As summer slowly begins its graceful descent toward autumn, the fifth season of Música no Forte enters its final movement. With only two sunset concerts remaining, the acclaimed MiratecArts series once again transforms the historic Forte de Santa Catarina in the village of Lajes do Pico into one of the Azores’ most evocative stages, where music meets the sea and every performance unfolds against the timeless backdrop of the Atlantic horizon.

On Sunday, August 2, at 7:30 p.m., the penultimate concert of the season welcomes Entreparentes, a group whose deep affection for Portuguese music is matched only by its commitment to sharing it with audiences through performances rich in emotion, craftsmanship, and authenticity.

Led by Antero Ávila, one of the Azores’ most respected composers, conductors, and educators, Entreparentes approaches Portuguese song not simply as repertoire, but as cultural inheritance.

“Portuguese music possesses extraordinary richness,” Ávila reflects. “For each of us in Entreparentes, performing it and sharing it is a dream come true. The music we play gains even greater meaning whenever our sounds meet the applause of those who listen, whenever the words are returned to us through the audience’s singing, and whenever the music merges with the heart of every person present.”

Those words capture the philosophy behind the ensemble. Rather than creating distance between performers and listeners, Entreparentes seeks precisely the opposite: a musical conversation in which audience and musicians become partners in preserving songs that belong to a shared cultural memory.

Born on Pico Island and now residing on Terceira, Antero Ávila has established himself as one of the leading musical figures of the Azores. He teaches Analysis, Composition Techniques, and Acoustics at the Regional Conservatory of Angra do Heroísmo while maintaining an active career as a composer, conductor, arranger, and instrumentalist. Over the years, he has performed with numerous ensembles on tuba, piano, and electric bass, bringing remarkable versatility to every project he undertakes.

With Entreparentes, however, his role extends beyond musicianship. He serves as the artistic force guiding a group whose performances celebrate the emotional depth and poetic beauty of Portuguese-language music.

Joining him are Andreia Machado, whose expressive voice is complemented by her flute playing; Gilberto Pereira, providing both vocals and guitar; Grinoalda Ávila, whose voice adds warmth and lyrical richness to the ensemble’s harmonies; and Miguel Ávila, whose percussion provides the rhythmic foundation that binds the group’s distinctive sound together.

Together, the five musicians create performances that move effortlessly between intimacy and celebration, offering audiences interpretations rooted in tradition while alive with contemporary sensitivity.

Their appearance is a fitting addition to Música no Forte, a series that has become one of Pico Island’s signature summer cultural events. Produced by MiratecArts in partnership with the Municipality of Lajes do Pico, with support from the Regional Directorate for Culture, the concert series has earned a reputation for pairing exceptional music with one of the Azores’ most spectacular natural settings. As the sun sinks into the Atlantic beyond the ancient stone walls of the fort, music becomes inseparable from landscape, history, and place.

Admission, as always, is free, reinforcing the festival’s commitment to making high-quality artistic experiences accessible to residents and visitors alike. Should weather conditions prevent an outdoor performance, the concert will move to the Municipal Auditorium of Lajes do Pico, ensuring that the music will continue regardless of the Atlantic’s changing moods.

There are few settings more appropriate for a celebration of Portuguese song than a fortress overlooking the ocean that has long connected the Azores to the wider Portuguese-speaking world. On this August evening, as voices rise above the volcanic shoreline and melodies drift across the harbor, Entreparentes promises not merely a concert but an encounter—with memory, with tradition, and with the enduring power of music to bring people together.

For one more summer sunset, the Atlantic will not simply be the backdrop. It will become part of the performance itself.

Based on a Press Release from MiratecArts, Terry Costa, founder and director. Photos from MiratecArts.