part of choral groups and has participated in several recordings with António Zambujo and Ronda dos 4 Caminhos.
Closing the Monsaraz Open Museum, on the 27th of July, at 18:30 pm, the “Work Wine” will be held.
The Monsaraz Museu Aberto cultural biennial is a festival that addresses the best in culture and the performing arts. The event has been organized by the Municipality of Reguengos de Monsaraz since 1986 and has been held every two years since 1998.
The first weekend of Monsaraz Museu Aberto was filled with performances by guitarist, vocalist and composer Jorge Fernando and his friends Virgul, Dino D'Santiago and Fábia Rebordão, in a show entitled “Descante”, by the group Uxu Kalhus ea Banda from Sociedade Filarmónica Harmonia Reguenguense presented the project “Filarmónica Extravagante”, the Choral Group “Estrelas do Sul”, from Portel, recreated the “Vinho do Trabalho” and there was theater with the group “Tít'res in Largo da Fêra”. At the opening of the festival, the wine “Monsaraz Museu Aberto 2014” was presented, produced by Carmim.
On the second weekend, there was the show “Ao Sul”, with the group D. Laura and Vitorino, and the GuitarDrums orchestra, together with the fado singer Margarida Arcanjo and the Grupo Coral do Montijo, presented excerpts from the opera “Carmina Burana”, by Carl Orff. The “Vinho do Trabalho” was recreated by the Granjarte Group – Grupo Feminine de Cantares Alentejanos da Granja.
Exhibitions
The Monsaraz Museu Aberto has daily exhibitions during the festival, under the theme “As Nossas Artes”, which can be visited from 10:13 am to 14:23 pm and between XNUMX:XNUMX pm and XNUMX:XNUMX pm. The Museu do Fresco presents the annual exhibition “The Rural World – a socio-economic perspective”, which portrays the economic and social life of the population of the municipality of Reguengos de Monsaraz since the XNUMXth century.
In the Church of Santiago, the exhibition “Traditional Arts and Crafts” is on display. In this exhibition, objects and instruments related to wine, wool, pottery and copper can be appreciated, which are living elements of the county's history and constitute a form of material reproduction of various forms of popular knowledge that significantly contributed to its evolution social and economic.
Along the streets of Monsaraz, the photography exhibition “Outros Tempos” can be seen. In this way, it is possible to verify the habits of the various professions that the field occupies, the practices based on work clothing, the rest rituals and the social and family relationships that are promoted.
“Memories D'Odiana” is the exhibition produced by the Luz Museum that summons the memories and social uses of the Guadiana River, in a place that was lost to the Great Lake Alqueva, the Light. In this exhibition, in the scenic space of the Keep from the castle of Monsaraz, with one of the most privileged views over the lake, which was once a river, these experiences are revisited through the testimonies of the keepers of these memories, as well as family photographs, which allow you to directly observe and perceive the communion of people with the Guadiana.
The theme pavilion “A Bolota” aims to enhance and promote the Montado and can be visited at Casa Monsaraz. This exhibition, called “O Ciclo do Montado”, includes thematic spaces on handicraft, cork, heritage and the senses, and shows the natural and cultural values, secular knowledge, memories and experiences of those who live in Portel .
The exhibition “Forcados” is on display at the “Tertúlia Tauromáquica” space. The exhibition marks, with photos and some objects, the first decade of activity of the Grupo de Forcados Amateurs de Monsaraz.
Regional cuisine & emotions
This year, the cultural biennial proposes a gastronomic tour with the Monsaraz Open Museum menu in 11 restaurants in the parish of Monsaraz.
For 15 euros, visitors can enjoy a diversified menu (starters, Alentejo cuisine, dessert, glass of Monsaraz Museu Aberto wine or soft drink/water) at the restaurants “O Alcaide”, “O Bizaca”, “Casa do Forno”, Centro Náutico de Monsaraz, “O Convívio”, “Feitiço da Moura”, “Modest House”, “Semless”, “Sabores de Monsaraz”, “Taverna Os Templários” and “Xarez”.
Tourist agents in the region have prepared several activities for visitors to enjoy during the Monsaraz Open Museum. Thus, they propose a set of “emotions”, namely knowing the “Caminho das Oliveiras Milenares” (Horta da Moura), kartcross rides (Kartcross Monsaraz), visiting the exhibition and biological garden (Monte do Laranjal), farm with exotic animals ( Monte de Santa Catarina), visit the sculpture exhibition, the Olive Oil Museum and olive oil tasting (Restaurant Sem-fim), exhibition “O bread” (Casa do Forno Restaurant), exhibitions of painting, sculpture and modern ceramics, with two artists painting live (Galeria Monsaraz) and water massage (Casa D. Antónia).
Visitors can also visit the Centro Náutico de Monsaraz and Casa do Cante, but also make astronomical observations in the Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve (Casa Saramago and Sem-fim Restaurant).
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