Portuguese music

Aurea is a Portuguese soul singer.

MTV Europe Music Awards 2011 - Best Portuguese Act
http://www.mtv.pt/videos/mtv-emas-2011-best-portuguese-act-aurea-701431/

Braga - European Youth Capital

Braga - European Youth Capital

The European Youth Capital is a project of the European Youth Forum which main objective is promoting intra-European co-operation between young people and to raise awareness of the contributions young people can bring to the community, through civic participation in the cultural, economic and political life of a city.

The first capital was chosen in 2009. In the last three years, the title has been awarded to Rotterdam (The Netherlands) in 2009, Torino (Italy) in 2010, and to Antwerp (Belgium) in 2011. Maribor, in Italy, will be the European Youth Capital for 2013 followed by Thessaloniki (Greece), in 2014.

http://portuguese-american-journal.com/braga-european-youth-capital-2012portugal/

Portugal tourism / invitation "Show us your country"

If one word could sum up a visit to Portugal, it would be romance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lUlJBSFIhs&feature=fvwrel

INVITATION

We want to invite you to post some information about your country, tourism, human rights, inclusion...

Show us your country, as we are doing.

It's important for us to know more about European Union countries!!! We are sure that your country has so beautiful things to show!

Thanks in advance!

Portuguese chefs - Bertílio Gomes

Bertílio Gomes has proven that he knows what he's doing in the kitchen. That's after perfecting his talent in New York, working at the acclaimed Bica do Sapato restaurant in Lisbon, and earning the Young Chef of the Year award in 1998. His specialty is traditional Portuguese cuisine cooked with not-so-traditional ingredients found in Portugal.
Most recently, until early 2011, he was at Casa da Comida.

http://www.lisbonlux.com/culture/lisbon-chefs.html

How to cook portuguese recipes (Portuguese Essentials)

Food Safari - Portuguese flavours

I found an interesting video that promotes portuguese food and culture. Very, very good!

If you are curious about it, have a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPdk8GIJaMY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNkwPQmxBi0&feature=related

Learn how to cook Portuguese recipes

Backed octopus with sweet potatoes, tomato and ginger stew

Clams Bulhão Pato Style

Guimarães - European Capital of Culture

Guimarães, tucked in a valley in the far north of Portugal and often referred to as the birthplace of the Portuguese state, has been designated a European Capital of Culture for 2012. That means that visitors this year are in for a treat: an added load of cultural activities in a very interesting corner of Portugal.

The Cultural Capital year in Guimarães called for a kick-off party, and it was held yesterday. I'll let Julie Fox tell you about it:

Fireworks? Tick. Orchestra? Tick. Massive crowds? Tick. A knight in the air? Tick. Psychedelic lights and stunning graphics projected onto buildings? Tick. Gigantic metal horse and fibreglass man puppets? Tick. What more could anyone possibly want from an opening event? An all night street party? Oh, all right then, if you insist; after all, this is the beginning of a year of culture and festivities in Guimarães.

http://goeurope.about.com/b/2012/01/23/guimaraes-european-capital-of-culture-2012.htm

Uma Europa feita por todos, para todos

Todos somos Europa:

http://www.todossomoseuropa.eu/area-de-concursos-e-passatempos.html

- ÁREA INFORMATIVA

- CONCURSOS E PASSATEMPOS

- NOTÍCIAS

- FÓRUM

VALE A PENA VISITAR O SITE!!!

« A Portuguesa» - Portuguese Anthem

 A Portuguesa, que hoje é um dos símbolos nacionais de Portugal (o seu hino nacional), nasceu como uma canção de cariz patriótico em resposta ao ultimato britânico para que as tropas portuguesas abandonassem as suas posições em África, no denominado "Mapa cor-de-rosa".

Foi composto em 1890, com letra de Henrique Lopes de Mendonça e música de Alfredo Keil, e foi utilizada desde cedo como símbolo patriótico mas também republicano.

Wikipedia

Portugal - Fact file

Portugal

Ø  Location: southwestern Europe, on the Iberian Peninsula.

Being the westernmost country of mainland Europe, Portugal is bordered
by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east.

The Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira are also part of Portugal.

