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The Cape Verdean edition of the International Fado Festival is closely linked to the centenary celebrations of Carlos Paredes (1925-2004). Recognized as one of the most important musicians of the XNUMXth century, Paredes was not just a fado guitarist; he was an exceptional composer and performer who gave the Portuguese guitar a universal dimension.

Known as “The Man with the Guitar,” his work marked generations and paved the way for the appreciation of an instrument that, until then, was often associated only with the accompaniment of fado, but which in his hands gained absolute protagonist status.

“Carlos Paredes gives us to hear a world under the condition of eternity” – Eduardo Prado Coelho

His music, marked by melodic simplicity and technical virtuosity, continues to move successive generations, both within and outside Portugal. Compositions such as "Portuguese guitar"and "Green Years Song”, are today timeless icons, symbols of cultural resistance in times of censorship and dictatorship and today, affirmations of Lusophone identity.

The legacy

Carlos Paredes' legacy extends beyond music: he also represented a way of dignifying national culture and projecting Portuguese sensibility internationally. He worked as an archivist at the Santa Marta Hospital in Lisbon, a discreet profession that contrasted with the musical genius that accompanied him.

He was also politically persecuted during the Estado Novo, even being arrested by the PIDE, which reinforced the connection between his music and the idea of ​​freedom and resistance.

“Carlos Paredes’ music doesn’t exist.”

“There is a man sown in the soil of your country.”

“And from him it was born. And in him it remained planted” – Octavio Fonseca

By celebrating Carlos Paredes in Cape Verde, the festival pays more than just a tribute to a singular artist. It also evokes the deep ties that unite Portugal and the archipelago, territories where music has always served as a bridge between peoples and cultures.

His work, like Cape Verdean morna, carries a universal melancholy that touches all who have experienced exile, longing, or the search for identity. Thus, Cape Verde becomes a privileged stage to revive and revalue Carlos Paredes' legacy, perpetuating a tradition that belongs both to Portuguese memory and to the shared cultural heritage of the Lusophone world.

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The arrival of the International Fado Festival in Cape Verde represents more than just an artistic program. It's a symbolic gesture of cultural rapprochement that reinforces the Portuguese-speaking world as a space for sharing and dialogue. The archipelago, known for its mornas and coladeiras, now finds itself with fado, a genre that also expresses feelings of longing, love, and resistance.

Both musical traditions were born of pain and hope, of diaspora and connection to the sea. At this gathering, Cape Verdean audiences will not only attend concerts, but will experience a moment of mutual recognition, where sister cultures intersect, listen to each other, and value each other.

The New Voice of Fado

At just 28 years old, Teresinha Landeiro has become one of the most promising names in contemporary fado. With a sweet, firm voice, she has won over audiences in Portugal and abroad. Her album "To Dance and To Cry” which now arrives in Praia, is a reflection of his ability to respect tradition while simultaneously risking new sounds.

On the Cape Verdean stage, Teresinha will perform songs from her new album, which features collaborations with artists such as António Zambujo and Brazilian singer Jota.pê. The fusion of styles promises to thrill audiences and solidify the fado singer's image as a versatile performer, capable of reinventing the genre without losing its originality.

Their performance on September 11th, at the Jorge Barbosa National Auditorium, inaugurates the program and sets the tone for the festival, placing Cape Verde on the international fado scene.

Cinema and Music

On September 12th, the program moves to the Portuguese Cultural Center of Praia, where the documentary “Perpetual Motions", by Edgar Pêra. Divided into 17 parts, the film uses archival footage, testimonies, and recordings of Carlos Paredes himself to reconstruct the career of one of the greatest masters of Portuguese music.

The documentary, besides celebrating the guitarist's genius, also contextualizes his work within the Portuguese cultural and political landscape. It is, at once, an intimate and historical journey that allows us to understand why Paredes remains an essential figure, both in Portugal and worldwide.

Distinguished in 2006 at the IndieLisboa Festival with the awards for Best Feature Film, Best Cinematography and Audience Award, the film is a rare opportunity for the Cape Verdean public to experience firsthand the legacy of a man who made music an act of freedom.

The Portuguese Guitar in Cape Verde

To close the festival, on September 13th, guitarist Bernardo Couto will perform at the Centro Cultural Português da Praia for a concert/lecture. A disciple of artists such as Carlos Gonçalves, Pedro Caldeira Cabral, and Ricardo Rocha, Couto is now considered one of the most respected performers of the Portuguese guitar.

At just 13 years old, he began studying the instrument and, since then, has accompanied renowned artists such as Raquel Tavares, Camané, Ana Moura, Cristina Branco, António Zambujo and Rão Kyao.

His presence in Cape Verde symbolizes the continuity of the guitar tradition, but also the renewal of the genre through the transmission of knowledge to new generations. The concert will be an explicit tribute to Carlos Paredes, concluding three days of cultural celebration on a note of depth and virtuosity.