ViLlaGe pArTiEs...

During the whole month of August until the end of September all the surrounding villages have their local "festas" /parties... it's often around their patron "saint" or a "theme"... It´s really a family gathering where those who are working abroad get to see all the family and spend money on various things to support those who stay here the rest of the year... There is a special mass dedicated to the "saint", there's a lot of food and drinks, and also folk portuguese music...we call it "pimba" music here, and they mostly have really bad quality and awful lyrics...

There is so many other good traditional music and songs, but the "pimba" music is catchy and cheesy, and that´s what people like... everyone has their preferences...

At least the ones who don´t understand portuguese are lucky this time...

Some may say this is a local folk tradition, but excuse me, it´s more like "rural pop" for me...

This has nothing to do with tradition... if we think of some portuguese music, it has nothing to do with this... In this region of Beira Baixa they have some good drum players, the shepherds with flutes and even bagpipe flute, the "adufe" usually played by women and the "beirã" guitar...There are also folklore dances with nice songs, usually connected to the land... 

Then we have the students, scholars, poets, artists and revolutionaries from the 70's: Zeca Afonso, Janita Salome, Julio Pereira,Jorge Palma and others...

 

where are the revolutionary songs which used to give worth and value to the rural people and their important role? 

songs that would awaken people to fight for their rights, instead of just making them numb and quiet with pretty boys and pretty girls, alcohol and other distractions...

These "pimba" bands are no more than a great business...and it's sad that people think they need these "modern" bands to show they are "evolving"... Even university students support these bands...where is this country going from here?

I wish we could do something here to really promote the more traditional culture... there's so much richness in each district of Portugal... so many traditional crafts and knowledge being lost... so many good artists which are mostly ignored...

Portugal is not only Lisbon... this is a big lie that was sold a long time ago... There are so many riches in the countryside, and so much better quality life...

It was good to go to Povoa de Atalaia and participate in their "festa", but I couldn't handle it for too long... 

It has been a busy month, and with little sleep at night as almost every weekend there was loud music from every village around... I had to sleep many times with ear-plugs, but that's ok...

It's good to keep traditions...it keeps the culture... but culture is also never stagnant, and organically changing... imagine in some years time more people moving to these abandoned lands, mingling with the ones already here , and a new culture emerging...

 
here is a song I like from Zeca Afonso...
for those who understand portuguese... If you don´t, translate it because it´s worth it :

"Quando a corja topa da janela
O que faz falta
Quando o pão que comes sabe a merda
O que faz falta

O que faz falta é avisar a malta
O que faz falta
O que faz falta é avisar a malta
O que faz falta

Quando nunca a noite foi dormida
O que faz falta
Quando a raiva nunca foi vencida
O que faz falta

O que faz falta é animar a malta
O que faz falta
O que faz falta é acordar a malta
O que faz falta

Quando nunca a infância teve infância
O que faz falta
Quando sabes que vai haver dança
O que faz falta

O que faz falta é animar a malta
O que faz falta
O que faz falta é empurrar a malta
O que faz falta

Quando um cão te morde a canela
O que faz falta
Quando a esquina há sempre uma cabeça
O que faz falta

O que faz falta é animar a malta
O que faz falta
O que faz falta é empurrar a malta
O que faz falta

Quando um homem dorme na valeta
O que faz falta
Quando dizem que isto é tudo treta
O que faz falta

O que faz falta é agitar a malta
O que faz falta
O que faz falta é libertar a malta
O que faz falta

Se o patrão não vai com duas loas
O que faz falta
Se o fascista conspira na sombra
O que faz falta

O que faz falta é avisar a malta
O que faz falta
O que faz falta é dar poder a malta
O que faz falta"