songs of blarmino

Songs of blarmino is an act of cultural redemption; is a stage documentary about the music of the songwriter Blarmino; a narrative about his talent and failure; is an exercise to listen, to understand and to stage some of his songs, with its stories and anecdotes; is a musical celebration; is a tour to the memory of the generation that was born after the revolution that took place in April 25 1974.
Using the songs and the stories around Blarmino’s music, Songs n’ comments elaborates on the the voice, the words, the poetry, and the historical meaning of an entire generation of young adults without occupation, that is jobless, that insists on taking the street to express the urgency of finding an active presence in society, but that seems lost on the claim of a path – with the exception of those who leave the country.

My work blends autobiography and the memorabilia that surrounds my generation in order to look over our history, culture and identity in a context of transition. My personal memory has been the raw material for this testimony. In songs n’ comments I use the same approach to tell the story of Blarmino. His songs are the soundtrack to an era in which the only stability is the incessant change which leads to other changes.
In this piece, that includes 13 unreleased tracks, I also use my past experience as a music critic to publicize the work of someone I consider the most relevant Portuguese songwriter since José Afonso died in the 80’s (though yet unknown to a wider audience).

direction: Rui Catalão
music: Pedro Oliveira and record songs of Blarmino
Light: Cristóvão Cunha
sound: João Bento
subtitles: Urândia Aragão
artistical residence: O Espaço do Tempo – Montemor-o-Novo
producer: [PI] Produções Independentes | Tânia M. Guerreiro   
coproduction: Teatro Maria Matos