In the minds of many there will still be the apparently irrefutable and immutable idea of a Quarteira that rhymes with delinquency and vandalism. That was the fame that the city gained in the 80s and 90s and that has never disappeared. “We had that in our veins, even without meaning to”, confesses Dino d'Santiago. He, the man from Quarteira who is now a famous singer and musician, joined three other young people to change this paradigm for good. And so “Sou Quarteira” was born, a movement that wants to develop the city through culture.
It is with an open heart that Dino remembers “his” Fishermen's Quarter. It was there, in what was considered one of the areas with the worst reputation in Quarteira, heavily associated with drug trafficking, that the singer grew up. "The houses were from there to here," he says, pointing.
The years passed, Dino became one of the main musicians of his generation and even Bairro dos Pescadores changed. Or rather: it disappeared, completely, after being demolished.
Like a phoenix that rises from the ashes, it will also be from there that, even symbolically, the transformation of the “New Quarteira” that this movement so desires will begin.
«When the neighborhood ended, my dream was to have a house close by. I don't have it, but we're going to have a festival in the place where it was the most critical point in the city. And let's do something lifting for Quarteira!», says Dino d'Santiago, in conversation with the Sul Informação.
The Passeio das Dunas, which gave way to the Bairro dos Pescadores, will host the Festival “Sou Quarteira”, which starts this Friday, August 16th, and lasts until Saturday, the 17th. Jimmy P, Plutonio, Mayra Andrade, Mundo Segundo & Sam The Kid or the Quarteirense Sacik Brow.
But this festival is just a tiny part of the whole “Sou Quarteira” movement.
For example, since last Sunday, anyone walking around the city can be surprised by portraits of people pasted on large posters on the walls.
There are 15 “Heroes” from Quarteira, chosen by the population, photographed by a Quarteira native (Mike Ghost) and showing the faces of people who have become notable – and that so many people know so well.
They are, for example, Hélder Rita, fisherman and founder of Quarpesca – Association of Shipowners and Fishermen of Quarteira, Senhor Cunha, emblematic doorman at Escola São Pedro do Mar, teacher Carla Candeias, who inspired so many young people in her History classes , and even Anselmo Pereira, a former Brazilian soccer player who won the Copa Libertadores, with Flamengo, and ended up working in Quarteira.
«At the exhibition, which is spread throughout the city, we thought: we are going to invite people to discover other parts of Quarteira that they normally don't go to, like the Asa Branca neighborhood. The idea is that everyone can discover these corners. Yesterday I sat down to watch and saw how people passed and stopped to see the photographs», tells Inês Oliveira, also from the organization of “Sou Quarteira”, to the Sul Informação.
She, who considers herself an «adopted daughter of Quarteira», born in São João da Madeira, recalls how, when these people were invited to participate in the exhibition, the reaction was curious. "They thought it was too much, that they didn't deserve so much recognition," he says.
Naomi Guerreiro, another of the organizers, adds: «Dino went to see Mr. Cunha to tell him that he was one of the selected. I remember so well that he was extremely moved».
But, and how did this whole project come about? Where did “Sou Quarteira” come from? This part of the story is told by Miguel Jacinto, the only member of the organization left to present.
“The project comes from several angles. There were some conversations between me and Dino, where we came to the conclusion that it was good to give back to the city for what it gave us and build a creative platform in Quarteira. However, there was a song created by him, called “Sou Quarteira”, which was immediately successful, and we realized the unification around this maxim», explains the Quarteirense, childhood friend of Dino d'Santiago, to Sul Informação.
«Then, two years ago, we organized a New Year's Eve here in Quarteira. We came together, with our different abilities, to create something more serious. We presented our project and everything started that way», he adds, with a smile on his face.
In this whole process, there was a big gap – a “problem itself” – that they found.
“People saw Quarteira only as a bathing destination or they had the wrong image of the city and we thought: how can we bring cultural activities that will change this image? This is year 1 of the project, but we have an annual activity plan and a three-, five-year template. Our idea will be, in the future, to be able to create other activities that are not only during the summer so that people come to the city due to other projects», explains Inês Oliveira.
In conversation with Sul Informação, the four creators of “Sou Quarteira” insist on highlighting the invaluable support of the Câmara de Loulé, a partner that “has always believed in”.
“They even told us that it was the best project they've ever presented to them,” says Dino d'Santigo proudly.
This is a movement that really wants to change the city and that has even made an ambitious forecast. What if Quarteira became a genre of urban culture capital 10 years from now?
«This is one of our goals… We are talking about a more developed city, also with a diversified and cultural tourism and a more intense social immersion», explains the singer Dino d'Santiago.
For this, Quarteira plays with a very favorable factor.
“The great wealth of the city is to bring together so many cultures. I am an example of this: my parents are from Cape Verde. In Quarteira, I never felt racism. There could be divisions, but related to tastes – I'm more rap, you more rock or punk. There was never that racial separatism of other cities», says Dino.
However, it is the experiences and experiences of the great metropolises that the four organizers of the “Sou Quarteira” movement bring to the Algarve city. Miguel and Inês live in London; Dino and Naomi, in Lisbon, but the truth is that they never lost their connections to US city, whether by birth or heart.
«We have to remember that Quarteira is the result of these mixtures. It's the people who come, the people who go. There are so many cultures here… But those who only live here unfortunately cannot develop the city so much. It feels like you're stuck in these borders, between the sea and the Four Roads. External views are what will make Quarteira go forward and that's what we also bring», considers Dino.
Another of the initiatives in this start-up of the project is the production of a documentary about Quarteira. An excerpt was already presented, last Wednesday, but, at national level, the launch will be in October.
Throughout the film, the «diversity of talents that exists in Quarteira» is shown to give an example of how there are living forces in the city. People with knowledge and knowledge.
«In the documentary, we show the different perspectives of Quarteira, through the voice of the locals, who create their own narrative. There is Quarteira on one side more than a summer town, with fishermen. We also addressed the question of what it's like to grow up in this city, the sense of freedom, blending and how this shapes people and influences them», says Miguel Jacinto.
Basically, with all this, the main objective is to show that it is possible to create ideas in Quarteira. From scratch. “Four people a little crazy went ahead with this and we just want it to serve as an example”, says Inês Oliveira, for general laughter.
“There is a sense of urgency in Quarteira. It is a city that has fallen by the wayside, but it needs love and a new dynamic. This is shared by all Quarteirans and, therefore, when they see a project called “Sou Quarteira”, they may even find it strange at first, but then they accept and join the movement», highlights, in turn, Miguel Jacinto.
And there's nothing better than Dino d'Santiago – perhaps one of the most illustrious people from Quarteira ever – to take the pulse of what it means to be in this city.
“We fight, we are parochial and very persistent. The person from Quartieri has to be pampered, but if he opens the doors for you, he never closes them again. You have to go slowly, with a lot of dedication, but with this project, I think we'll be able to open these doors», he shoots.
Miguel Jacinto has no doubts: “this movement is new blood for the city. The impact is already remarkable, due to the amount of reactions and conversations. The long-term impact, then, is not even mentioned».
“This is an educational process that takes time. Transforming the image of the city we are already trying to do. Diversifying Quarteira's experiences, idem. Energizing local institutions, giving them the tools to make their dreams come true is the hardest part, but we are just getting started. We need the people with us. “I'm Quarteira” is a transformation from the bottom up, to create new opportunities», he adds.
Looking at his childhood friend, who embarked with him on another adventure, this time to boost their city, Miguel concludes.
"This could be a starting point for the Dinos of tomorrow."
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