José Mário Branco still lucid and current ... 30 years later!
At the door of the 69th anniversary, José Mário Branco returns again and force the media spotlight by the hand of the economic, political and social conjucture. Suddenly, the "IMF", 25 minutes of work published in 1981, is the soundtrack of any television report, it is viewed, reviewed and commented on YouTube, is posted on blogs and social networks. All this after, curiously, in the late 80s, the author had banned its broadcast on radio, television or any other type of public display. If say, "times change, so the willing to move" ...
Written by the OPorto cantautor as an outburst of personal disenchantment post-revolutionary voice raised against conformity, consumerism and alienation, "IMF", one of the most remarkable songs of Portuguese intervention, continues to haunt most of all, the lucidity and the timeliness ... 30 years later!
Nothing to be surprised for becouse José Mário Branco was always a man ahead of his time. Man against almost everything, interventionist, philosopher and poet, freedom fighter, this songs were literally weapon. When few dared to speak, José Mário Branco sang loudly to his indignation in the Estado Novo, eventually persecuted and exiled by the PIDE in France between 1963 and 1974.
"Being Outreach," "The Night" and "IMF" are his most emblematic works, all written since after April 25 and return to Portugal. As a composer, worked with other great figures of the song intervention, as Zeca Afonso, Sérgio Godinho or Fausto. With the latter two shared the stage again in 2009, two memorable concerts, full of nostalgia and current affairs, titled "Three Cantos".
His most recent original work, "Resist is to Win" was released in 2004 as a tribute to the Timorese people's struggle against Indonesian occupation. Active as ever, there are plenty of themes for inspiration this time the composer of OPorto. In addition to the social unrest, economic crisis and degradation of quality of life seem to have "resurrected" the song of intervention. Take the case of Deolinda or Men of the Fight, elected by the people as representatives of the Portuguese in the Eurovision. The fight is back on the streets ... and the song returns to be the gun!
