‘Cat Power sings Dylan ’66’ marks the second showcase of this year’s Festival Jardins do Marquês, commencing on Saturday and extending until July 9 near the gardens of the Palácio do Marquês de Pombal in Oeiras.
In May 1966, Bob Dylan performed live at the Manchester Free Trade Hall in the United Kingdom, a show that came to be known as the Royal Albert Hall concert, a London venue where Cat Power recreated the moment, song by song, in 2022.
In a telephone interview, the singer recounted her tour with the album “Covers” and her desire to conclude it in the UK, seizing the opportunity to perform on November 5 at the Royal Albert Hall.
“And I immediately thought ‘yes, but I want to perform Bob Dylan’s album,'” she revealed, noting that the date coincides with the UK’s Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Bonfire Night, associated with the failed 1605 plot to blow up the English Parliament.
Cat Power had “never played at the Royal Albert Hall” before but had stood outside the venue at 23, imagining Bob Dylan departing from it.
The singer-songwriter has adored Dylan “since childhood,” and in her “early 20s,” she was “madly in love” with the musician.
Having seen him live “more than 30 times” since age 15, she credits him with changing her life, even referring to him as “God [Deus, in Portuguese] Dylan.” In her 2008 album ‘Jukebox,’ she dedicated a song to him: ‘Song to Bobby.’
When Cat Power brought Dylan’s songs to the Royal Albert Hall stage in 2022, she adhered to the 1966 concert’s format—beginning with an acoustic set followed by an electric one, with a band—and lineup.
At the time, she recalled that in the United States, “they were removing Black History from schools, banning abortions, you couldn’t say gay in school or you were expelled, you couldn’t talk about things,” noting that “the struggle for civil rights, equality, and women’s rights never ended here [in the US].”
Thus, given that “these scoundrels exist and make strategic moves for money and power,” she decided to record the performance “as a document,” possibly never repeating it.
“I record it, and perhaps the message of Bob’s words transcends and reaches university students worldwide. Maybe they learn about Bob Dylan, the resistance in the 1960s, and see the mirror in today’s times,” she shared.
Subsequently, Cat Power received offers to tour with the album ‘Cat Power sings Dylan ’66.’
Throughout the various audiences, she attracted her fans alongside individuals unfamiliar with her work but drawn by Bob Dylan, often of her parents’ age or older.
“His words hold much meaning for some generations, carry many different meanings for many different people, across countries and cultures,” she remarked.
Performing the album live since November 2023, given that “people have many feelings regarding Bob [Dylan] and his words,” has been “a privilege.”
“In doing this, I began learning things in his lyrics that I never realized when I was a kid, a teenager, or a young adult, or even when I met him by chance three nights before the recording at the Royal Albert Hall,” the singer conveyed.
Currently, “with the world’s state,” she experiences “a sort of fever” on stage, akin to what she is certain Bob Dylan felt “when creating his songs dedicated to protest movements.”
Sunday’s concert in Oeiras “will be the last show” Cat Power dedicates to the album ‘Cat Power sings Dylan ’66.’
Upon returning to the United States, she plans to “write and record,” eyeing a new original album she hopes to release next year, which she has already been developing. She anticipates it will be similar to “Sun” (2012) and “Covers” (2022), regarding “orchestrations and writing.”
Gisela João will open for Cat Power on Sunday, while the secondary stage of the festival will feature A Sul, a project by Cláudia Sul.
The Jardins do Marquês kicks off on Saturday with the Jamaican acts The Wailers, preceded by Kassav’ from Martinique and Guadeloupe and Banda B.Leza.
On Monday, June 30, performances include José González, Mayra Andrade, and Malva. July 2 is dedicated to comedy, featuring Pedro Teixeira da Mota and a group of guests: Salvador Martinha, Diogo Batáguas, Luana do Bem, Hélder Machado, and João Miguel Costa.
On July 5, the stage will host Simone, Rogê, and Aline Paes, followed by Mario Biondi, Herman José, and The Lisbon Electric 4Tet, led by Jason Miles, the next day.
The festival concludes on July 9 with Paralamas do Sucesso, Detonautas, and Zanzibar Aliens.
Ticket prices vary by day, with the lowest at 25 euros and the highest at 85 euros.
