Most people do not know how to tell a story, but it is not the case of Isabel Alçada and Ana Maria Magalhães who write adventure books since 1982. The saga which is now in its 58 volume went to the island of Madeira for another adventure, which was presented in the city Funchal, before a younger and a more adult audience who had the opportunity to make some questions to the writers, in addition to my questions.

How did it all start for this new adventure?
Isabel Alçada: We have planned "an adventure in Madeira" which begins in Funchal and ends in the capital of the island. The central characters are the twins, Teresa and Luísa who has a poodle named Caracol, a boy called Pedro who is very good student, knows all, is careful, Chico that is sporty and has a feature that we very much enjoyed, never hits the younger or the weaker, on the contrary, he protects them and the youngest is João who has a dog named Faial, a German shepherd, which we felt us it was very good to go in the history. In "an adventure in Madeira" only enter the human characters, but animals do not, because it was too complicated to move them to Funchal and decided to make a visit with adventurous eyes, or be able to imagine, have a filter to discover mysterious nooks and go into special places so we can write. We made a visit to the island, we were here several days, both have come at other times to stroll as tourists, but we had not come as writers.

Ana Maria Magalhaes: While the source does not dry out will continue. I'll explain how to look a land with adventurous eyes, when writing one of the volumes of an adventure not only we want to shine the land where history is taken place, as you must have a narrative that fits well. Then we went to the laurel forest and we were lucky, because when we got there began to fall the fog, it soon gave a mysterious look, just missing up a witch, or a gnome or a fairy and was soon decided that it will entered in the history. Imagine at then began to blink the eye, when I was in Funchal, because it wanted to join the adventure? It was the deserted islands. I told Isabel that had to get into the story and she said it could not be, because we were not there, but I insisted it had to be, because every time I look at the sea, the Desertas talk to me and you will check they enter the adventure. Then we went the caves of São Vicente and when we entered that wooden structure seemed we were going to penetrate the center of the earth, was the ideal place to happen something extraordinary, because it had the underground lakes, which are lit with a golden light and we are taking notes and photographs. Has come to my attention that children Machico complained that his city did not go in, but is that the whole island does not fit and is always a pain in the soul let whatever out. Then, there is something else, all the books in a more clearly, or more obscure way always have a novelty, in this adventure there is a character who has an unbearable temper, it seems, it can actually be just that did not grew well, but it is worth to verify if that person had problems, for example, if it lacked affection when it was little and so does not get along with anyone, sometimes we see children who are isolated, don't we? Do they have the right to be alone? Or had a problem? Had no brothers? Therefore, we sensitize in an original way, unexpected even for us, using a character entering the adventure. In "an adventure in Madeira" the character is in love with a girl and does not know if his feelings are reciprocal, he does not know if she smiled at him with an charitable look, or to be friendly, or because she smiles at everybody has problems deciphering what others think and feel and you will know him in this book. There is another place that was reserved for the adventure that is the shelter house there on the mountain, is tiny and has the door open, has a fireplace with wood logs to be able to make a fire to heat and shelter from the rain, there is nothing to steal, not to eat, but if you take a backpack with supplies can be used and the main characters end up doing it. This book has another character, John Gonçlaves Zarco, I'll tell you why, I loved to had come to him in the journey of discovery of Madeira. I cannot imagine what it must have been to see this island for the first time, if there was or not wildlife, or a warrior people who wanted to kill them, enter the territory without knowing what was inside.

What was most difficult in terms of writing in adventure books?
IA: The hardest thing was to leave some of the local part aside, because the island is very inspiring. When we landed we agreed that Madeira is wonderful and has a touch of magic to write stories for the young. We let ourselves be inspired and were in places that could not fail to come, as the House of seedlings that have all that atmosphere surrounded by cliffs. In other stories, as we are two, which in our case we understand each other well, we liked to be inspire by places, we talked to people and then the idea of one inspires the other and we write the book.

AMM: In "an alarming adventure" had an issue that we did not dominate who were the microbes, so we had to ask for help from a doctor and when we had a question we called, but what happened was often that either he had left or was in consultation and we reached the conclusion that involving an outsider is very complicated for our work. So we agreed that adventures on science are done, because this was the most complicated book.

What is your favorite book?
IA: When we have children we liked them all, when we have grandchildren we liked all, this book is like a grandson was the youngest and is our baby. Some books we liked more because things of our lives are connected, "an adventure in the woods" which is set in Sintra is linked to my childhood and where I usually spend holidays, this story has a special meaning for me.

AMM: I have too a favorite, "an adventure in Christmas holiday" passed in the estate of my grandfathers, all locations and all persons entering the history exist or have existed. Those adventures were I lived as a child, so this in my heart and I have a very special affection for this story.

IA: When we walk in a levada is a marvel, but we also know that plants are special and are part of a set which is heritage of humanity and we wanted to talk about it, carefully not to say anything wrong, so we phoned often to Aida Pompo Correia, who specially studies this forest. Although it is an adventure story, which is written must be correct so that readers have confidence about our writing and you will verify that plants of the Laurel forest have a very important role in this story.

How does this magic remains for over two decades?
AMM: I and Isabel came from large families where children were well treated, encouraged, cherished and when by chance we went to the same school in 1976 discovered quickly that we got along very well, we prepared lessons and tests together, get used to to jointly prepare the minutes of meetings of teachers, we did not know, but we've been training to write together. We started to write short stories for our students, who appreciate though, were used more by our colleagues that asked them for their classes. Until one day, we were at home in January, I do not know on what day and Isabel challenged me and said what if we sat down and started to write books to publish? What do you think? And we quickly discovered that it was easy to make long stories, why? This was important, we found out that we have an accelerated super pace, a lot of people cannot stand, we have similar ideas, we have may way the same regard at life and are accustomed to avoid conflicts, because as older sisters were used to helping to resolve conflicts. We never waste time arguing when we have a problem we stop and let aerate.

