Sly and the Family Drone, MMMMOOONNNOOO, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs … silly band names are not in short supply at this rural Portuguese festival. Neither is a glorious spirit of musical adventure
There has been a noticeable revitalisation of the club scene in Portugal, not to mention parallel upshifts in the country’s rock and pop over the last few years. Several waves of African influence have helped cement Angolan kuduro as a dynamic creative force, in both the mainstream via popular acts such as (the now dormant) Buraka Som Sistema a decade ago to the more recent and relatively underground batida scene, centred round the incredibly vital Príncipe Discos label – a focal point for the kuduro/kizomba/tarraxinha/grime/house/techno hybrid sound which was incubated in Lisbon’s poorer districts before emanating outwards toward the rest of the country.
There are numerous reasons for all of this, according to Portuguese music promoter Joaquim Durães, such as a reawakened sense of national cultural pride – but he adds that the country’s liberalisation of drug laws in 2001 has played its role as well. Now less likely to find themselves in “sketchy” and “stressful” situations, musicians (well, the ones who seek chemical and herbal solutions to creative problems at least) have more time to concentrate solely on their art. With attendant addiction, illness, death and violence all reduced, the feelgood factor has affected audiences as well, with gig and club going apparently now a friendlier, more inclusive and more chilled experience.
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