It is a compilation, a tribute of the musician to his beloved poets.

It’s not a record, or a book or a character is a closely guarded secret that has come loose, as the songwriter himself says about this project, Tiago Bettencourt. He has set itself the challenge of compile ancient poets, helped by friends who he invited to sing and do the illustrations for the book by Mario de Belém Put it this way, is a musical treasure. It is two in one. Listening the best Portuguese poetry captured by this discreet musical prodigy. The title does justice to this discography work. It is something so intimate that reminds me of the anatomy of the wanderings of Bruce Chatwin. It may seem odd and maybe there is no parallel, but let me disagree. The cave of the British writer is the lair of this Portuguese songwriter, where everything makes sense and nothing is superfluous. As this record. We return to the essentials a voice and a piano. Words and a guitar. This is not a lonely work, is made from the various solitudes of the poets who have described it. It is unique and recreates many songs known to the public. Listen! And ... do not pirate the record by the request of the artist, as sales accrue to an organization of social nature. But, do it mainly for the respect it deserves this magnificent work. To recall later.

www.ajudameaajudar.org

Think for a moment, what is music? Can you imagine? Well, re-thik again. Jerome Faria, better known as NNY, deconstructs our conception of sounds, cadences and rhythms creating a new and more abstract musical tones reflecting on an unusual listening experience. A trip with textures and nuances that is accompanied by images. Confused? Not much, just listen and let yourself go...

Tell me about your musical career.
Jerome Faria: Essentially I started more or less as teenagers begin playing guitar and drums in garage bands. In my twenties, I was part of many groups, from rock, heavy mental and even participated in rural shows. I played piano, bass, guitar, as was needed. However in 2003 I started my interest in the computer as a tool of production. Then I began to explore the possibilities that existed with sound, as raw material in addition to the concept of music as a song, or at least the traditional structure.

Your work has a strong visual component. When did it start to make sense to insert images in your musical?
JF: I previously had an interest in the image before I start working on music and given the abstract nature of the sounds I work with thought it was an interesting help mainly in Madeira. It is a type of music that is unusual it seemed a good idea to associate the image as a visual representation of what I'm doing. The images I use are reactive or are in a way that people can more easily perceive the influence of these defaults. Turns out to be more interesting for those who do not know, get caught by the imagination to see images and a visual representation of music.

You make collections of sounds of nature before you even create new shades?
JF: Yes, but I cannot say that there is a fixed process. I can use as much musical instruments such as the nature and noise of day-to-day.

How do you start this creative process?
JF: It's a process of research and learning. Find a new technique, a new synthesizer, anything that allows me to acquire new knowledge. The results ultimately suggest other ideas and mix with existing previous recordings. I often try to synthetically reproduce a natural sound, try to make it from scratch. Or even the day to day and try to deconstruct it, or break down to be something completely different. This is the process that ultimately experience suggests ideas and then is a matter of intuition.

It is one of the great works of singer Anthony Zambujo, which is worth hearing.

I feel a weakness when this man sings. I melt with the sound of this voice so warm and cozy that lights hearts on a winter night by the fireplace, with his indelible scent of fado. The album guide praises the talent of this singer that we do not hear much about, perhaps because he approaches a very unusual music style. Antonio Zambujo sings diverse genres on this record, bet on different types of arrangements, which give this work an unexpected melancholy. The fox with his sword and cape is a stunning interpretation and enlists all possible and imaginable goals, Luis Represas forgive me, but AZ is simply divine. It's the kind of melody that should be whispered in the ear of a loved one now forever. The goddess of my street, written by the Brazilian musician, Nelson Gonçalves, is another song that deserves an attentive ear, the lyrics are delicious, an ode to romantics. Another gem is the song Reader's Digest, no, not the publication, but a theme he plays with the help of the trumpet of Philip Laurent. I conclude with four moons and the same is true in life is beautiful, we just need in his fado his intonation, in fact is just that which is impressed on our memory, his voice. Always the one that leaves no one indifferent.

http://www.antoniozambujo.com/home.asp?zona=1&template=7&precedencia=0&idioma=1

The Xarabanda is a cultural association that develops several parallel activities as research, collecting, distribution, music publishing and the group that is its visible face. This institution of public utility also supports the school of traditional stringed instruments guided by Professor Robert Moniz for the young and a vocal ensemble called "six for a half  dozen." A long process of revitalization of traditional music of Madeira that will be available soon in a songbook and on the Internet next year, as was confide by one of its founders, musician and researcher, Rui Camacho.

