‘Liberdade, Liberdade’ is the new musical project of the singer Helena Sarmento, in which she recreates the repertoire of Jose Afonso, born 90 years ago, celebrating the 45 of the revolution of April 25, 1974.
Helena Sarmento stated that José Afonso (1929-1987) is for himself an “unavoidable reference, as an artist and committed citizen”, and that never ceased to be present in his albums, but “the time has come for elaborate a project “within the universe of the author of” Grândola, Vila Morena “.
“I already have this challenge since I started singing professionally ten years ago and I am part of the José Afonso [AJA] Association, where this issue was recurrently placed,” said Helena Sarmento, who mentioned her partnership with Ana Ribeiro and Ana Afonso, about the repertoire of José Afonso, “Vozes ao Alto“, born in 2012, influenced by the social movement “Que se lixe a troika! We want our lives!“, Which had several interventions?
In his debut album, Fado Azul (2011), by José Afonso, Helena Sarmento included “Canção do Desterro” on the next album, “Fado dos Dias Assim” (2013), “Canção de Embalar” in the album edited last year, “Lonjura“, included “It was a Rounder Vocabulary”.
“Not wanting to look pretentious, it’s very natural for me to sing Zeca Afonso,” told Helena Sarmento.
In this project, to begin in the spring, and that the prospective singer take “to the greatest number of possible stages“, Helena Sarmento includes all the songs of José Afonso that recorded, and still “Behind that Window“, “Look Good“, ” Epigraph for the Art of Furtar “,” Brings Another Friend Too “, among others, and Adriano Correia de Oliveira, who shared tracks,” Song with Tears, “a poem by Manuel Alegre.
On the criteria for choosing the songs, Helena Sarmento explained: “I chose the ones that were left under my skin at the first moment, which shiver me, the ones I immediately fell in love with. From then on, it was simpler not to choose other equally beautiful songs “.
As for the inclusion of Adriano Correia de Oliveira, the singer said: “The careers of the two, Zeca and Adriano, intercept and it is impossible to speak of one without speaking of another.”
“Curiously I arrive at AJA through Adriano Correia de Oliveira,” said Helena Sarmento, who was invited to join the association by its leader, Paulo Esperança, who heard her sing in homage to the interpreter of “Trova do Vento que Passa” .
In the alignment of the project “Freedom, Freedom“, Helena Sarmento said to include a fado of João Gigante-Ferreira and to be “inclined” to choose “Fado Azul“, which he pointed out as “the most emblematic in this context of freedom.”
“The ‘Fado Azul’ makes a synthesis of myself, it is my commitment to solidarity with others, my root of combat, and reflects all my learning with these names, Zeca, Adriano, among others.”
“Fado Azul (if blue dares),” is a poem by João Gigante-Ferreira, which Helena Sarmento plays in Francisco Viana’s Fado Vianinha, which he recorded on his most recent album, “Lonjura” (2018).
The musicians accompanying Helena Sarmento in this project are Samuel Cabral, on the Portuguese guitar, André Teixeira, on the viola, and author of the musical arrangements, and Sérgio Marques, on the bass guitar.
“One of the singularities of the show will be the fact that the Portuguese guitar is a part of it consistently; if it is true that this is not the first time this happens, it is equally true that it is not very common,” said the creator. “Fado Not-Valentine“.
About José Afonso, Helena Sarmento said that his musical composition addresses “a universe of struggle and resistance, with strong and bold words, in a permanent search for a utopia based on well-built melodies and that continue in our memory.”
