Danças de Porto de Mós

Danças de Porto de Mós tells only half the story. The first album by Aire collects 16 new renditions of traditional dances from the region of Porto de Mós, a small village in the centre of Portugal. But this captivating music only gains its full meaning when it provides the soundtrack for each of these particular dances. So even though this music can claim an autonomous existence apart from the live context, it is best experienced when you get to witness its choreographed counterpart.

The main goal of this project is to bring back, in the most spontaneous way, these traditional songs and dances, so they can stay relevant in the 21st century. But what is truly moving is that Aire do not try to artificially modernise their roots as these new arrangements are based in popular acoustic instruments and not burdened with unnecessary electricity. Having worked closely with four folklore groups, Aire learned these various dances (choutice, loureiro, oliveira, vá de roda or verde gaio), and made them effortlessly their own. ‘Fadinho – Mira de Aire’ and ‘Loureiro – Arrimal’ are a couple of excellent examples of how to bring traditional songs, built on simple melodies and rhythms, back into our days.