You know what is the difference between the twins?
AMM: We know, but they asked us to never revealed their secret, we promise never to tell, because a teacher word never turns back.

When focused on the work they perform together for the books, one of the issues highlighted was the fact that always introduce something new in the adventures to be all different. How do you choose these new things? Since biology, characters, etc.
IA: We always choose something worthwhile to convey to readers, something positive, it is inspiring to them, who want to know more. In the case of Madeira we spoke about the flora, we felt that the forest Laurissilva is a mysterious and charming place and then decided to go a little further revealing the plants, much depends on the circumstances and the place where the story goes. For example, there must always be ups and downs with opponents, characters that help to create problems in the case of Madeira had to find original villains because the island is a pleasant place, friendly and not the kind of place we can find evildoers.

Regarding the bandits before Ana Maria Magalhaes focused on the fact that adult readers have asked that the adventure books had not bad guys and when it happened rained complaints.
ANM: What readers wanted is that the bad guys were not so bad, that there was no violence at all, but in the saga of adventure is an action book must always be a moment of danger, we made an attempt "an adventure in land and in the sea "and the public reacted badly, so we had to create more suitable bandits history, for example," an adventure in Spain" that is country that kills bulls, eat, and sleep late, all it is excessive, so we got ourselves a gang that steals jewelry, willing to do anything. Here in Madeira we had a problem, it is a soft earth, invites you to relax, how we will finf people to do evil? We tourn our head around the subject, but will not say how we found a solution that we would never have used before.

When you think the bad guys have in mind the phrase about Portugal is a country of mild manners, is it?
IA: No, we tried that our stories are positive and the bad guys come just to create adventures, suspense, but we like the very clear difference between what is right and wrong to do so, our bad guys are not in a medium term, are not friendly, they are criminals who do wrong things and that our readers immediately recognize as reprehensible and not fancy them even nothing to identify with those characters. We have as main objective to write our stories to create taste for reading, for readers who have these ages to drove them to begin to read a book until the end and they feel pleasure in doing so, our main mission it is to create readers. But after being teachers is almost inevitable that there is if you will, a pedagogical attitude, the books have an educational component and in this regard we liked to set values. The team of central characters have a strong friendship, are different from each other, help each other, are able to join forces, they are supportive, do not lie, so there are a number of characteristics of those characters in contrast to those against whom they fight and who do not live, do not share that way of being in the world to find worthwhile help and not harm others.

You are writers for decades, there are differences between those first readers and the new generations?
AMM: What we notice is essentially that entered the new technologies, from mobile phones and the internet, all this must be part of the stories. because it is part of day-to-day. The pace of life has accelerated a lot and the adventures must also accelerate the action happen faster, but essentially people have not changed, changed the way of living.

Also focused your almost symbiotic relationship, you ge along very well, do not argue, but sometimes in certain chapters of the book there is a kind of blank where you know that the narrative has to take a leap and do not know very well how, are any of these moments?
AMM: It is already unlikely the two of us have a blank at the same time, but it has happened.

IA: In these days we stopped, we have breakfast, but never we stopped talking, we are very communicative, we talked until we feel that we have reached a time when we found something that interests us and that we thought worth writing that day, when we thought is not valley, we not insist.

AMM: The important thing is that we are both looking at the work and are not isolated, or in competition, it does not exist, what matters is writing the book. If I may have an idea, but if it she has a better one I'm glad, this has to do with our way of being and the education we receive.

How many hours a day you work together to have the structure of an adventure?
IA: Many hours a day, for example, before we have a plan that we feel it is right, we will visit the places, we talked a lot, we take notes, we often make photographs of places, is a type research / report and then write the book and the characters. We also often describe many aspects of characters that will not be effective, but no matter, we have built characters with family and did not enter the story, are there to make a set. At the beginning, of course we took much longer, less now, but the story as "an adventure in Madeira" that it was necessarily to enter more locations gives us more work than an adventure more drive in one place. Here we wanted the sites to enter in a logical construction and a narrative structure that has some sense that the reader think that is inevitable, the characters are not going to walk in the levadas the adventure takes them there.

You have reached the point where the kids will grow?
AMM: No, they will not. Only grew one year in "an adventure in school" and then stopped, because after 50 books then they will be adults, had children and went looking for a job (laughs). Each book stands on its own, for example, "an adventure in Madeira" may be the first reading.

So any reader can start reading the adventure without being just at the first?
IA: Yes, every book has a unit, they can know the characters and understand the story with volume 58.

This applies to all series?
IA: To all the books, there is no continuation from one to another narrative, the characters remain for a collection of this nature, but each book is a unit.

Sofia Branco began her journalistic career in the Público and currently holds the same profession in Lusa agency, since 2009. She is also a visiting professor in the Master of Women's Studies, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, New University of Lisbon and was elected president of union of journalists, in an unprecedented vote, as in 27 years there were no two lists to compete for the elections of this associative body.

I wanted to address some of the evolution of journalism in Portugal, this last two decades, taking into account that the new technologies have greatly alter the lives of newsrooms.
Sofia Branco: The fault is not only of the new technologies, because I think this is an argument that is used a lot to justify a number of things that are not justifiable. The economic crisis has led to profound changes in labor relations and today's journalism precarity is much more extended than in the past. The links that exist and the wages you earn is very different than in recent years, this relationship deteriorated substantially. The risk of unemployment also is associated with various factors, there is a lack of revenue, there is low sales, lack of readers, listeners and viewers and all that associated with a market that is relatively small and for which compete huge numbers of university students, which we did not had in the past, there was a boom of journalism courses far beyond the supply there is and all this together creates very poor working conditions.

