Surprise was the feeling that dominated Samuel Úria as he heard his name at the last Golden Globes gala and took to the stage to raise the award for Best Song.
‘2000 A.D.’, the winning theme, provides, as the artist himself described, “a somewhat dystopian reflection of the current socio-political reality”. Maybe that’s why – and due to “rejecting the present” – the victory was so unexpected.
“I feel surprised, above all. The choice of theme is related to the urgency of all these factors we are immersed in, and in that sense, it was not expected to win with a song that offers more discomfort than escape,” admits the musician in an interview with Notícias ao Minuto.
Samuel Úria claims to have “no conscious relationship with the ‘mainstream'”. When writing songs, it does not “appear as a factor in the equation.” “If any of my compositions ever become absurdly popular, it will be for reasons that escape me. I even believe that if I tried to appeal to a more generalized or even generic taste, success wouldn’t be guaranteed by that conscious effort,” he highlights.
‘2000 A.D.’ uses the imagery of the turn of the millennium as a starting point to discuss the current reality. “A quarter of a century has passed since 2000, a good time for retrospectives. And in the quarter of the century before 2000 (that is, 50 years ago), the first steps of democracy were being taken in Portugal – more retrospectives are justified. Besides, there are all the symbolic, imaginary, and idealized issues around the year 2000, the turn of the century, and millennium,” explains Samuel Úria in the same interview.
In his speech at the Golden Globes, the musician, born in 1979 in Tondela, reiterated that “the present is not cool,” that “it smells bad”. When questioned about these problems and the ideals that are “fading”, Samuel Úria speaks of manipulation, of projects that “inflame” him, of the “fears and lies” that have been created recently, and the “loosening” currently experienced.
“Fifty years ago in Portugal, there were violent ideological disputes and impetuous power struggles, but the will to build a flawless democracy touched the hearts of the absolute majority of the Portuguese. We were scorched by the undeniable lack of freedom that preceded that period. Today the scorch seems to be felt less, and common goals without errors are no longer aspired to. The worst of all is the clear manipulation of the truth in whatever power projects. Of course, some of these projects inflame me more, especially because they rely on the manipulative revival of fears and lies. But none of the other sides have been exempt from falsehoods, loosening, and manipulations. The lack of commitment to truth nullifies the idea that we will be judged by the right or wrong sides of History, rather by the very dishonest or slightly deceitful sides of History,” he contends.
Shows at Coliseums on October 11 and 17
With the Golden Globe in tow, the focus now shifts to two of the country’s most iconic venues. Today, Saturday, October 11, Samuel Úria performs at the Coliseu dos Recreios in Lisbon. On the 17th, he heads to Porto to entertain the audience (and beyond) at the Coliseu Porto Ageas.
“As soon as my songs are published, the fidelity I owe them is not to reproduce them mechanically. Songs on albums are represented almost like in a photograph, on a day when they can be more made-up, more neglected, fatter, thinner. On stage, they present themselves in the state they are on that specific day, also permeable to the light and the venue, to the audience that photographs them. For the Coliseums, they will dress according to the expectation of that venue. The setlist, although centered around the album ‘2000 A.D.’, also intends to pull more rabbits out of the hat with special guests,” reveals the artist, who has seven albums to his name.
Joining Samuel Úria on stage will be “the whole 12, Carol, Gisela João, Manuela Azevedo, Margarida Campelo, Milhanas, and the Velhas Glórias”.
A future project is, for now, a blank page. “My idea for the next album is only in the word ‘next’. Nothing is being stitched yet, except for the notion that I won’t want to stop making subsequent albums anytime soon,” he notes.
Tickets for the shows are available at BOL, Ticketline, and usual locations, with prices ranging from 23 to 35 euros.