Ø  Anthem: "A Portuguesa"

Ø  Capital (and largest city): Lisbon

Ø  Official languages: Portuguese

                                     Recognised regional languages: Mirandese

Ø  Government : Parliamentary republic
                            President: Aníbal Cavaco Silva
                            Prime Minister: Pedro Passos Coelho

Ø  Formation: June 24,1128

Founding of the first County of Portugal – 868

Battle of São Mamede – June 24, 1128

Kingdom – 25^th July 1139

Recognized – 5^th October 1143

Republic – 5^th October 1910

Carnation Revolution – 25^th April 1974

Ø  European Union Accession: 1^st January 1996

Ø  Currency: euro

Ø  Climate: Oceanic in the north and Mediterranean in the south. Spring and
Summer are sunny, whereas Autumn and Winter are rainy and windy.
Snow falls occasionally (on some cold winter days) in the northern interior of
 the country.

          Annual temperature averages: in mainland Portugal are 13 °C (55 °F) in
the north and 18 °C (64 °F) in the south.

Ø Geography: The northern landscape: mountainous in the interior
 areas, with plateaus indented by river valleys. The south - between
the Tagus and the Algarve (the Alentejo)- mostly rolling plains.
 The Algarve is separated from the Alentejo by mountains.

     Main river: Tagus

Ø  Economy: based on industries such as textiles, clothing, footwear,
cork and wood products, beverages (wine), porcelain and earthenware,
and glass and glassware. Tourism is also important, especially
in mainland Portugal's southernmost region of the Algarve
and in the Atlantic Madeira archipelago.

Ø  Religion: Portuguese society is mainly Roman Catholic. 84% of the
population are nominally Roman Catholic, but only about 19% attend mass
and take the sacraments regularly. A larger number wish to be baptized,
married in the church, and receive last rites.

Ø  Famous people: Figo ( a football player), Amália Rodrigues (a Fado singer),
 Blasted Mechanism and The Gift (bands nominated for a MTV Music Award),
José Saramago, (winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize for literature),
Joaquim de Almeida (actor), Maria de Medeiros (actress) and many others.

New Year's eve in Portugal

Several hotels, clubs and restaurants have countless events where everybody seems happy. The basic purpose of the New Year's eve celebration in Portugal is to enjoy every moment of the festival and forget all worries. There are lots of music, dancing, drinking and fireworks.

It is a tradition in Portugal to eat twelve grapes from bunch as hitting of clock at twelve on the eve night. Such tradition is believed to turn happy the twelve months for next year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR :)

As minhas tradições familiares de Natal

As minhas tradições familiares de Natal

No dia 7 de dezembro, eu e a minha irmã fazemos a árvore de Natal e o presépio. Nós enfeitamos a árvore de Natal com bolas, luzes, fitas e bonecos de Natal. Fazemos o presépio em cima de uma mesa e ao lado da árvore de natal porque os gatos gostam muito de andar a brincar com os bonecos e andar em cima do musgo.

No dia 24 de dezembro jantámos bacalhau e à meia-noite abrimos as prendas.

No dia seguinte os meus avós vêm almoçar a nossa casa e comemos sempre cabrito. Depois pomos o menino Jesus no presépio para simbolizar o seu nascimento.

No dia 7 de janeiro pomos os reis magos em frente do menino Jesus e também comemos bolo-rei. Estas são as minhas tradições familiares e já duraram há algum tempo.

nº15, 7ºA

As tradições natalícias na minha casa

No dia 24 de Dezembro acordo de manhã, normalmente às 10h:30min. Depois vou tomar banho, lavar os dentes e tomar o pequeno-almoço.

De seguida, visto-me e vou almoçar com os meus amigos a um restaurante. Acabamos o almoço às 15horas e depois vamos passear.

Quando chegamos a casa por volta das 18horas, começamos a preparar o jantar para a nossa família.

Às 20horas chega a minha família e começamos a jantar às 21horas. Conversamos e divertimo-nos durante um bocado e só às 24horas é que abrimos as prendas. O meu pai veste-se de Pai Natal para a minha irmã acreditar que ele existe.