But it also does not result of the concentration of several media in a single economic group, managed by investors and are seen as an investment?
SB: Yes, this agglomeration has huge effects now because they have several publications on the same roof and that for diversity is not good. Then we have a very strange phenomenon, which in the past did not happen, that is to the News Journal and the Daily News that they were two different newspapers in historical terms and also diferent audiences and today both have the same exact news and that before was unthinkable. All this has to do with the lack of resources and a word that is very fashionable that is synergy that never gives more money to people is just a professional writing for various media and receive exactly the same. It is a moot question, but the concentration has not been advantageous and additionally absorbs much of the market that is already small in terms of advertising revenue and small projects are more limited, there is no room for independent news publications.

This precariousness also has to do with the fact that there is little legislation to protect media professionals? The work load is secured by freelancers and trainees.
SB: I do not think is lack of legislation, what is lacking is enforcement. The law is equal for all, because I do not think the media workers are a group different from the other workers have labor laws as everyone else, which in the past have been much better, has protected more people than today, there is little oversight, but it is also because there are few complaints. All who work in private companies know what happens and what are the working conditions. This must be denounced and required that there is an intervention by the authority, which is not easy, why? Because a report puts at risk that person now and it may lose his jobs, even though is precarious. It is not easy to manage these situations, we have knowledge of these irregularities and thought how to do this trying to protect people? And we have professionals who confess us who prefer to have those working conditions even if precarious than having no job.

In terms of gender equality, when we talk about precariousness we speak of women are at the forefront in terms of redundancies, however, they are those that have a higher level of training.
SB: I have no data to support this argument. But if the media is a mirror of society and have no reason to doubt that it is, we know that women are more sensitive to unemployment, receive less in wages and an increase slower promotion in terms of careers, many are interrupted by maternity leave something that employers like much and here I am being ironic. However, back to stress that there are no concrete data, I do not have a study that categorically say that journalists women receive less than journalists men, but it is a fact that the Portuguese women receive less in wages, about 20%, so this is prove.

There is another aspect which is that women have difficulty reaching the top positions, you are a case apart and your route you noticed this resistance?
SB: Did I not notice, but I know it exists. The glass ceiling that exists for other professions is also found in the media. Today what happens is that you have many women in middle management, which was my case, I was editor, but in the directions there are still few. I think this has a lot to do with two aspects, first is a question of mentality that is common to all professions and all over the country and it takes a long time to change, even in the most progressive societies. Another aspect has to do with a particular generation, when it comes to management positions, in principle we are talking about a specific age range, 40 to 50 years of age and the truth is that there are more men doing journalism in these ages than women because it was initially a more masculine profession. Nowadays, it is more feminine in a new generation, not in this age and in this respect there is the combination of these two factors. Then there is a discriminator aspect by the employer when it comes to leadership by women, because they prefer they not to have children, reconciling work and personal life is not easy in journalism. They, women, on the other hand, also perhaps chooses not to work 16 hours a day, but it also should not be a rule work so many hours.

For new digital media are gaining strength because readers have changed, new generations do not embrace paper as the above.
SB: Yes, they read in a different way that is little studied, but in fact do not buy newspapers and instead of course, go to the internet and you need to know what they read and why and we know very little about these habits. This leaves room for new projects on the Internet that must also have its rules, because there are a lot of lack of such laws is not known under what conditions information is produced, the Internet is a world where there is much information available, but also a lot of misinformation. However there are many good digital journalism projects, one thing is to be a basic national newspaper, regional or local level and have a website and quite another thing is to think of a means of social communication in digital terms and it is even very interesting, because it opens the available information exprecto. What is needed is to have in mind is where they come from sources in the case of Lusa that is what I know best, the information is used and reused across multiple sites without being paid and this is serious, because it is not freely accessible.

But in Spain it approved a law in this regard.
SB: But it had to be the state to decide such a thing and finance it. At this time this is not what happens, Lusa has a majority of the state capital, but it has private shareholders, is not a public company and has employees to maintain and gain nothing with this proliferation of information. On the internet there is a lot of it, it can be used and that the copyright seems to disappear, it is so much on paper and in digital, but digital becomes much more difficult to monitor.

So you defend a specific legal regulation?
SB: No, I think that there is enough, it has to be is applied, there must be a way to work it, but if did not work for paper, much less on the Internet. Although I do not know if because of the specifics that exist on the internet will not be worth being studied and analyzed, I think there is little knowledge of what exists.

And how do you view the future of journalism, it is said that he died because nowadays anyone with a camera or video is a reporter.
SB: That's not journalism.

So what you think it's the next step?
SB: That's what people do has to do with an easy access of things, shooting a film, photographing and then write about it is not journalism. People must know how to distinguish these two aspects, to be a journalist is necessary to study and especially obeceder to its own code of ethics and that is binding as doctors, is not a journalist who wants it. Be a professional of communication obeys estrict rules and who fulfill not to be penalized for it and it has to do with a social responsibility that the citizens do not need to have, there are a number of factors such as proximity, novelty in terms of the information that ordinary people do not know. In addition, the reporter is a filter according to a code and a set of rules learned and no such idea, which is dangerous, and there is that much today, which makes anyone who is a photograph is a photojournalist. I think we will move towards a reality who comes closest to the truth is the one who makes journalism.

