Quinta das Alagoas participated win two activities of the VIII Festival Birdwatching and Nature Activities, held between October 4 and 8, 2017.

• Megalithic Sunset | Illuminated Night Walk | Mythological Birds & Astronomy:

A 3-km night interpretive tour in about 3 hours along the megalithic itinerary of Pedra Escorregadia in Vila do Bispo. The tour was conducted by the archaeologist Ricardo Soares (Town Hall of Vila do Bispo) and Fernando Pimenta (European Society for Astronomy in Culture) of Quinta das Alagoas. Along the way, various information were transmitted about the megalithism and the remote cultures responsible for the monumentalization of these landscapes in Prehistory. The decorations inscribed on the menhirs were observed by the technique of directed light, revealing secrets that daylight can hardly glimpse. The relation of the menhirs with the astronomy was also approached.

Already on a celestial stage, participants had the opportunity to take a walk through the sky and discover some mythological stories about the birds of the deep sky and some notes on astrophysics.

(photos courtesy of Ricardo Soares)

• Light – Experiments with Light | Bird orientation by the skylight polarization, the sun, the movement of the stars and paramagnetism | Sun Watching

What color is the sun? Why is the sky blue? Why is the sunset red? Why are the clouds white? How to form a rainbow? What is the skylight polarization? How do birds orient themselves with the sun, the sky and the stars?
During this session we made several experiments and heard some answers to these questions!
The activity ended with a safe Sun observation by projection and through a solar telescope:
Photosphere and sunspots (observation in visible light, by projection)
Chromosphere, filaments and protrusions (observation by emissions in the alpha Hydrogen band).

It was with a spirit of great friendship that we celebrated thr International Music Day. To João Pedro Cunha and to Elena Tsouranova we thank the magnificent concert, with a performance that moved us to tears!

After the Concerto we shared some typical Algarvian dishes, highlighting boiled corn (polenta) in different variants!

The celebrated trumpeter Hugo Alves, founder and artistic director of Orquestra de Jazz do Algarve, played in OJA Trio by Hugo Alves, together with Diogo Russo on piano and Luís Henrique on double bass, for a great Jazz moment in the “Eira” (treshing floor) of Quinta das Alagoas.
The themes to presented, were from the American Standard Songbook: mild popular melodies, in a very simple and acoustic dress, so often used successfully by Jazz players. Several authors will be remembered, particularly Cole Porter and Richard Rodgers, two of the greatest figures of the 20th century in the area. It was a special sunset, in a special place!

Quinta das Alagoas was very pleased to associate once more to the International Strings Festival of the Music Academy in Lagos and, as in the past two editions, bring an explosion of Cello strings to our farm, with the participation of Professor Paulo Gaio Lima.
The X edition of the International String Festival, went from 21 to 29 July under the theme “Holidays with Music in the Algarve” and was intended for musicians, especially strings, from Potugal and abroad, who wished to combine holidays with the study of their instruments, guided by international-class teachers and the preparation of solo repertoire, chamber and orchestral music. The course consisted of Masterclasses Solo, Masterclasses Chamber Music, Orchestral Tests and Individual Study. The daily exchange of musical experiences among the dozens of young performers and the participation in various concert activities in different places in the region contributed to its projection across borders, giving it an innovative concept of Cultural Tourism, in an idyllic summer setting and in a historical seaside  region.

Dream lead life and hope is a beacon that guides us and gives meaning to our steps. If some assure us that only summer nights are nights of dreams, then let us dream about the freshness of the new beginnings, the yearnings for change, the desires for harmony, and for peace in a lasting way.

In this program, we highlighted these states of mind: with Puccini, Magda’s hope of convincing “Babbino” to let her marry the beloved prince. With Liszt, the dream took the form of love or the desire to be King. With Mahler, we followed the dream of a soldier, at war, who aspired to return to the arms of her beloved.

To Ângela Silva and João Rosa our thanks!

Quinta das Alagoas is very pleased to organize, at the time of the “Maias” celebration in our region, a Jazz Concert in our farm.

The “Maias” are a local tradition that celebrates Spring, while exorcizes evil spirits and has roots in Roman and Celtic traditions. Large rag dolls were filled with rye straw and bran, dressed in old clothes, adorned with flowers and arranged in crossing sites with popular verses, satirical sayings and social jokes. Doors, windows and balconies were decorated with branches of yellow gorse, to “not let May come in.”

To Hugo Alves, for whom we have the greatest admiration, and to João Frade, for whom we have a great expectation, we thank their availability to be among us. To Orquestra de Jazz do Algarve we thank the collaboration for organizing this event of project Morphosis. The Morphosis project gives wings to improvisation on themes written thinking about the potentialities of the trumpet and the accordion. The author of the project, Hugo Alves, invites João Frade to a duet in which they will explore original themes and that began with North American Standards.

The aZZul project is the excellent result of the creative work of two musicians of completely different musical origins and education: on one hand, Tuniko Goulart, Brazilian musician, born and raised among musicians, with a very own style resulting from his self-taught formation based on the “school” of great masters of music and on the other hand Vasco Ramalho graduated in percussion at the University of Évora, with a postgraduate degree as soloist marimba at the Royal Conservatory Antwerp – Belgium and several participations at international festivals, in the US and in Europe.

What united them? A great friendship and a great respect for music, real music.

In the XIX century, with the rise of the bourgeoisie its importance and influence in the world of arts, chamber music became popular in the private European salons. It is in this context that a new song genre emerged in the Portuguese musical scene that quickly gained popularity. “Modinhas” became the private salon song par excellence in Portugal, as well as “Lundum”, a style of song that derived from an Afro-Brazilian dance. The evolution of these songs took place on a constant journey between Portugal and Brazil and resulted in a fusion of styles whose sonority captivated the listeners in the courts in Portugal and Brazil, as well as in the salons of the upper bourgeoisie. Of amorous subject, a syncopated rhythm accompanied the exaggeratedly romantic and languid phrasing, enfolding the song with an exotic sonority. Accompanied by harpsichord or guitar, it is believed that this genre of song was at the origin of “Fado”. The “Modinha” had also an evolution incorporating the sound typical from the Italian opera, in vogue at that time. The popularity of this style of song was confirmed in several chronicles of distinguish foreigners traveling in Portugal. This recital allowed the public to be introduced to an important part of the Portuguese classical music of the XIX century, with the interpretation of some of the most popular “modinhas” and emblematic composers, accompanied by the sound of a XIX century romantic guitar and by Daniela Tomaz, the special invited guest that played flute and percussion.

The Piano, powerful and delicate, so different from a flute, feminine and sensual, or a viola, seductive and captivating. Together, they played works of the purest romanticism, passages of great virtuosity and delicate notes of deep poetry. The apparent differences between these instruments, rather than weaken the collective, enhanced the unforgetable experience.

In the troubled times we live in, we find of the greatest importance to highlight three cultures that form a fundamental part of the European cultural root. These cultures with a common past and near origins were able to live together over long periods, particularly in this great Sagres cape where Quinta das Alagoas is located. We think that today the values of diversity in culture are more important than ever. So we welcomed Eduardo Ramos, Joaquim Pedro Galvão and Rui Afonso that in this concert “Reviver o Al-Garb” interpreted musical pieces and sang Arab poets of Al-Andalusian Al-Garb, composed by Eduardo Ramos, as well as musical medieval pieces from Christian and Jewish Sephardic cultures from centuries XI to XIII.

After this Concerto na Eira we served some food with Arab, Jewish and Moçarabe inspiration.