An inevitable question, what is the balance of these last 30 years of the Xarabanda?
Rui Camacho: The balance in terms of music is always good and positive, because we believed in an innovative project, which created awareness among the population of a contemporary form. We met the people and their musical taste, bearing in mind a musical aesthetic that appeals, and is accepted as such, is always positive. There was also a growing concern not only to collect, such as the inclusion of the themes treated in a modern and contemporary way. We made a new approach to traditional music, which is not folklore. We seeked the roots our sound and adapted it by creating a new concept of urban traditional folk music, exploring new sounds that way. Thinking without copying, without being faithful to its tradition, but keeping in mind the characteristics that are inherent by studying, investigating and modernizing the sound. So it can be returned to the population in order to be accepted. And so, thanks to the change of mindset in terms of this musical concept, the whole process was positive.

What is this urban traditional folk music?
RC: We all know that music comes from the traditional rural areas; we know that in the cities that all these popular roots quickly disappear with the progress and evolution. Basically those pieces are becoming increasingly isolated in these areas for various reasons not worth mentioning, we can observe these events in the context of musical festivals, the work of the field and over time all that was lost. In the urban context, there is music that is made by people with academic training, which comes from the conservatories of music and some creators of popular sounds from author who do not have this tradition, according to the annual cycle, with the four seasons, with the festival calendar. In the cities we listen to music imported from other cultures through radio, television and the Internet and together these references to the so-called traditional instruments that arrived with the settlers of the island in the fifteenth century, we bring together the pumpkin, the accordion and drums, for example. Experiencing musical partnerships with philharmonic orchestras and chamber choirs. Is created here as a new urban folk music, taking into account these factors and cultural information.

The association Xarabanda has another feature which allows them to support other bands, how do you make that bridge?
RC: We are a nonprofit, but were declared by the regional government in view of our production facing the population and not internally, as a public utility institution of regional interest, wherever are possible support and a climate of trust with some groups. Right now there is a band that is rehearsing in this space for nothing. We support other, such as the New World a musical project to be presented at the "roots of the Atlantic" as long as possible, in seriously way we accepted them temporarily according to internal rules. We also support schools in various levels of education and even the teachers of the University of Madeira.

The Association of Friends of the Conservatory of Music of Madera, over nearly two decades, promotes and disseminates classical music in Madeira, through a cycle of concerts with artists of international caliber. Music festivals that receive wide acceptance by the tourists and a growing support of the islanders. At the helm of this organization of public utility, is the teacher, scholar, musician and pianist Robert Andres, who advocates an ambitious, high-quality poster of the island's cultural events and also as funding vehicle for young national talents.

What are the main objectives of the Association of Friends of the Conservatory fo Music of Madera (AACMM)?
Robert Andres: We organized a season of classical concerts. In the past, we tackled inedited projects lately we organized a festival dedicated to Liszt in November. Before that we had a full cycle of piano works by Chopin and Beethoven piano sonatas. Our activity is not for profit. The AACMM organizes concerts and channel the profits for grants for students of music.

When you started these concert cycles did you had the notion that there was an audience for this kind of events?
RA: When the association began there was not much activity in this regard, in previous decades had a tremendous momentum through concerts and societies had even a Bach festival, but it was not an organized season. That was the purpose of creation of AACMM in 1993, I became president in 97 'and since this year we tried to organize an annual season of about eight to 10 concerts and for this reason it has earned the status of an institution of public utility. Our focus is educational and cultural. Is part of the tourist attraction of the region, since our concerts in its large percentage are attended by an audience made up of tourists.

What is the balance that makes the activity of this past year and earlier?
RA: We have presented in early December the bicentennial concert, unique of its kind, because we rarely repeat programming. They were two hundred of musical experiences with artist of international caliber, where there was also room for musicians of the island and whenever possible we give the opportunity for a first presentation to young people who are at the end of their musical education.

Over the years have you noted that the Portuguese public has increased?
RA: It has been increasing, but not in the desired proportion. The local public is a problem faced by all institutions who organize concerts of classical music, in my view, stems from a lack of the habit of attending cultural events in family. Then there is another aspect, these shows do not have any kind of support, must be paid, the culture has inherent costs, quality costs money and we cannot allow ourselves the luxury, nor would it be a good practice to be for free. It was a failure of the past when the public was accustomed to culture event for free. Maybe we do it when it comes from a teaching experience, because it does not involves travel costs, subsistence and people with a curriculum that improve the cultural level of the population and that obviously has to be paid. All this is reflected in the price of the ticket and it often happens that the audience that comes from the Scandinavian countries and the United Kingdom sometimes complains about the prices, but they do not protest to pay the double, or triple, to see these same artists in London. It is a matter of perspective. In this context, there are only two lanes, or we present a program with doubtful quality, not involving investment, or we have to ensure and insist on quality, but everything has its cost. Another phenomenon that is very interesting here in Madeira, is that we as an association, we offer a package for the entire cycle, nearly 50% below list price and on both occasions we had only one entry. People here do not want to assume a compromise in September, for the month of May, for example. The commitment that aims to take over for something that is very good is minimal. This says a lot about the cultural habits.