Then the future will go through smaller newsrooms, or accredited professionals who take digital solo projects?
SB: I think it goes there. I do not know if it will be the future. I think people will get tired of walking from one place to another, from being evicted or low wages and will create their own jobs, people like you say you are credible, they studied to be journalists, were professional and there are such a case. Digital turns out to be an easy and inexpensive access that has no paper costs, I do not think awill appear more magazines or newspapers on paper in the future it will be impossible, it does not exist. I think there is room for more projects on the Internet.

Catherine Pacheco is part of a new generation of Portuguese designers who have been claiming at the national level, but especially on the international scene by promoting the concept of Portuguese design. This young designer tries to envolve in her projecta personal touch based on her origins but also on a constant evolution in terms of methods and materials.

You're almost a nomadic, you travel to different countries in search of new experiences, had many internships in many companies. How did it start? When did you feel motivated for this kind of experience?
Catarina Pacheco: Beginning in the travel, always I had a great taste for voyages, I travel since little with my family. When I started studying design immediately I knew wanted to do Erasmus, which is a special program to study abroad for a semester, I went to England and from there I got the "bug" to make trips, work and gain experience in certain countries. Later, there was an internship for Switzerland and I ended up staying two years, I was in England again by Leonardo Da Vinci scholarship, went to work for an independent design studio, Glithero, but also had other specific collaborations in Paris worked with a group called Stihl where I built furniture. Currently I'm working as a freelancer and I'm between Switzerland and Portugal, being outside and inside is part of my way of being.

How does this influence the pieces that you create?
CP: An interesting thing happens to be out of Portugal realized how everything is different, the environment, climate, culture and when I returned to my country after these stays I looked much more attention to the materials, craftsmanship and there have made an artistic residence in the Algarve, where I was working a craft techniques and local materials. The inspiration for each project depends largely because it has to do with my day-to-day, some photos I took, a detail in a building itself, or in nature and also of where I am. But always has this look out for Portugal, has to do with my origins.

So how you print your fingerprint as a designer? How do we know that is a product Catarina Pacheco?
CP: Well, that's a good question. I think I'm still building my identity in every project I do, whether personal, from an artistic residence, or an interest I have, such as for a customer, or a brand, as in search team through materials, or a target audience. But I think gradually this identity is growing has a lot in its origin to do with my interests, I like to use color, transparencies and working with my hands with craft techniques, but it is not something tight, evolves.

How have this facility to be here and out, what is the view of Portuguese design from the outside?
CP: From what I know, and I started working in the area for five years, I think the Portuguese design had a very positive development, at the industry level we have exported more and there is already a recognition of what is Portuguese, as a product that it is designed and manufactured with quality. On the other hand, in an area not as industrial design, but more to the craft level of own production, what I notice is that there are more people doing very interesting collections and there is a greater diversity and this is very good for the area .

As a designer which is the emblematic piece that defines you? There is some work where we note that Catarina Pacheco design?
CP: I do not know, all my works represent me and are of a certain stage I went through, but there are some that are more striking than others, for example, was very important to me the masks set in the artistic residence in the Algarve. The solistice I and II was a turning point for my most copyright design. But all my projects are important because they are part of my journey of transformation and evolution in terms of my career.

Are there any more difficult or less desirable material in terms of concept?
CP: I think not. I like working with different materials, because each project has a different story, because each material is different and it is a new challenge, even if at first I do not know if it has to go to the factory, or a craftsman, I try to understand how it all works.

And some of these materials surprised you?
CP: Yes, the one that surprised me was the porcelain because when I was doing a residency at "Vista Alegre" I had a very direct contact with the production and how I had never worked with this material was a brutal process and actually in terms of way you can do almost everything in terms of porcelain. That's incredible.

In relation to your own projects, what you intend to do in the medium term?
CP: I'm currently inserted in a project in Switzerland, it is a rebranding of a brand of organic products, this has more to do part of the graphic design. Regarding the objects of design, I am preparing a new collection that is still in prototype stage, so I cannot talk more about it.

http://www.catarinapacheco.com/

The concept of solar village developed by Ines Rodrigues, won the 7th edition of the Prix Terre de Femmes. A green initiative created fifteen years ago by Yves Rocher Foundation, which aims every year to highlight an ongoing project undertaken by a Portuguese woman that leave a positive green trampled in the world.

It was in the context of its activity as a teacher and trainer and confronted with the life stories of some students from African countries that Inês Rodrigues devised a concept of solar village where the illumination of houses, preparing meals and storing food dispensed any type of electrical wire. To run the project, she created Educafrica, a non-governmental organization (NGO) to which she presides and whose volunteer study and develop solutions to real problems diagnosed in Guinea-Bissau, a country where they are subsequently implemented. By the simply reuse of water bottles, Inês Rodrigues managed to light the homes of two villages of Guinea as 50W lamps to treat. To avoid domestic accidents caused by the use of fire and pans on the floor as well as the daily logging for timber, she also created a solar oven that allows fabricate a meal for a family of five in about an hour. In order to address the shortage of food storage facilities, resulting in shortage of supplies for the population, the project of Inês Rodrigues also created a solar dehydrator, equipment that allows drying and conservation of fruits and vegetables without these lose their qualities and protein value during the period of two years. Using solar energy, she also worked on the creation of a photovoltaic system that allows light health centers and schools, allowing the assistance to people during the night as well as literacy after the workday. In addition to the national and international recognition, Ines Rodrigues will receive a cash prize of 10,000 euros, entering the race for the International Prize that will compete with eight other countries, as well as the Audience Award, worth 5,000 euros, subject to a online voting from 9th to 27th of March.

