Accompanied by king cake and jeropiga, or simply with the objective of bringing good wishes, Charolas and Janeiras will tour the Algarve this weekend, on the 5th and 6th, showing that the tradition is very much alive.
This is a ritual that is still maintained in localities in the municipalities of Faro, Portimão, Loulé, São Brás, Olhão, Tavira, Monchique, Aljezur or Olhão (but not only). Groups of people come together to, with great joy, praise the year that begins and the Child Jesus. Always with music and animation in the mix.
One of the places where the Charolais tradition is strongest is in Bordeira, village in the interior of the municipality of Faro. This Sunday, January 6th, Twelfth Night, tambourines, accordions, ironworks and ribbons of many colors will liven up the streets of Bordeira throughout the day and into the night. Sul Informação already showed in an article.
From 11:00 am, at the D. Leonor Outdoor Activities Center, there will be music on the air. The place will be protected with a big tent in order to guarantee the best conditions for the event, where there will also be meals.
At the headquarters of Sociedade Recreativa Bordeirense, from 14:45 pm, the nine invited groups will take to the stage.
The organization is in charge of the Bordeirense Charolas Committee and the Bordeirense Recreative Society, with the support of the Chamber of Faro and the Parish Council of Santa Bárbara de Nexe.
Also in the Algarve's capital, Espírito dos Reis will invade the Igreja da Sé for a concert this Sunday, the 6th, at 21 pm, with the Female Choir Other Voices and the Songbook of the Folklore Group of Faro.
"The show will provide its visitors with a unique musical moment, which will close the activities of the Christmas season"", guarantees the Chamber of Faro.
The traditional “Concerto de Reis” will begin with the performance of the Grupo Feminine Other Voices, a group based in Faro and created at the end of 1999. After almost 20 years of existence, the group is preparing to release its first record record.
Ana Côrte-Real, Carla Lúcio, Cláudia Cabanita, Elsa Gonçalves, Isabel Trindade, Joana Cunha, Marisa Mendes, Patrícia Neto Martins and Vera Rocha are the machines of this sound factory, created for women and proudly coordinated by the choir director Paulo Cunha. In this concert, eight women will sing songs alluding to the Christmas season.
Then follows the performance of the Songbook of the Folklore Group of Faro, a project formed in 2000 to give voice to traditional themes from the Algarve that, because they don't dance, are not in the repertoire of folklore groups. In this way, they are joined by the “corridinhos” and “round dances” already played and danced by the group, the songs of field work and fishing, novels, the songs of Christmas, Janeiras and Reis. The Cancioneiro participates in meetings of traditional songs throughout the country and abroad and is currently made up of about 25 elements, who are dressed in accordance with the customs and customs of the Algarve in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.
Also in Faro, but on January 13th, from 14:30 pm, the traditional Charolas Meeting, at Teatro das Figuras. In total, 12 groups will participate, representing the parishes.
As the Chamber of Faro, «the traditional Janeiras and songs to the Child take place in the municipality of Faro the particular form of gatherings of Charolas, widely participated».
Em São Brás de Alportel, also comes back the "Strength of Tradition" of the charolas, bringing "the traditional chords and wishes of prosperity to the various corners of the county".
This Saturday, the 5th, from 9:30 am, the “Os Carolas” Group, Charola da Mesquita and Charola dos Machados will present themselves at the Municipal Market of São Brás de Alportel, in another usual meeting.
The Charolas depart on Saturday afternoon, on tour through various places in the county. The one in Mesquita will pass by the Municipal Library (15:30 pm), by the Alportel Museum Center (16:30 pm), by the site of Almargens, at Café Manta (17:30 pm), and return to São Brás de Alportel, at Café União (18:30 pm).
The Charola from Grupo Desportivo e Cultural de Machados starts the circuit in São Romão, where it operates at Café Correia (15:30 pm), Vilarinhos, at Café 1º Maio (16:30 pm) and Mealhas, at Casa Reis (17:30 pm).
On Twelfth Night, Charola da Mesquita performs, at 14 pm, at the Parises Convivium Centre, as part of the celebrations for the 00th anniversary of this equipment. The various groups of Charolas act from 6 pm onwards, in the Santa Casa da Misericórdia Party Room, in yet another meeting.