It's my first musical suggestion of this year and I hope you enjoy it.

With the approaching end of the year, we tend to do mental statements and a list of things that you will undertake the following year, I suggest one last and very special album, because it reflects the history of my country through some of the themes and bands that marked several generations of Portuguese. Although it does not contain some of the songs that many of us have considered truly emblematic of a certain sound era, the chorus of the songs and the voices transports you just the same to those concerts you went with friends, the parties in garages, the ideas we had to engender to deceive our parents in let in us go to that special gig, stolen kisses at the sound of some of these songs, the tight and breathless dances, quarrels and moods swing between lovers and I can guarantee that in all these scenarios there was always a background soundtrack marking the rhythm of these memories. The best of Portuguese music is a voyage that will imprint a smile on your face, I promise! It will make you remember all this and much, much more, because nothing is more Portuguese than fondly remember those days of enchantment, disenchantment and lost youth. Have a nice year.

Her latest album is a reflection of the musical universality of her beloved, Cape Verde.

The voice of Cape Verde is silent forever. This is a reminder of some of the songs that populated the world with the warm and rhythmic morna, that speak of the suffering of a people, who fights with sweetness the harshness of a hurt life. "Cesaria Evora &" is perhaps not the best album of the barefoot diva, but it is her last work. And to compensate the regret that this singer always felt for having been ignored by Portugal at the beginning of her career, let me make my personal tribute. The music of this record is different from her usual self because it is full of unexpected duets or not? You judge. We crossed the Atlantic with "sweet to death at sea" with the incomparable Marisa Monte, we are then cradle by the bolero "a story of love," accompanied by Tania Libertad and we end this tour thru Latin America with "deny" with Caetano Veloso. Let us make a little detour, heading north, with a small tribute to the country that recognized her as a singer, France, which is expressed with the duet "elle chante" with Bernard Lavilliers, whose words I quoted at the beginning of this text. We crossed the broad ocean and return to origins, to "our Africa" with the Senegalese Ismael Lo. Going home, to Mindelo, we listen to "moda Bo" featuring Lura. It is in a sense a dialogue between a learner and the teacher of Cape Verdean music and the inevitable farewell song "Sodade" which we always feel already after the loss of this great Creole diva. We thank you, Cesaria Evora, until we meet again one day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhesEYcpa2g&feature=related

Canto & variations is a fusion of musical styles that is based on the Portuguese guitar. It's a genre that prints a melodic evolving at the instrument itself by making a deliberate break from fado. It is a breath of fresh air as they defined then selves. A new sound sideways from the traditional Portuguese music.

Why the choice of Coimbra guitar?
Angelo Correia: It's a long story. I began to study science in college and in the meantime came the opportunity to join a group of fados in the academy for several reasons that don’t need to be the point out I made my debut as a singer, but I wasn’t good enough, so, I started in classical cord instrument. My interest in Coimbra guitar came when I heard the first chords and when they offered me my first guitar. Let's say it was love at the first note. From the moment I started playing, I had classes and I never quit.

You started playing guitar in college, before that you had no musical education? You were very self-taught in the whole process?
AC: No, no. I had about a year and a half of Portuguese guitar lessons. Everything else was learned by me because I play for five years.

One of the issues blog in the Singing & Variations is that you want to break away from fado, why?
AC: We were initially a group of fado of Coimbra, very traditional, with the cap and gown, with the academic costume. We need to break out of the traditional aspect came up with the entrance of the violin in our group, as musician he’s very peculiar, he goes well beyond this classical training. He managed to grab the project that we proposed and transforms it. We have many songs that remain, so to speak, much because of him.

He also composes for the group is that?
AC: Yes, all the arrangements for the violin were made based on his own compositions.