Fish Basket project ensures special mention
In a statement, the prize organization also notes that the Fish Basket project, by the biologist Catarina Grilo, also received a special mention in the amount of 3,000 euros. This project is being developed in Sesimbra and want, through the involvement of fishing communities in the marketing of the product of its activity, reduce fish waste while providing consumers with a locally sourced product at a lower price. By marketing the fish in the form of basket with consumer feature regularly receive a fixed quantity of fish, the draft Catarina Grilo allows unknown species population and low commercial value to be use in an environmentally efficient manner. It is recalled that the dozens of projects submitted to the 7th edition of the Prize Terre de Femmes Portugal were evaluated by an independent national panel made up of representatives League for the Protection of Nature (LPN); General Inspectorate of Agriculture, Sea, Environment and Spatial Planning and the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Lisbon (UL-ICS).

www.greensavers.sapo.pt

The five year anniversary is coming and to mark the occasion I decided I would like that you, the readers, wherever are you tell me what you think about the magazine. All you have to do is write in the comments of this text, that is, where they come from, why like to read my online publication and by the way what do you think should be improved? Do not worry about the language, write at will and if it is necessary I translate. Why this? Whenever I read the statistics on google analytics my excitement increases, not only by the number of people visiting me, but above all what truly makes me happy is the great diversity of people who at least are enthusiastic to the point of wanting to read about these Portuguese I interview and my personal vision of this corner of the world planted on the brink of the sea, at the same time I cannot help thinking, but then who are my readers after all? Then came the moment of know in you, well at least some, so I throw the challenge to those who want to write, to do so or not, but at least leave your testimony without fear.

Below I leave the google analytics data on the number of people visiting me per day and where they come from.

Users

1,048

Visualization per page
1,592

Pages/session
1,40

Portugal:403-35,38%
Venezuela:320-28,09%
Colombia:86-7,55%
Brazil:49-4,30%
United States:43-3,78%
Spain:42-3,69%
(not set):19-1,67%
Kenya:16-1,40%
Mexico:16-1,40%
United Kingdom:13-1,14%

Couple Coffee are Brazilians, like coffee and love to wake up late. The albums of this Portuguese band are surprising musical deconstructions, unholy crossbreed songs, patchwork of various homelands sung by the warm voice of Luanda Cozetti and instrumented by the talented Norton Daiello.

You edited three music albums that interpreted compositions of other authors and only the fourth album decided to present original. Why you waited this long to do so?
Luanda Cozetti: Look, because I have a vein of very serious artist, I really like to be a singer, I never had this thing to offer my own songs, I take the themes of other's and then make them mine. As we had three albums and had a substantial work to make versions of the originals, which we transform, give a new wave, most composers, the best known, Godinho, Palma and others started poking me, Norton as intrumentalist had melodies, but I did not, then, the original idea was to present a record of original songs where I sang and I said hey, why not? So we started a new production within the production and we already have a new album, so we will release two albums, the first to came out was a quartet that is the reading of another songwriter and then prepared "baixa voz" as the first, only my lyrics and melodies from Norton, although I had begun to compose with others, it was interesting and funny this work.

What inspired you in songwriting?
LC: I confess that I am not the kind of people that writes in the first person, so much so that one of the songs we play the most, "fourth seed," I am a male character, it may be a way for me to build a composition language. The day-to-day people inspire me, I'm colloquial in lyrics, for all that passed, for life itself. Júlio Pereira, on the album "Graffiti", asked a song that Tiago had written just for me, all this is creating a new way to interpret. We are Brazilian musicians, are a Portuguese band and in addition to the various influences of jazz, rock and more, we are already impregnated in a way to see the music through a much more mixed construction than if I lived in Brazil and began composing. I think it was the right time, I came to music elsewhere and used my Brazilian view, guinense and Portuguese from that mixed that everyone knows, but already with a very well established interpreter language, so it makes a little difference. I wrote slowly, the past few years were devoted to it, went back to play guitar, that is why I have no more decent nails (laughs), just! Sometimes, there is a plan in life and we will realize it, I thought the time to be a composer was now. It is another repertoire, but with more anxiety. As a performer or musician we know what this giving is, cames from the appreciation of others, when you are a composer changes everything, and it is very subjective, you do not know what the other will realize about your music. As a singer, I ask various songs, but not all enter the record. When you send a song for singer to record it happens the same, does my song will come out or not? And in my profession I discovered another, it does renew the dialectic of things.
Recorded three album with established composers by Brazilian and Portuguese musicians, one of Zeca Afonso, someone who you had a family relationship, by your Portuguese origins, by your father.
LC: More Portuguese is impossible with a revolutionary father (laughs). With Zeca musics I had a contact at a very young age even from the time the album "Co 'the Zeca tamanquinhas" came into my life, where there is a song about my father, Elípio de Freitas, I think it was right. I was a girl of the 70's, much dissected by those south American sonorities and this record of Zeca, most notably has a very Latin sound and it suddenly came in through my ear very easy, if it were another drive, perhaps, had not had this facility. And from there I created this relationship, my favorite song on the album was "the man with the harmonica," because I thought it was music for children, the record was colored pink and in the datasheets of Zeca I was seeing other people and that was clearing a path for other composers who came into my life, like Fausto, Sérgio Godinho, Janita Salomé, Julio Pereira, in short, so much so that with Júlio is on all albuns. I say it was Zeca Afonso that opened a whole world of contemporary Portuguese music, because when my parents were in prison I was raised by my immigrant transmontana family who heard these songs and others like Roberto Leal that amused the Portuguese community, because it was he who came, there was nothing. Then there were the ranchos, the tamanquinhas, the hoop and colorful skirts and Amalia, of course. I talk a lot of my great-uncle, a typical Portuguese of the 50's, conservative, foreman, who believed that woman were only good for cooking and procreate and were down the social scale, with Amalia was different, he said to me, let listen the goddess. So, when I went to Guinea Bissau with all Portuguese music that comes into my ear and more all contemporary music that begins to do in Portugal, the "Radio Macau", "doce" who I'm fan of, I know all choreographies and everything is a relationship and this will open the new techniques. I read all datasheets, because they open up a universe for you again, the CD lost a lot, because it's all so small (laughs). I think we should keep the "long plays" to go after the datasheets, discover who plays what.

