“We thought it would be wonderful to celebrate Cape Verde’s 50 years of independence, and for that, we decided to organize a concert with the Gulbenkian Orchestra and Choir,” stated António Feijó, president of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, moments before the event that began at 9:00 PM on Friday (11:00 PM in Lisbon), in the city of Praia.
The president emphasized that the foundation maintains a close relationship with Cape Verde that goes beyond culture, providing support for mathematics education in universities, secondary schools, and postgraduate studies, as well as projects in oncology and the arts.
“We want to tell Cape Verdeans that we celebrate this date with them and that our connection will continue,” he stressed, adding that the program is mainly composed of Cape Verdean music, performed with the participation of musician Mário Lúcio, whom he considers “exceptional.”
The concert, concluding this Saturday, follows a project initiated three years ago by Mário Lúcio, who, in addition to being a musician, is a painter, poet, and former Minister of Culture of Cape Verde.
“We are here sharing Cape Verdean music with European classical music, creating a cultural and sonic confluence. We are all very happy to bring this performance,” said Mário Lúcio during the concert.
The anticipation is for a “memorable concert,” which for many, was the first live experience with an orchestra.
“It’s the first time I’ve attended a concert like this. When I saw the announcement, I was immediately interested and brought my young son to see how it really is,” shared Nuno Ribeiro, who was already familiar with Gulbenkian’s work through videos.
“I think it will add something to Cape Verdean music and take it to another level. It becomes more known, attracts other audiences to our culture, and ignites in us the desire to do more,” he added.
For Rosa Pina, it was also a major debut: “I came to have fun, see the concert, and try it for the first time. I think initiatives like this should continue so we have more cultural diversity.”
The concert, concluding this Saturday, follows a project initiated three years ago by Mário Lúcio.
The premiere took place in June 2022, with three concerts at the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, leading to the release of the album ‘Cretcheu’ last year.
Founded in 1964, the Gulbenkian Choir and Orchestra are two artistic ensembles of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, based in Lisbon, and are among Portugal’s leading musical institutions, having appeared in major international festivals.
