Bodhran, vibraphone, marimba, drums, chimes, timbalão, conga, bongos or adufe. These are some of the percussion instruments, coming from several countries and continents, whose sound and music can be discovered during the VI International Percussion Festival of Portimão, which takes place in this city from 24th to 28th February.
The big news in this edition is the realization of Carnival parades through the streets of Portimão, organized by the Academy of Music of Lagos/Conservatório de Música de Portimão and by Glória or Morte Portimão.
This edition promises a contagious rhythm with percussion music and with the participation of students from Portimão Schools, who will perform performances using basic elements of percussion and rhythm: with cardboard, cans, sand, among others.
The rhythms will echo through the historic center of the city, accompanied by the Bomboémia group and the Percussion Orchestra.
The Festival, in turn, will bring together renowned national and international musicians, with the participation of Vincent Houdijk (Netherlands), Nuno Aroso (Portugal), Vicky Marques (Portugal), André Silva (Portugal), Dave Boyd (Frame Drums Atlantic , Ireland), Rui Silva (Frame Drums Atlantic, Portugal), Sérgio Almeida (Rhakkatta, Portugal), Miguel Ralha (MISSOM).
The sixth edition of the Festival is once again joined by the iconic ENCONTRóBAIXO, which, in its third edition, will bring to Portimão the Portuguese jazz group Carlos Barretto Lokomotiv (Portugal) as well as Marc Ramirez (Metropolitana de Lisboa/USA) , Hugo Santos (Portugal), Luisa Marcelino (Portugal), Jean-Christian Houde (Southern Classical Orchestra/Canada) and Gabor Bolba (Madeira/Hungary Classical Orchestra).
The program includes 15 workshops/masterclasses and six concerts, which will be distributed in some of the most emblematic spaces in the city, such as TEMPO – Municipal Theater of Portimão, the Museum of Portimão, the Casa Manuel Teixeira Gomes, the Bandstand of Portimão, Largo da Mó, Alameda da Praça da República and the Old Fish auction of Portimão.
After the success of the previous edition with the opening event “50/50”, which brought together local musicians at Alameda da Praça da República, this year, under the theme of Carnival, on February 24th, at 10:30 am, the Grande will take place Opening parade with the BomBoémia group (Universidade do Minho), with the participation of students from the Basic Education Schools of Portimão. The parade begins at Alameda da Praça da República and ends at Largo 1º de Maio (Municipality Square).
The Grand Closing Parade is scheduled for the 28th, at 14:30 pm, Carnival Tuesday, with “Batuca no Carnaval”, an event hosted by various associations in the municipality and with a route that promises to liven up the city center, departing from Largo da Mó, continuing along Alameda da Praça da República, Rua Direita, Largo 1º de Maio and Bandstand in Portimão.
As for the concerts, on February 24th, at 21 pm, TEMPO – Teatro Municipal de Portimão will host the first one, which will be dedicated to Jazz. On stage, will be “Carlos Barretto Lokomotiv”, who brings one of the drivers of the popularity of the double bass in Portugal, along with Carlos Bica and Zé Eduardo. Carlos Barreto, who this year completes two decades of his career, will be accompanied by two great Brazilian jazz musicians, guitarist Mário Delgado and drummer and percussionist José Salgueiro.
The following day, February 25, at 21 pm, the call of Bomboémia will take place in Largo and Jardim 00 de Dezembro, which will set the tone for the show scheduled for 1 pm at TEMPO, with exuberant contemporary music by «Simantra Grupo of Percussion”, one of the main engines of the creation and promotion of contemporary percussion in Portugal.
The group will have as special guests Vasco Ramalho, on marimba (artistic director FintPP), and Vicky Marques, on drums, expert in crossing Etno/Latin influences.
The use of new technologies and light effects complement the musical complexity, in a unique show combined with the rhythms and melodies produced by percussion instruments such as marimbas, vibraphones, xylophones, glockenspiels, timbalões, congas, bongos, among others.
On the 26th, at 19 pm, Casa Manuel Teixeira Gomes will host the third night of the Festival with Romantic Music written for Contrabass. “From Portimão With Love…” will join Marc Ramirez (Metropolitan of Lisbon/USA) and Bruno Martins (artistic director ENCONTRóBAIXO), who will be accompanied by Vasco Amores, on piano, bringing themes by Giovanni Bottesini, Lloyd Goldstein and John Williams.
On the same day, but at 21 pm, the Auditorium of the Portimão Museum will stage a night of Improvised Music, with a program around the West-Eastern rhythms of the “Frame Drums Atlantic” – with Rui Silva (Adufe, electronics, voice) and Dave Boyd (Bodhrán, Electronics, Voice). They will be joined by Nuno Aroso, one of the references of experimentalism and improvisation in the panorama of percussion in Portugal.
On the 27th, at 19 pm, the Antiga Lot of Portimão hosts “Musicas do Mundo”, with a program based on the Afro-tribal rhythms of the Rhakatta (Loulé, artistic direction of Sérgio Pereira), to make a big splash on Carnival Tuesday , in partnership with Associação Glória or Morte Portimonense.
The traditional closing concert, with all participants, will take place on Carnival Tuesday, 28th, at 21 pm, in the Grande Auditorium of TEMPO.
In the VI International Festival of Percussion in Portimão, all rhythms will be contemplated, in an adventure through the different forms of manifestation of percussion music. The public will be able to actively participate in shows, workshops and masterclasses, given by great national and international names in the segment.
The Festival, promoted by the Academy of Music of Lagos - Conservatory of Music of Portimão Joly Braga Santos, also offers other activities, so it should click here for the full program.
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