Posts Tagged ‘lisbon’
Songlines Music Travel Trips 2013
Posted on October 27th, 2012 in Music Travel, Recent Posts by Edward Craggs.
The weather is turning chilly and the sun is disappearing, so it’s only natural that we start daydreaming about trips to sunny locals. But if you daydream of more than just beach towels and colourful drinks with tiny umbrellas, then a music safari – full of exciting sounds and culture – may be just what the doctor ordered.
Songlines Music Travel is delighted to announce our list of exclusive music trips for 2013.
(c) Alex Robinson
Cuba – New Year
December 29 2012 – January 12 2013
December 29 2013 – January 13 2013
Enjoy a new year like no other in Havana before heading East.
Jamaica – Caribbean Vibrations
January 2-13 2013
Experience Jamaica’s extraordinary music ’on the rock’, whilst enjoying the extraordinary landscape, beautiful beaches and tasty food of this vibrant island.
Brazil – Carnival in Recife
February 5-15 2013
Celebrate in the world’s biggest and best street parties during the Brazilian Carnaval season. Leave your inhibitions behind and prepare for a riot of sounds and colour.
Bamako, Ségou and the Festival on the Niger*
February 9-18 2013
February 9-19 2013
Visit the capital Bamako and further along the Niger, the charming town of Ségou as it celebrates the Festival on the Niger, one of the best festivals in West Africa.
Zanzibar – Sounds of the Spice Islands
February 11-18 2013
February 11-22 2013
Explore the wonderful sounds of the Spice Islands, including Sauti Za Busara festival.
Jerez – Flamenco Festival
March 1-4 2013
Andalucía is the birthplace of flamenco, making Jerez a fitting host for the world’s leading flamenco festival. Enjoy shows by top festival acts and flamenco at its roots in the lively clubs and bodegas.
Senegal – Never Mind the Mbalax
March 15-24 2013
March 15-25 2013
Senegal’s capital, Dakar, is renowned for its mbalax and hip-hop. We also visit the historically important Gorée island and St Louis, West Africa’s first French settlement.
Cape Verde – Kriol Jazz Festival Praia
April 9-16 2013
Home to the world famous ‘barefoot diva’ Cesaria Evora, this festival takes place on one of West Africa’s little-known island nations.
Cuba – The Music of Cuba
May 4-18 2013
May 11-18 2013
From Havana to Baracoa, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Camagüey and Trinidad, exploring the captivating music in each area.
India – Rajisthan Musical Adventure
October 9-22 2013
Our musical adventure delves into a soul-inspiring part of the world: the desert state of Rajasthan. Stopping off for workshops and seminars with local experts, performances in the desert and interactions with extraordinary artists, the tour culminates in the famous Jodhpur RIFF, the Rajasthan International Folk Festival, hosted in the Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur.
Lisbon – The Home of Fado
June 13-16 2013
For fans of Mariza and all things fado, discover where Portugal’s most distinctive music was born less than 200 years ago and the sample lively Brazilian and Cape Verdean scenes.
June 20-24 2013
June 20-27 2013
Each June, the Moroccan Atlantic coastal town of Essaouira hosts the extraordinary Gnawa and World Music Festival. Our tour offers a long weekend trip with two full days to enjoy a range of music and the opportunity to explore the narrow lanes of the old walled medina and the wonderful long beaches beyond.
June 24 – July 1 2013
Sarawak, on the northern coast of Borneo, retains a strong cultural identity and is home to a diverse range of indigenous ethnic groups, and the extraordinary Rainforest Festival.
Serbia – Guca Brass Band Festival
August 7-12 2013
Guča’s brass festival, which has been going since 1961, is one of Europe’s wildest events. This trip allows you to enjoy the raucous festival and spend some time exploring the lively city of Belgrade.
Malawi – Lake of Stars Festival
October 2013 (8 & 11 days) - TBC
Mali – The Beating Heart of the Mande Empire*
October 12-21 2013
This trip explores the music scene of Bamako, one of the liveliest in Africa, as well as a visit to the Sikasso region and time in Ségou. A genuine insight into local culture and traditions.