At 21 pm, the Santa Casa da Misericórdia Party Room hosts the 00th Meeting of Charolas of São Brás de Alportel, promoted by Associação Cultural Sambrasense, with the support of the City Council. The “Aldeia Branca-Estoi” Charolas, “Os Carolas”, “Charola dos Machados”, Charola da Casa do Povo da Conceição de Tavira, Charola da Mesquita and the Janeiras de Odeleite Group will pass on the stage.
The program “Charolas, the Strength of Tradition” ends on January 13, at 15 pm, with the performance of various groups from the municipality in a special edition of the Assembly Ball, which takes place every month at the Museu do Traje, an initiative of this house of culture with the support of the Museum Club.
Tavira it is also one of the municipalities with the greatest tradition in charolas. Since the 1st of January, groups have been traveling the county and the next initiative is this Saturday, the 5th, at the Casa do Povo of Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo, from 21 pm.
The festivities end with another edition of Charola Festival “City of Tavira”, at 15:00 pm, at Jardim do Coreto.
Right next door, in the Fuzeta and Moncarapacho (municipality of Olhão), there will also be a Encounter of Charolas and even… a Show of Xarém. Twelfth Night, Sunday, is the Monthly Market and, in Moncarapacho, the stage will be set up in its precinct.
Anyone who goes shopping can enjoy listening to some music. In this initiative, the Charolas of the Band 1º de Dezembro (Moncarapacho), the Banda Musical de Tavira, the Casa do Povo of Santo Catarina and the Ethnographic Group of Quelfes will perform. These are joined by Charola Ossónoba, from Estoi.
At 12:30 pm, at the Pavilhão de Eventos, also located in Largo do Mercado Mensal, the União de Freguesias de Moncarapacho e Fuzeta will organize the 1st Mostra de Xarém.
This initiative, which has the support of the National Scouts Group – Grouping 1255 Moncarapacho, has a solidary character, with the funds raised going to APAR – Association for the Protection of Homeless Animals – Moncarapacho/Fuzeta.
To the sound of the saxophone by Toi Picoito and the traditional Portuguese music of Cante Andarilho, «visitors will be able to taste the real xarém, made in various ways and in the old-fashioned way», says União de Freguesias.
Na fuzeta, Sunday afternoon will be full of charolas, from 15:00 pm, at Cinema Topázio, with the following groups: Grupo Cantares “As Matraqueiras da Fuseta”, Charola dos Machados, Charola da Casa do Povo da Conceição de Faro, Charola from the Casa do Povo of Santa Catarina, Charola from the Ethnographic Group of Quelfes and Charola from the Band 1o de Dezembro, from Moncarapacho
Entries are free.
Already in Look, the Kings arrive… by motorcycle, in an initiative of the Parish Council, promoted together with Motoconvívio de Olhão and with the participation of Charolas from the 1º de Dezembro Philharmonic Band of Moncarapacho.
The kings depart from Motoconvívio headquarters at 9:30 am, and will pass through the main streets of Olhão. At 11:30 am, the charolas act at Largo do Museu, with the kings arriving at 11:45 am.
Em Loule, um giant king cake (150 meters!) will be served to the sound of the charolas, performed by the groups Charola das Barreiras Brancas – AGAL and Charola from the Casa do Povo of Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo. The cake, made by the Loulé Doce pastry shop, will occupy Avenida José da Costa Mealha from 17:00.
But the tradition, in the municipality of Loulé, is not exhausted here. In the middle of Serra do Caldeirão, in Cortelha and nearby towns, will sing the Door to Door windows.
As the Association of Friends of Cortelha, organizer of the initiative, says, «Janeiras mean to the people of Serra do Caldeirão a treasure of traditions, bringing to memory this tradition that began in the Algarve interior».
Therefore, they will be covered some of the towns in the interior of the municipality of Loulé, such as Cortelha, Montes Novos and Barranco do Velho.
So, these days, the inhabitants of this area of Serra do Caldeirão are already waiting for the Cortelha janitors enter through the backyard to hum the Janeiras dos Reis.
«At the end, there comes out of the mouth of a more daring element a “joke”, as a way of asking or reminding the owner of the house that he should give a reward to the group», he says. Symbolically, the group of janieiros from Cortelha departs for its tour next to the Presépio da Cortelha.
