The ninth edition of the Cordas World Music Festival, known locally as the Cordas Festival, opens on World Music Day, October 1st. The event is open to all players of Viola da Terra do Pico and other strummed and plucked string instruments to come together at Madalena’s Biblioteca Auditório and be part of the tribute to the great Azorean musician Aníbal Raposo.

“Aníbal Raposo has been part of the MiratecArts network since the Association was founded,” admits artistic director Terry Costa. “We hadn’t yet provided an opportunity for the participation of this, one of the greatest regional musicians, who this year celebrates seven decades of life and is approaching five decades of musical career.”

From the Teatro Universitário do Porto in the seventies to RTP Açores, the musical groups Construção, Rimanço, and Albatroz, and Alakandah, his work reaches younger generations who produce new arrangements of his songs and embrace his new lyrics and compositions. Recordings include: “Maré cheia” (1999), “A palavra e o canto” (2006); “Rocha da Relva” (2013), “Mar de Capelo” (2017), “Falas & Afetos” (2020) and in 2022 he released an album entitled “Luz do Tempo” with 17 more originals.

Aníbal Raposo will perform at the Cordas Festival for the first time on October 1 at the Madalena Auditorium. Doors open at 8 p.m. for the evening’s program, which includes the artist sharing some of his most iconic songs after local groups Duo Ilha Negra e Amigos and Grupo de Amigos da Tradição have performed.

From October 1 to 13, the municipality of Madalena, on the island of Pico, is on the stage for the ninth edition of the Cordas Festival, which includes 40 free events and workshops, and masterclasses for the public interested in learning more about chordophones. Musicians visit local schools, and in addition to evening concerts, there are daytime events that encourage the participation of senior citizen groups, among others. For more details visit festivalcordas.com and join MiratecArts’ social networks.

From MiratecArts-Translated by Diniz Borges