Also have a record of bossa nova, which is also a major influence in your life.
LC: The bossa nova album was an order, then we worked with Guru, a musical company, and had been the 50 years of this musical style, had aged poor thing. So we do not even remembered to do this album because I'm half-off dates. But, as we had arrived from Brazil, no way we wanted to do a bossa nova album! (Laughs). After they said we could do what we wanted, to Norton and me bossa nova, to the new generation of Brazilian musicians, is a form of instant communication, all the world can touch the work each others, I could replace a singer, because the repertoire is of all, it was inevitable that we did not want to make a record, but on the other hand, it was also inevitable to do so. We decided to record a live concert, were 40 days, a marathon and it was fun, because it is one thing to hear, or listen to singing and make a contribution, another thing is you looking into the songs and adapt it to your language. It's a nice way to make a record and may have helped to make then the work with orignals. Zeca on the album we wanted to have this tropical language and that in Brazil nobody needed a glossary to understand what was going on and once again spoke the same language, it was an intention of ours and was fun, because everyone has their elations about Zeca Afonso, I live in a very friendly neighborhood in Lisbon and noted that when we spoke of him, his songs had greatly changed the lives of people, the language that he created, it had an impact. So we build the drive with all his universe, more ideal, it began with a "story" even the "have a convex cousin", we took the "seed train", we go to the end with tamanquinhas and besides there is an Afonso, the nice guy who went to live in Rio de Janeiro. Now there is a new edition and again the drive, although we didn't remember it was the 40th anniversary of the revolution, the album was very cherished by critics and in it I sing my father's song with Julio Pereira, the "bring again" was a song that had also purposely left out and that appears in the new edition, is a topic that conmove me very much, because it speaks of those who fell by the wayside, "no longer had the strength to continue, we have to continue the way also for those who were." I will not say that it is a debt, but it is a gesture of caring for those who fought and so we called Dad, who in 40 minutes recorded the song was very professional with two voice channels, I found it very sweet and even showed it to Susana Félix who was born long after all this, she even says "was born with the passport stamped for freedom and in a poorer world" and when she heard it told me that my father had done the song as a prayer and it is. It is a prayer of reconnection, of reattachment.

You speak of Zeca with such affection.
LC: Well, I think it's my favorite person, maybe that's why, because Zeca ... how to say this without disparaging anyone? Zeca Afonso goes beyond songs and compositions and for been the extraordinary singer he was. I am a singer that I carry with me the technique, I know everything that he put there, nothing was for free, was not intuitive, it was all very studied and placed and it seemed all so loving, even the song of my father I had a trouble sing it, because the most joyful part is very heavy, speaks of thousands who died in Brazil tortured and everybody applauds and I did not understand, took eight years to understand how it is. Zeca is much smarter, he knew with joy people will most gladly sing the chorus, come home and think. Joy does reflect more than sorrow, not must be deny, because things are heavy in the world, you should find joy even in small things and it makes a lot more for us and look , I know the size of sorrow, but so it is no a championship, suffering is no tournament, people had to take more account of this. Zeca was a man of great courage untill the early end of his life, he left too early and we missing him.

http://nortondaiellobass.wix.com/couplecoffee#!blank/cq11

Are one of the key pieces of this spring still so far away.

This spring season that seems still far away is marked by the return of culotes pants, in the collections of major brands. I'll be honest again, for a change, I do not like it. It is a kind of feminine garment that is neither meat nor fish, you see what I mean? No? I go on to explain, is not a short, but it's not a pair of pants, is more or less a compromise, which only becomes acceptable in the sports version. When I see the coordinated accompanied by sandals or high heels already I think are everything strange, with that semi-inflated balloon aspect that does not benefit any feminine silhouette, believe me, who wants to see a woman who seems to have no waist, semi-pregnant and if by some freak accident it seems that someone withdrew her of a leg section? Worse, the worse it is culotes with boots, I can only imagine that this is the preferred wardrobe of Captain Hook from Peter Pan, even missing to complete this crazy mental picture, the sword, the Hat and this famous hook accompanied by crocodile pet! No matter the color, the fabric, or the way it is framed, there is no body shape that benefits from this piece of clothing, in particular, the not very tall women flee from the culottes as the devil flees from the cross, will all give the same result, believe me, it's horrible! And do not think I make these statements lightly, I unfortunately, in my teens had a green color version which coordinated with a white and green striped shirt, photographic evidence of this attack on good taste, however, mysteriously disappeared, so, I cannot show it, but we all make trendy mistakes that later bitterly regretted, this was one of them. Then, listen to my plea, do not buy, do not use them and think about this why they exist? Does not make sense, I do not think the clothe was create for the comfort and much less for the aesthetics, is one of those garments of 70 that they should simply be banned forever and always infinitely forever and ever, forgive my redundancy.

In December 2002 Gonçalo Cadilhe begins a trip around the world without air travel that will last 19 months, which will cover 38 countries.

