A concert is scheduled for August 29 at the Casa da América Latina in Lisbon.
“The Arapy Aguaçu Project — Symphony Between Two Worlds aims to promote a unique cultural and musical encounter between young Brazilian indigenous musicians and musicians from Madeira, valuing and spreading the musical traditions of both peoples,” the Madeira Mandolin Association explains in a statement.
The initiative, conceived by Eduardo Martinelli (Brazil) and Norberto Cruz (Madeira), is part of the first international tour program of the Indigenous Orchestra, with performances planned in Portugal and Spain.
“Through the fusion of traditional instruments and repertoires from Madeira and Mato Grosso do Sul, the project seeks to create a collective artistic experience that strengthens intercultural dialogue, the preservation of intangible heritage, and the construction of bridges between Brazil and Portugal,” notes the Madeira Mandolin Association.
The concerts, with free entry, are scheduled for Saturday at 9:00 PM at the Municipal Garden Auditorium in the center of Funchal, and Sunday at 6:00 PM at Forum Machico, a city located in the eastern part of the island.
Arapy Aguaçu — Symphony Between Two Worlds is part of the commemorations of the bicentenary of the Treaty of Rio de Janeiro, signed in 1825, which sealed peace, friendship, and alliance between Brazil and Portugal after independence.
The Mandolin Association emphasizes that the project aims to “raise public awareness of cultural diversity and promote the inclusion of historically marginalized communities,” highlighting the musical richness and identity of Brazilian indigenous peoples in dialogue with Portuguese tradition.
According to information available on the Indigenous Orchestra’s website, the show creates a “unique fusion between ancestral Brazilian rhythms and Portuguese musical tradition” and, in addition to valuing indigenous culture, reinforces the importance of cultural exchange as an instrument of social transformation and identity strengthening.
Comprising about 20 children and adolescents from the Terena and Guarani ethnicities, the Indigenous Orchestra of Brazil, under the artistic direction of Eduardo Martinelli, was created in 2016 in Campo Grande, the capital of Mato Grosso do Sul, and offers free classical instrument education.
It also aims to “rescue and preserve music from the Brazilian songbook, the Pantanal of southern Mato Grosso (a region near the community where they live), and indigenous traditions.”
The Madeira Mandolin Association, currently chaired by conductor Norberto Cruz, was established in 2000 with the aim of bringing together all mandolin players, tunas, and orchestras in Madeira and promoting research, dynamization, and development of the region’s musical heritage.
In 2022, the Regional Government of Madeira awarded it public utility status.
