They love local culture and have been singing about it for 19 years
Founded by Gonçalo Lé in May 2006, Cantares da Ria - Grupo Cénico de Aveiro, celebrates another anniversary this Saturday, with an event open to the city and to all people who enjoy traditional Portuguese music. To mark the day, the group will hold a musical gala in the Salão Nobre dos Galitos, located in Praça Joaquim de Melo Freitas, in Aveiro, starting at 9 pm, with a reception for all participating groups and invited entities. Half an hour later, the musical part of the program will begin, with a performance by the Flor de Sal group, a traditional Portuguese music group, representing the Grupo Cultural e Recreativo da Taipa. This will be followed by a performance by the Rancho Folclórico de Lordelo do Ouro, from Porto, and finally, Cantares da Ria - Grupo Cénico de Aveiro will take to the stage, with its repertoire of traditional music from the Aveiro region, which represents many of its characteristics through music, lyrics, costumes and accessories. At the end of the performances, a dinner will be held with all participants and guests.
Ethnographic group from 4 to 80 years old According to Lúcia Moreira, president of the group's board of directors and member of Cantares da Ria, "at the moment we are 25 members, including singers and musicians", adding that the youngest is 4 years old, while the most "experienced" is over 80. In his words, the best way to define this project is to refer to it as “a group of people who live intensely in their city, their region, in defense of the most ancient cultural values”. They share all this wealth with the public through their costumes, prepared with the greatest possible precision, and through the music of Aveiro, revealing the many things that make up the richness of the local culture.
She added that the musical repertoire “sings” many of the region’s identity elements, such as the Ria de Aveiro, the beaches and the popular culture of its people. The Aveiro region has been their main stage, but they have also performed in other areas of the country and even in neighboring Spain.
Financial stability, a challenge
They are temporarily based at Rua de Castela no. 75, in São Bernardo (Aveiro), “until we can find another more suitable location for our rehearsals and to properly store all the wardrobe” that the group has been amassing over the years. One of the biggest difficulties acknowledged by Lúcia Moreira is related to the logistics of the group’s trips to perform. “When Aveiro City Council is not available to provide us with a bus, the entire cost of transport falls on our budget, in addition to the members’ meals and payment to the orchestra” that accompanies them. In addition to these expenses, there are also all the costs of preparing the costumes, which are a fundamental component of a group that stands out for its loyalty to the culture it represents.
Founded by Gonçalo Lé in May 2006, Cantares da Ria - Grupo Cénico de Aveiro, celebrates another anniversary this Saturday, with an event open to the city and to all people who enjoy traditional Portuguese music. To mark the day, the group will hold a musical gala in the Salão Nobre dos Galitos, located in Praça Joaquim de Melo Freitas, in Aveiro, starting at 9 pm, with a reception for all participating groups and invited entities. Half an hour later, the musical part of the program will begin, with a performance by the Flor de Sal group, a traditional Portuguese music group, representing the Grupo Cultural e Recreativo da Taipa. This will be followed by a performance by the Rancho Folclórico de Lordelo do Ouro, from Porto, and finally, Cantares da Ria - Grupo Cénico de Aveiro will take to the stage, with its repertoire of traditional music from the Aveiro region, which represents many of its characteristics through music, lyrics, costumes and accessories. At the end of the performances, a dinner will be held with all participants and guests.
Ethnographic group from 4 to 80 years old According to Lúcia Moreira, president of the group's board of directors and member of Cantares da Ria, "at the moment we are 25 members, including singers and musicians", adding that the youngest is 4 years old, while the most "experienced" is over 80. In his words, the best way to define this project is to refer to it as “a group of people who live intensely in their city, their region, in defense of the most ancient cultural values”. They share all this wealth with the public through their costumes, prepared with the greatest possible precision, and through the music of Aveiro, revealing the many things that make up the richness of the local culture.
She added that the musical repertoire “sings” many of the region’s identity elements, such as the Ria de Aveiro, the beaches and the popular culture of its people. The Aveiro region has been their main stage, but they have also performed in other areas of the country and even in neighboring Spain.
Financial stability, a challenge
They are temporarily based at Rua de Castela no. 75, in São Bernardo (Aveiro), “until we can find another more suitable location for our rehearsals and to properly store all the wardrobe” that the group has been amassing over the years. One of the biggest difficulties acknowledged by Lúcia Moreira is related to the logistics of the group’s trips to perform. “When Aveiro City Council is not available to provide us with a bus, the entire cost of transport falls on our budget, in addition to the members’ meals and payment to the orchestra” that accompanies them. In addition to these expenses, there are also all the costs of preparing the costumes, which are a fundamental component of a group that stands out for its loyalty to the culture it represents.
Founded by Gonçalo Lé in May 2006, Cantares da Ria - Grupo Cénico de Aveiro, celebrates another anniversary this Saturday, with an event open to the city and to all people who enjoy traditional Portuguese music. To mark the day, the group will hold a musical gala in the Salão Nobre dos Galitos, located in Praça Joaquim de Melo Freitas, in Aveiro, starting at 9 pm, with a reception for all participating groups and invited entities. Half an hour later, the musical part of the program will begin, with a performance by the Flor de Sal group, a traditional Portuguese music group, representing the Grupo Cultural e Recreativo da Taipa. This will be followed by a performance by the Rancho Folclórico de Lordelo do Ouro, from Porto, and finally, Cantares da Ria - Grupo Cénico de Aveiro will take to the stage, with its repertoire of traditional music from the Aveiro region, which represents many of its characteristics through music, lyrics, costumes and accessories. At the end of the performances, a dinner will be held with all participants and guests.
Ethnographic group from 4 to 80 years old According to Lúcia Moreira, president of the group's board of directors and member of Cantares da Ria, "at the moment we are 25 members, including singers and musicians", adding that the youngest is 4 years old, while the most "experienced" is over 80. In his words, the best way to define this project is to refer to it as “a group of people who live intensely in their city, their region, in defense of the most ancient cultural values”. They share all this wealth with the public through their costumes, prepared with the greatest possible precision, and through the music of Aveiro, revealing the many things that make up the richness of the local culture.
She added that the musical repertoire “sings” many of the region’s identity elements, such as the Ria de Aveiro, the beaches and the popular culture of its people. The Aveiro region has been their main stage, but they have also performed in other areas of the country and even in neighboring Spain.
Financial stability, a challenge
They are temporarily based at Rua de Castela no. 75, in São Bernardo (Aveiro), “until we can find another more suitable location for our rehearsals and to properly store all the wardrobe” that the group has been amassing over the years. One of the biggest difficulties acknowledged by Lúcia Moreira is related to the logistics of the group’s trips to perform. “When Aveiro City Council is not available to provide us with a bus, the entire cost of transport falls on our budget, in addition to the members’ meals and payment to the orchestra” that accompanies them. In addition to these expenses, there are also all the costs of preparing the costumes, which are a fundamental component of a group that stands out for its loyalty to the culture it represents.
Diario de Aveiro