However you also compose, I was listening to creation I and II and we see that the influence of traditional Portuguese music. How does someone who does not have any musical training can already write scores?
AC: This is a more complicated story. I do not have any musical background, except informally. I started because I like it. As I learned, I study. It's a very self-taught process. When you hold and handle your instrument, you'll know it better and you'll hear great music. No doubt that's the secret. My compositions have an influence of Portuguese music, for I have heard a lot Carlos Paredes. Never left out the traditional and the group "suffer" this descent also, let’s just say we reinvented music in our way. A person begins to write, when you know your instrument well, when you lose a lot of time with him.

So if you play more or lease for 5 years, you started composing when?
AC: At about three and a half years ago, I composed a fado and wrote two songs. The Portuguese guitar compositions have only two years.

The way they approach the Portuguese guitar, the mixture of different musical styles, are not interpreted as insults by the purists?
AC: I have to influence of a man named Octavio Sergio that has the same age as Carlos Paredes, and when he composed was also heavily criticized by purists, including Artur Paredes came to tell his that their musical scores were very good, but they were twenty years ahead of its time. Now, I'm enjoying these variations, flying from the traditional and I’ve received negative criticism from purists, the old men from Restelo as I call them. Moreover, people who listen, arrogate that my work is not to put aside everything else, but assume it's a genre that this absorbing the traditional and evolving. The key to our success is that the public always see our music as an evolution.

The stream reached international recognition through a theme they launched the Internet, another story. A resounding international success earned them the attention of the national audience, a belated recognition that did not surprised them, were they not Portuguese, but most of all islanders. From the Terceira island to the world, this band of the Azores, with feet firmly on the ground, plans to release another album of originals with a date yet to be defined.

How the strëam show up and why this name?
Toni Vasconcelos: The strëam came from another project and only began to exist as a band in 2002, I just went in 2007, because oddly enough we were all friends and I was kind of a rockie in the group. I joined as guitarist, but had the opportunity to become a singer and just stuck. The name relates to a flow, a current, a power line that is associated to our sound, which is a mixture of rock and pop more current. Two points arise in the name because another brand that had nothing to do with music,had the same name, so to avoid future legal consequences we have chosen two points.
How does a band in the Azores arrives in Australia and the top 40 World Indie Countdown, with the song another story?
TV: Curiously, all this coincided with my entry in 2007, when we tried to promote our work in a more professional manner, having regard to the market, the limitations of living on the island of Terceira and the life of a musician in Portugal. My entry somehow changed the style of the group, brought more influences as the musician I am and what I like to hear. It was then when I wrote the song "another story" and we decided to record an album in a studio in Porto in the IM studios, with Ivo Magalhães. In all four song were recorded, we chose two to promote the group, "another story" and "invisible" thru the internet which is a very useful tool for those who live on an island. Things began to take root and follow several paths to reach the tops of independent radio in Australia.
They heard your song on the Internet?
TV: Exactly, but also relied on the support of our record company and later was a snowball. Thence to a compilation of the American Red Cross, the same theme was part of the soundtrack of Tom Green movie from there we recorded our debut album, we have been promoting it and now we are on another level too modest one, given the musical prospects here in the Azores. We got on a time to rest and yet we are preparing a new album.
There was the possibility of making a tour of Australia, did this happen?
TV: No, there are a number of conditions for this to happen. Many had to give up work and now to do so without guarantees is a very big risk. Most members of the group already have families, people who depend on our work and it was risky. But that possibility did not arise only to Australia, there was also the opportunity for the U.S. and Canada. We had to evaluate very well the opportunity and not to throw us out just like that. We did so, a mini-tour across the country.

Speaking of music could not fail to mention the MCO and their homage to Mozart.

The Madera Classical Orchestra (MCO) has a remarkable work and audible in their 43 years of existence. Its most visible face is maestro Rui Massena that over the last ten years, added much irreverence and joy to our imagination about classical music through an eclectic repertoire that above all seeks to conquer new spaces and audiences, well known of the general public are the concerts with Portuguese musicians, including Da Weasel, Jorge Palma, Katia Guerreiro and Mariza. These beautiful musical events mainly served to show the versatility and virtuosity of the musicians that are part of the orchestra. I want to address however, the more classical side of the MCO forgive me the redundancy if you may, in particular, a set of five discs dedicated to the more rebellious and brilliant composer who ever lived in a world of Western music, Mozart. My preference goes to the symphony concertante No. 35, with musicians Luis Norberto and Norberto Gomes in the violin. It is an exciting and sublime interpretation at the same time. It is also a tribute to the 252 years of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus, his superb and still very modern legacy that he left for posterity. In the end I leave a little treat for the ears.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjuXSVJW8b4