The music and legacy of José Afonso will be remembered this Saturday in Tavira with a concert that will bring together some of the musician's friends. The evocation of Zeca Afonso is organized by the new nucleus of the Algarve – Tavira of the José Afonso Association (AJA), which is officially presented at the event.
Artur Guerreiro was one of the mentors in creating a nucleus for this association in the Algarve, which has ten other centers in the country. «I asked a group of people why there isn't a nucleus in the Algarve, and in the city where we were staying and, to our surprise, I found a page saying: “when will an AJA in the Algarve come?”. Everyone's wishes came together», he told in an interview with the program “Quinta da Música” on the FM street.
Afonso Dias, who is one of the artists who will perform at the center's launch concert, adds that «the center in the Algarve had been talked about for a number of years, as an obligation. Zeca lived here. He spent six years in the Algarve, one of the most productive six years in Zeca Afonso's life. This is to say that a nucleus in the Algarve made perfect sense».
Although Zeca Afonso lived in Faro and in Lagos, it is in Tavira that the AJA nucleus is based, Afonso Dias justifies that “the people of Tavira took the idea with another aplomb and put it into motion. Perhaps those who had the obligation to do so would be the people from Faro, which is the land of the Algarve of Zeca».
However, Artur Guerreiro clarifies that the designation “Núcleo do Algarve – Tavira” opens up the possibility of creating others in other Algarve cities.
For Afonso Dias, “the importance of the nuclei and this ramification of the nuclei is not only related to the evocation of Zeca Afonso's work and the perpetuation of his memory, it is much more. It is the perpetuation of the cultural legacy, based on Zeca's creative and citizenship experience. I knew him very well, where he “smelled” young people was where he put his nose. And the importance of the nuclei is this. To infect more and younger people with creativity and citizenship».
Vitorino, Filipa Pais, João Afonso, Janita Salome, Afonso Dias, Tânia Silva and Luís Galrito sing Zeca in the presentation
To formalize the creation of the AJA nucleus in the Algarve, the city of Tavira will receive a series of initiatives throughout this Saturday, which will culminate in a concert at the António Pinheiro cineteatro.
Vitorino, Filipa Pais, João Afonso, Janita Salomé, Afonso Dias, Tânia Silva and Luís Galrito are some of the names that Zeca Afonso will remember through the interpretation of their songs.
«It's a group of artists who accompanied Zeca or who, in their work, continue to promote his song», explains Artur Guerreiro.
Thus, from 16 pm onwards, the minutes of the officialization of the nucleus will be read with the presence of the AJA leadership at the national level, with President Francisco Fanhais. Afterwards, a video about the life of Zeca Afonso and a seven-minute video about the history of AJA will be presented.
However, the program for the day starts earlier. Starting in the morning, the population of Tavira is invited to participate in the event in a different way. “We will announce the show during the day. We invited a group of cante from Alentejo and this group performs at 11:30 am in the Municipal Market, then in the Ribeira Market and, later, in front of the City Hall, there is a last performance that ends with the entrance through the cinematheatre”, said Artur Guerreiro.
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