CULTURE
Azerbaijani, Portuguese musicians give joint concert in Baku
Baku, December 19, AZERTAC
Azerbaijani musicians and Portuguese Trio Daniel Pereira teamed for a joint concert in Baku’s Mugham Center as part of a "Sound Waves" ethno festival. Prior to the concert, Ambassador of Portugal to Azerbaijan Maria Joao Lopes-Cardoso said that last spring Portuguese Trio Daniel Pereira performed in the Mediterranean countries - Italy, Greece, Spain, and two weeks ago - in Israel. According to the Ambassador, the performance in Baku marked the first time a Portuguese band played in collaboration with Azerbaijani musicians.
Daniel Pereira Cristo is a musician, who explores the potential of ancestral instruments from Northwest Portugal. For his music, Cristo uses ancient string-instruments such as the "Cavaquinho", the "Viola Braguesa", and the Mandolin. In his singing, he reclaims the Portuguese oral tradition, while his instrumental pieces perfectly illustrate the cultural significance of these particular sounds. In this concert in Baku, he was joined by André NO (percussions) and Hélder Costa ("Viola Braguesa" and guitar).
The concert was surprisingly harmonious - Azerbaijani mughams smoothly merged into the Portuguese music. Rare synthesis of mugham and Portuguese folk music confirmed that art has no boundaries, it is a bridge between cultures and universal language that enhances mutual understanding.
This year, the Mission of Portugal, together with local partners, has more than once brought Portuguese culture to Baku. In April, the works of three Portuguese artists were shown in the “I Wanna be Adored” exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art and, in September, the ensemble “Fad Nu” played three concerts of the Portuguese traditional music Fado at Landmark.