Portuguese band Mão Morta will begin a new series of concerts in Braga in September, entitled “Viva La Muerte!”, “to commemorate and warn” about “the air of the times”, it was announced today.
In a press release, the Portuguese band explains that “Viva la Muerte” aims to mark the 40th anniversary of their career and the 50th anniversary of the April 1974 revolution and that the concerts will be accompanied by conferences “with political scientists, philosophers and historians, related to the themes of the show”.
“At a time when the danger of the return of fascism is palpable, Mão Morta couldn’t help but speak out and denounce the air of the times,” says the group.
The show they are preparing, the first date of which is September 28 at Theatro Circo in Braga, will feature new themes inspired by authors such as José Mário Branco, Adriano Correia de Oliveira, José Afonso or José Carlos Ary dos Santos, “who lived through Salazar’s fascism and found in that oppression and censorship the motivation to create art”.
With lyrics by Adolfo Luxúria Canibal and music by Miguel Pedro and António Rafael, “Viva la Muerte!” will also deal with the “themes of contemporary fascism”, such as “warlike ultra-nationalism, racist theories of the ‘great substitution’, the globalization of conspiracy theories, hatred of scientific knowledge and the institutions of knowledge or the call for a single, totalitarian thought”.
The conferences, which will be moderated by the musicians, will feature the participation of researchers and PhDs in the areas of History and Politics, Carlos Martins, Manuel Loff, Sílvia Correia and Luís Trindade.
After the premiere in Braga, Mão Morta will take “Viva la Muerte!” to Lisbon (October 3, Culturgest), Faro (October 11, Teatro das Figuras), Aveiro (October 17, Teatro Aveirense), Ourém (November 23, Teatro Municipal) and Guimarães (November 30, Centro Cultural de Vila Flor).
Mão Morta emerged in 1984 in Braga, founded by Joaquim Pinto – who is no longer part of the group – Miguel Pedro and Adolfo Luxúria Canibal. Their first concert took place in January 1985, in Porto, at the Orfeão da Foz.
The group, which has had several line-ups, always Miguel Pedro and Adolfo Luxúria Canibal, has released albums such as “Corações Felpudos” (1990), “Mutantes S.21” (1992), “Há muito tempo que nesta latrina o ar se tornou irrespirável” (1998) or “Pelo meu relógio são horas de matar” (2014), to which are added compilations and live recordings.