 Depois a minha família vai-se embora, nós acabamos de arrumar a cozinha e o salão e vamos dormir.

 nº17, 7ºA

PORTO, PORTO, PORTO - PORTUGAL

Um jornalista dum prestigiado site do The New York Times esteve na cidade invicta e convidou o mundo a visitá-la durante 36 horas, seguindo o roteiro aconselhado por ele.  Podemos ler no seu site o seguinte sobre o Porto:

 "FOR years, Porto’s motto was, in essence, “You’ve tried the wine; now try the city!” But these days Portugal’s second-largest metropolis — an attractively faded hillside city of venerable town houses and Baroque churches — no longer needs to coast on the reputation of its famous digestif. A jam-packed new night-life district is taking shape, and a blossoming creative scene features everything from an upstart design center to the avant-garde Rem Koolhaas-designed Casa de Música, a stunning concert space. And there’s great news for oenophiles as well. With the Douro region’s emergence as a hotbed of prize-winning red wines — not just port — Porto (also known as Oporto) can now intoxicate you with myriad vintages, new ambitious restaurants and even wine-themed hotels."

        http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/travel/36-hours-in-porto-portugal.html

O Porto é uma cidade surpreendente que merece visita dos portugueses e dos estrangeiros. O povo do norte é bastante acolhedor e é conhecido pela sua sinceridade e espírito lutador, não se deixando vencer pela adversidade.

Fado - Património Imaterial da Humanidade

Desde o passado domingo, dia 27 de Novembro de 2011, o fado é Património Imaterial da Humanidade.

 "A candidatura do género musical português foi aprovada este domingo durante o VI Comité Intergovernamental da Organização das Nações Unidas para a Educação, Ciência e Cultura. A UNESCO distingue o fado enquanto tradição e expressão da identidade da cultura do país. Os peritos da Organização avaliaram o processo de candidatura português como exemplar. Em Lisboa, o Presidente da República viu na decisão “um motivo de orgulho para todos os portugueses”.

“O fado é um elemento importante da nossa identidade e um enorme contributo para a cultura mundial. E, acima de tudo, as comunidades do fado incentivaram o processo e nele participaram. Esta decisão traz-nos uma enorme responsabilidade, a responsabilidade de preservar e promover o fado como uma grande marca da diversidade do património humano”. Foi com estas palavras que o presidente da Câmara Municipal de Lisboa acolheu, em Nusa Dua, na ilha indonésia de Bali, a decisão do VI Comité Intergovernamental da UNESCO."

http://www.rtp.pt/noticias/?t=Fado-declarado-Patrimonio-Imaterial-da-Humanidade-pela-UNESCO.rtp&article=503874&visual=3&layout=10

Nobres representantes deste emblemático estilo musical levam o nome do nosso país aos quatro cantos do mundo. Amália Rodrigues, Mariza, Ana Moura, Carlos Paredes, Dulce Pontes, Hermínia Silva, Zeca Afonso foram atraídos por esta expressão musical e continuam a elevar a nossa cultura ao mais alto nível.

Deixo como proposta uma visita ao portal do fado: http://www.portaldofado.net/

Fado is a performance genre incorporating music and poetry widely practised by various communities in Lisbon. It represents a Portuguese multicultural synthesis of Afro-Brazilian sung dances, local traditional genres of song and dance, musical traditions from rural areas of the country brought by successive waves of internal immigration, and the cosmopolitan urban song patterns of the early nineteenth century. Fado songs are usually performed by a solo singer, male or female, traditionally accompanied by a wire-strung acoustic guitar and the Portuguese guitarra – a pear-shaped lute with twelve wire strings, unique to Portugal, which also has an extensive solo repertoire. The past few decades have witnessed this instrumental accompaniment expanded to two Portuguese guitars, a guitar and a bass guitar. Fado is performed professionally on the concert circuit and in small ‘Fado houses’, and by amateurs in numerous grass-root associations located throughout older neighbourhoods of Lisbon. Informal tuition by older, respected exponents takes place in traditional performance spaces and often over successive generations within the same families. The dissemination of Fado through emigration and the world music circuit has reinforced its image as a symbol of Portuguese identity, leading to a process of cross-cultural exchange involving other musical traditions.

http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?lg=en&pg=00011&RL=00563