Far from the mountains and close to the sea, Quarteira it also celebrates the tradition of janeiras and charolas, associated with the celebrations of the Twelfth Night.
Saturday, January 5th, at 19 pm, the Quarteira Municipal Center Auditorium, receives another event of Cantares de Janeiras e Charolas.
This meeting, with free entry, will be attended by Charolas das Barreiras Brancas, Tuna da Academia do Saber, Grupo da Amizade, Grupo de Cantars de Janeiras «A Força da Tradição», Songbook of the Folklore Group of Faro, Group of Janeiras de São Sebastião de Loulé, Charola da Casa do Povo da Conceição de Faro, Charola from the Casa do Povo of Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo and the 1st December Philharmonic Band from Moncarapacho.
At the top of the Algarve, in Monchique, the already traditional “Twelfth Night” takes place this Saturday, January 5th, from 21 pm, in the space of the old sawmill. At joldas (groups of singers from Janeiras) will sing and, as is required in the mountains, some of the voices will be tuned by a little cup of arbutus…
Descending from Monchique to Portimão, the Municipal Theater's Grand Auditorium will host the fifth edition of “Cantar das Janeiras” with a wide range of singing groups. The presentation will be in charge of the announcer Fátima Peres.
Portimão invites the community to participate in this meeting to listen, sing and celebrate the Canticle of Janeiras e dos Reis in an atmosphere of good mood and joy. The evening will end with the flavor of king cake and jeropiga, as tradition dictates.
The fifth edition of “Cantar das Janeiras” has the participation of eight groups from Portimão and neighboring municipalities, being an example of the effort to preserve traditions and keep alive the associative movement, through the groups present that will use their voice, but also violas, percussion instruments and strings.
They are the Association of the Grupo Coral de Portimão, the Group “As Figueirinhas and Friends of Figueira”, the Group of Songs “Fonte Nova”, the Group of Songs of the Confraria do Medronho “Os Monchiqueiros”, the Group of Songs of Janeiras from the Rancho Folclórico do Calvário, the Singing Group of Traditional Portuguese Music “Estrelas do Barlavento”, the Singing Group of Parchal and the Tuna Sénior from the Centro Comunitário de Alvor.
“Cantar as Janeiras” is organized by the Municipality of Portimão and is sponsored by the supermarket chain Pingo Doce, which offers the bolo rei. Admission is free, but you must collect a ticket in advance at the Theater ticket office until this Saturday, from 13:00 pm to 17:30 pm, or on Sunday, from 13:00 pm, until the time of the show.
Al-Mutamid Square, in Silves, receives, in turn, a Janeiras Meeting which will bring together, this Saturday, January 5th, at 20:30 pm, the groups of the municipality.
Folklore Ranch of São Bartolomeu Messines, Grupo Coral Alentejano de Tunes and Grupo “As Ceifeiras”, Grupo Amigos da Pedreira, Grupo de Casa do Povo de Messines, Grupo de Janeiras da Quinta do Ti David, Singing Group of Sociedade Recreativa Alcantarilhense, The Laranjinhas (Lifelong Education Center of Silves) and Os Alegres are the participating groups.
Also for this Algarve, Aljezur will sing Janeiras on Sunday, Epiphany, from 15:30 pm, at the Salão dos Bombeiros Voluntários.
In the initiative, the Folklore Group of Faro “Cancioneiro”, Grupo das Alfambras and Grupo de Janeiras de Aljezur. These are also joined by the Group of Janeiras from the Rancho Folclórica do Calvário.
Even in places, in the Algarve, where the performance of groups of charolas and janeiras is not planned, the weekend will not stop being an entertainment related to the Twelfth Night.
For example, Kings of Ayamonte (Spain) will visit Vila Real de Santo António, this Saturday, January 5th, at 11:00 am.
The visit includes a procession through the streets of VRSA and Praça Marquês de Pombal, where the Aldeia de Natal is located. The route will end with the distribution of sweets and confetti for the younger ones.
Already in Castro Marim, the traditional “Cavalgada dos Reis Magos” it starts in Monte Francisco and only ends in Aldeia de Natal, in the village of Castro Marim, on Sunday, January 6th, from 16 pm.
Comments