Always I enjoyed reading travel chronicles, because they carry me to other cultures and other ways of interpreting the world, through the eyes of the very personal chronicler. When Gonçalo Cadilhe initiated this tour thru the globe one aspect that caught the attention in his trip published by the weekly Expresso, was the author's purposeful never show his face along this audacious adventure and that was unusual because not being "contaminated" in some way by his real image little by little we discovered the traveler's personality throughout the various texts. I must confess that the mystery keep in part my faithfulness to that weekly reading. At the end of the trip when I am finally confronted with the identity of the writer was pleasantly surprised, the idea that I had created was quite another, my imagination had "painted" the image of a Latino man, older, short stature, massive, of glasses with stiff beard and curly hair, only missing almost the flap on the left eye and a wooden leg!
Another aspect that I enjoy a lot in the texts were the means of transport used, as was the case of the merchant vessels and other's alike, at the time I could not help wondering how good it is to be male in certain situations, since a solitary adventurer woman to lead out an adventure of the same nature would have to disguise herself as a man, or at least have a gun at all times. But none of these aspects pointed out withdraw the merit of the chronic describing the idiosyncrasies of the various peoples with whom he contacted and his peculiar way of looking at these new worlds. If you still do not know the work of Gonçalo Cadilhe I suggest you begin reading with this book first and then depart for a great imaginary adventure through the remaining publications. Have a nice reading.

Permission for hunting activities in protected areas of the Iberian Peninsula has generate disagreement between environmentalists and governments.

Recently, the Portuguese government allowed the hunting of wild rabbit in the southern part of the nature reserve of Malcata, a protected area for the Iberian lynx. Although, there have been no sightings of feline specimens in danger extinction for several years ago, there is now a conservation plan that expectes to reintroduce in this area the Iberian lynx and for this reason the European Union has invested thousands of euros, through programs habitat restoration of the wild rabbit population, which is it's favorite food.
The "Quercus" challenges this government option, because as stated in its statement, "it may jeopardize the recovery of various prey species that are recoverable in the area such as roe deer, deer and rabbit, and still of endangered species such as the lynx, the wolf or the black vulture. Most of the Portuguese territory can exercise hunting activity, with very few areas in the country where there is no hunting. A decision which according to the environmental non-governmental organization, "lacks any scientific basis, are not known to date no study on the populations of species that may be exploited. Moreover, the fact that Serra da Malcata Natural Reserve, like many other protected areas, meet serious operating deficiencies due to lack of human and financial resources, which is reflected in the surveillance and enforcement actions taken. The Serra da Malcata Natural Reserve is already facing severe poaching problems, so the choice to now allow hunting in this protected area will only aggravate the problems of supervision in the reserve. "

In neighboring Spain, these days, the subject of the wolf hunt was again talk of the day, after the shepherds require "control" through selective hunting activity of this species. In 2014, the governments of Spain and France sent to Brussels a petition asking for the modification of the Habitats Directive that, while maintaining the ban on wolf hunting south of the Douro river, allows its "management" north of the river. The Spanish group "ecologia en acción" is also against this measure that in their view according to statements Theo Oberhuber, coordinator of the environmental movement to the ABC newspaper, "hunting the wolves does not solve any problem, on the contrary and even cites Alberto Fernández Gil, a biologist, who ensures that "more dead wolves will lead to further damage due to the social nature of the animal, when the male or alpha female die, the group breaks down and attacks livestock. Living together is not easy. but it is possible with traditional methods of grazing: with mastiffs and collected cattle at night". What is ironic and unfortunate at the same time is that on both sides of the border were spent millions in EU funds for preservation of these various rare species of the Iberian Peninsula and in the end are the hunters who "profit" with environmental protection programs .

http://www.quercus.pt/comunicados/2016-col-150/fevereiro/4582-reserva-natural-da-serra-malcata-licenca-para-matar

He started making music in his room with a computer, a sampler, and one or two synthesizers when he was 16 years. As he learn to tinker with machines and to play several instruments, in a self-taught way, he developed a unique sound . Fame comes with the theme "chewbacca's face", a viral success that helps to launch the alter-ego of Paulo Pimenta into the national spotlight. The "mother ship Messages" is his latest album, a speckled electronic travel with ironic lyrics and a certain nonsense that has become the PZ brand image.

You are a nonconformist artist or an avant-garde ET?
PZ: Not satisfied with some things, but I do not take myself too seriously, so my music has some ironic aspects, humorous and some cynicism towards society in which we live in. I try to give a very different view, but related to our culture, on certain aspects that are relevant to me, using this there, irony and some "nonsense", but always with Portuguese elements.

In my view some of the latest album reflects the themes which you already said has this nonconformity.
PZ: Some.

Note in the song "censorship" even you approach the problems that we debate now in Portuguese society.
PZ: I think so, I like to work in a modern perspective in terms of lyrics and music. Currently in Portugal we are living hard times, but at the same time is a country with good things, I like to mix it all and not have this depressive attitude to what is going on, but I try through music show a side not so gray, but with hints of black humor. The lyrics are everything that influences around me in the city I live in, the time in which we live. I like to explore these simple themes, the day-to-day in my music.

This record is more electronic than my previous work with a sounded more like the 70's, this has a more sophisticated sound.
PZ: That's why it is called "sophisticated rude" because that sound of the 70s and 80s comes from drum machines and synthesizers that use that time, I really like that kind of sounds. In this new album I use the guitar, the bass, but it is the most purely electronic, I used more synthesizers, with programming bits, sometimes I played the bits, is more programmatic and mechanical this "mothership messages". The electronic base is PZ signing, gives me the freedom to have whatever I want , it is my way and exposes my influences from techno, electronic and hip-hop have always been present.

