I
know a little place in Coimbra...
Dafydd
MacLennan
If
I were to bring up Portuguese music, anyone who’s lived in the
country for longer than five minutes will assume that I am about to
talk about hefty Portuguese men in sweeping black cloaks just oozing
with saudades and bawling about how much they love Coimbra and how
sad they are that they and/or their loved one has to leave: Coimbra
tem mais encanto na hora de despedida.... etc.
etc. Although there is absolutely
nothing wrong with a bit of Fado from time to time, indeed as a keen
lusophile myself am a fan (sometimes). However you may be pleased to
hear that Fado is far from being the only music that the traditional
streets of our beloved Portugal has to offer, and I’m sure that are
times when you want to listen to something a bit different and, dare
I say it, alternative. Well that can indeed be found on the most
traditional of Portuguese cities on of the most traditional of
streets: In the heart of Coimbra’s historic centre is Salão
Brazil.
If
you listened to last week’s Babel show on Salão Brazil, you’re
already going to know exactly what the place is about. It is the
heart and soul of the non profit Jazz association Jazz
ao Centro Clube or JACC. Before I go on
to summarise and comment upon what was discussed in this week’s
report, I though I would briefly throw some history about the place
in your faces. Read on...
JACC
is a non profit cultural association which was established on the
30th April 2003, as a result of a cultural event which was supported
by “Coimbra National Capital of Culture 2003” called Jazz
ao Centro - Encontros Internacionais de Jazz de Coimbra.
And
so this festival was thus held every year, and continues to be. It
also works in partnership with the Portuguese publishing house which
specialises in Jazz “Clean Feed” where they release a series of
disks called “JACC Series” which is a compilation of live
recordings of events which are organised by the Club.
In
June 2005 JACC launched the ambitious project of publishing its own
Jazz magazine (Check it out! jazz.pt
– revista bimestral de Jazz)
which far outlived the average lifespan of this type of publication!
It was even recognised by by the Ministry of Culture as a thing of
Superior Cultural Interest. (Oooh)
In
2007 it launched its new project Portugal
Jazz – Festival Itinerante de Jazz
, which is based upon the nationwide education and promotion of Jazz
music through taking it to every town in Portugal. And since this
ambitious goal is in the process of being achieved along with the
hard work being put in by Portuguese Jazz musicians this event has
been recognised by the highest Portuguese national authority: The
President! Oh and it has also been awarded the status of a thing of
Superior Cultural Interest... not bad!
Of
course the heart of this organisation lies deep in the Baixa of
Coimbra at its main venue Salão Brazil, which is what last week’s
radio show largely talks about:
Our
show begins with one of Babel’s many Estonian reporters Lauri’s
(or as he is known in these parts: Lourenço) [I can definitely
sympathise with the need to adapt an unusual name in this country. .
. just call me Daveeed!]
night out in Salão Brazil where he checked out some live music and
caught up with some of my colleagues in order to learn what the place
is about. He began by interviewing a past intern from the Czech
republic: Štěpánka, who was certainly feeling the Saudades
as this was her final concert at the club after having worked there
as an intern for 3 months. It becomes very clear that this place has
been very special to her, for her; it is a home from home; it is the
place to be. With four or five concerts a week held in such a
beautiful space, in such a quintessentially Portuguese setting with a
alternative twist, I certainly agree with her when she says that
“places like this are special”.
Indeed
when one thinks of a Jazz club nowadays, the image of a smokey room
full of hipsters springs to mind. Thankfully, this is not the case,
as Štěpánka says, in Salão Brazil, there is no stereotype, this
place is frequented by everyone, the young and the old, the
Portuguese and the International, the hipsters and the chronically
uncool. (like me!) - This is what makes places like this special.
Another
interviewee at the club says that this place is so important because
it is the place for
Portuguese bands who are just starting off, because whilst there are
indeed great Jazz clubs in Lisbon and Porto, you have to be
recognised on an international level to even dream of playing at such
venues. That is why Salão Brazil is special for him, because it
gives new music a fighting chance!
escutar
= to listen
dançar
= to dance
conhecer
novas pessoas = to meet new people
sentir
= to feel, observe or experience
Back
in the RUC studio we interview the president of JACC José Miguel and
yet another Czech, the fabulous Martina. Zé Miguel goes on to
explain a bit of the organisation’s history (see above) and
modestly tells us about his own record label which records the music
of budding Portuguese musicians who want to put their music out
there. The label’s releases also includes collaborations with
musicians from other European and Lusophone countries. Indeed this
label is what JACC is all about - sharing Jazz and new music with
people from all over Portugal, Europe, and the world. He mentions
some names such as Maria João, João Paulo Esteves da Silva and
António Pinho Vargas. I dare you to check them out on Youtube!
Zé
Miguel proclaims that JACC was a dream for him and in the last year
with the opening of Salão Brazil he has
lived that dream. He doesn’t view
Salão Brazil as a place only for concerts but a place for meeting
people and talking - and to dance
cuts in Martina.
Martina
works at University of Coimbra’s Division of international
relations (I’m sure you’ve all seen her around Casa da Lusófonia
smiling the day away!). She also spends her free time helping out at
JACC after having met Zé Miguel at a Portuguese music festival in
the Czech Republic. Her favourite music is fusion music, i.e Jazz
with a bit of ethno or rock mixed in. “I guess you could call it
world music” she says.
Zé
Miguel says: Sometimes it’s hart to keep this dream a reality as
there is little support from the state, but he doesn’t complain.
JACC always welcomes people to help- its
not something he can do alone. And this
is definitely something I agree with. I will be volunteering at JACC
from December onwards, and ever since I decided to come and help out
I have been made to feel nothing but welcome. This place really is
special, as they say in the show being
part of JACC feels like being in a movie.
Make sure you check it out whilst you’re in Coimbra, you won’t
regret it.
Obrigado
por lerem, BJS!