Senegal – Never Mind the Mbalax
November 22 – December 1 2013
* This trip will run subject to advice from the FCO
‘Home of Fado’ tour – June 2012
Posted on July 9th, 2012 in Music Travel, Recent Posts by Alexandra Petropoulos.
Photo by David Webster
Songlines Music Traveller David Webster recounts his trip to Lisbon, Portugal, in September 2011 for our ‘Home of Fado’ tour
Seeing Mariza in the likes of Birmingham Town Hall is all very well, but the experiences of fado in the Songlines Music Travel trip to Lisbon were incomparably broader and deeper, more intense, more authentic.
By day it was walking tours of fado districts, a visit to the inspirational Fado Museum and to Amália Rodrigues’ house. It may seem over-enthusiastic hubris to describe each of the three consecutive nights’ musical experiences as ‘special.’ Yet they were. We were made to feel important in the fado house as our expert guide acted as a magnet to our table for the owner, the legendary Maria da Fé, and some of the younger performers. Dimmed lights heralded the silencing of cutlery and conversation as each accompanied singer performed.
The next night, it felt great to be part of the capital’s rousing tribute to the late Cesaria Evora in a century-old concert hall in the city centre. But most special of all was the concert on the third night in the open-air setting of the castle grounds, high above a twinkling Lisbon. This was devoted to Beatriz da Conceição. She performed herself, the shards of her former voice still a commanding presence, a growl of understated power. The singer-songwriter Fernando Tordo paid his tribute, and then Maria da Fé belted out exquisite fado into the velvet blue night, spurring the castle’s resident peacocks to join the whooping of appreciation.
We asked for an additional three nights at the end of the Songlines tour and took in an exhibition of ‘Fado in the Cinema,’ as well as relaxing in this great, loveable, salty-aired, roller coaster-hilled, unmistakably southern city. Thanks to Songlines for a rich and memorable trip.
For details of our next Songlines Music Travel trip to Lisbon, or any of the other trips we offer, please click here.
Limited space still available for Lisbon & Morocco tours
Posted on May 18th, 2012 in Music Travel, Recent Posts by Songlines Intern.
There are still spaces available for our Lisbon tour of the ‘Home of Fado’ and the Gnawa and World Music Festival, part of this year’s Songlines Music Travel itinerary. Set your summer in motion and delve deep into the roots of fado in Portugal’s capital, or round off the holiday season in the idyllic setting of Morocco’s coastal port town, Essaouria. With such a wealth of cultural discovery within European shores, neither trip is to be missed.
Lisbon, PortugalFour days – June 14-17 2012
Each venue has its own atmosphere and character so you’ll get a good taste of the city’s scene. We’ll visit the excellent Museum of Fado and the Portuguese Guitar, the former home of Amália Rodrigues (1920-1999), and enjoy a walking trip through the historic fado districts of Alfama and Mouraria. And don’t forget, Lisbon is also a fantastic place for Brazilian and Cape Verdean music. Drop by the website for a full itinerary and details.
The Gnawa and World Music Festival, MoroccoEssaouira is a picturesque port town on Morocco’s Atlantic coast. Built by the Portuguese it is full of narrow whitewashed alleyways and beautiful squares. It’s also an artistic community and a centre of Gnawa music. In June each year, it hosts the extraordinary Gnawa and World Music Festival showcasing top Gnawan musicians along with a vast array of musical styles from around the world.
Lisbon Tour – The Home of Fado
Posted on February 15th, 2012 in Music Travel, Recent Posts by Alexandra Petropoulos.
Four days – June 14-17 2012
Each venue has its own atmosphere and character so you’ll get a good taste of the city’s scene. We’ll visit the excellent Museum of Fado and the Portuguese Guitar, the former home of Amália Rodrigues (1920-1999) – the ‘Queen of Fado’ – and enjoy a walking trip through the historic fado districts of Alfama and Mouraria. And don’t forget, Lisbon is also a fantastic place for Brazilian and Cape Verdean music. Drop by the website for a full itinerary and details or download a pdf of the itinerary here.