The "sophisticated rude" there was some controversy with some of the songs in particular chewbacca's face.
PZ: "The chewbacca's face" is not from the "sophisticated rude", was a collaboration I did with DB, a musician who is from Gaia and who does the bits, so it's called DB plus PZ, we made two musics the "chewbacca's face" and "You are my bitch." It was an interesting project, because today with social networks arise these collaborations, via email he show me his music, he had an instrumental base which is the song "chewbacca's face" in are bits from the album called "retroactive" I heard the melody and remembered a refrain over a chick that had faced chewbacca, I just laughed and tried to make a story around it. From there we met, we got alone very well and he accompanies me in the concerts. Then I did a song for him to sing over, "you are my bitch." The controversy surrounding the song "chewbacca's face" came up with the provider of RTP.

Accusing you of being sexist.
PZ: Yes, at the beginning it was all about the coursing, then she went further and said it was immoral that denigrated the role of women in today's society. I think it's a very serious interpretation of the music and had no sense of humor. Most people realize that the song is a parody and I never had the purpose to offend anyone. It's a song for people to feel a different tune, that's funny, but that obviously is not to be taken seriously. I think it has to do with the usual macho conversations we have with friends, women also have this kind of conversation, I tried to explore a little, not to create taboos and explore them in a funny and entertaining way.

You considered yourself as a cocooning musician? You write your music individually, in your world that is your room, which disposes of all kinds of new technologies, almost agoraphobic. Do you think it is generational or arises rom your introvert, more intimate nature?
PZ: I think it's a mixture. As I say in "100% natural", which is almost the tone for the album "is an essential mix for my superficial way." It is also something generational, because people, 90's and 2000, can do their bit music in their private space, you can create a theme composed in your home comfort, but I'm not agoraphobic, also like being with other people obviously. In fact, I am not very expansive, I am it through music that gives me the freedom to do whatever you want inside my musical aesthetics. Yes, I am also a person who likes to make intimate music, different, explore my inner through things that come from the outside, but I think this is the basis for anyone who makes music, not just only in the lyrics but also for the instrumental parts. I've had other projects, for example, with my brother, in 2008, I launched through my "Meifumado" record company, he plays in Dixieland band that is an improv group which I also play, I have several different facets, but the PZ It is a more interior and intimate journey.

Your alter ego is also a very personalized vision, because you think there is not space for anyone else.
PZ: It is more nowadays in live concerts. I have two friends who love and know how to play my music, that's Fernando Sousa and André Simões. In Porto we have a community of musicians who we played with each other to perform live our in personal projects, then become part team. At first I started playing alone on my machine and pajamas, then I brought my musicians to play synths, bass and guitars. We now have a mothership which was a video project developed by a group of my friends, for PZ, and there's my music, part of me and my way of doing things, then to show the taste abroad involves more people and include all these elements in the performing arts.

You also have a very own image, that's why we also have created a recordr label?
PZ: I was unconsciously created it when it did not exist the PZ project. My first album, the "anti-bodies", which I launched in 2005 was perhaps the most important because it was very intimate, I was out of a clinical depression and so I started making music and was nearly a therapy, hence the name. After this gave me freedom to edit, do things our way. We have no timings, we have no deadlines and when we want to launch a video clip we launched, we contacted with other bands, this time the record labe has grown we have the "gap of mind" the "expeão" and edited the first album "we trust" which was recorded in the studios "Meifumado". Also we recorded already work for other people, my brother, Zé Pimenta has worked with the "Capicua", the "dead hand" and many more. It was unconscious, but the "Meifumado" gives us the freedom to do what comes to our mind, but always with a very personal and caring nature.

This extends to video clips? Because although they seem to be very homemade seem there is a care and are not made at random.
PZ: Did arise at random, "what matters to me is you" and "sidewalk" were ideas that came to me at the time, tried to do some takes then not so good as well. The "sidewalk", the stripes appearing in the garage were made by a cousin of mine who uses this space for his artistic projects, which is the David Gonçalves. I got there a day to make another music video and decided to do about the it. So are things that come naturally, it was three and I was with insomnia, put the camera on and I began to dance and these self-produced end up having that personal touch and I hope that is special too.

They're also OPorto. It is very important to show the city?
PZ: It's very important. Only is the city where I live, is my city where my friends live, my family although it is Famalicão, I studied in Porto and enjoy living in this city. My closest culture within the portugality is the Oporto, the North and I try to show it as well as expressions using the north and it shows in the music, I must say it. So much so that I think Portugal have fantastic sights, it is a privilege to play as PZ in places like Lisbon, the Azores or Madeira, are sites that due to my laziness would be unlikely to know, but it was possible, through my music.

I know you are an intimate musician, but the concerts do not cause you some anxiety, even though the mother ship and all the musical engine behind?
PZ: Well, you never know how many people will show up at concerts, but lately has run so well the shows that I enjoy myself even on stage, for me are unique experiences and I like more and more to play live.
Of the three albums, especially the former, there would be something would you change?
PZ: I do not think things are so, are musical pictures of the moment, would not change anything. When I want to do new things make a new album.

What better reflects you as an artist?
PZ: I think it's always the last, are the latest thinking and it's always hard for me to see outside. The "anti-bodies" was special because it is the first and defines a bit my line, "effervescent" is a personal anthem and was one of the first songs I did as PZ. The "sophisticated rude" also because I began to notice that my music has reached more people, I developed my videos, I began to give more concerts and was a milestone, I even really like the name and the last, "messagem from the mothership" for that reason. I have no favorite depends on the time.