From Madeira to Hawai
Thursday | May 30 | 18.30h | Largo do Pelourinho | Outdoor
The Rajão.
A unique case in Portuguese music, the Rajão also reflects a cultural experience in it’s own architecture, in the tuning or in the geography of its musical practice. It’s an Instrument constructed, practiced and taught only in Madeira island.
It’s unique in the hole country, and distinct of its reference chordophones, being the simplest five-stringed cordophone, older than the other popular Madeira stringed instruments, Braguinha and Viola de Arame.
It was through emigration to the distant islands of Hawaii, from 1879 onwards, that it would spread it’s sound and reentrant tuning in distant places. During the long boat trips, which lasted almost five months, on an English or Dutch sailboat, Madeira's emigrants hired to work on the sugar cane plantations, took with them as travel companions, the three traditional chordophones of the archipelago: Braguinha, Rajão and Viola de Arame. Four Madeirans were responsible for the visibility of the chordophones in those lands, particularly before the last king of Hawaii.
The Hawaiian whip (in braguinha body) has become globally known as UKULELE, to this day.
The Concert
The concert includes music from different origins: European, Iberian, Madeiran, American songbook, jazz standards, music hall and Latin American music. It’s a musical journey from the 17th century to the 20th century.
There will be five instrumentalists and a vocalist in stage: Vitor Sardinha, Susana Bárbara, Sandra Sá, Miguel Marques, António Barbosa e Lino Rodrigues, playing Rajão, Bass, Drums, Viola d'arco, Transverse flute and voice.
In the year we celebrate the 140Th anniversary of the second voyage to Hawaii (of musical relevance), April 23, 1879, this project commemorates the entire musical heritage of the Rajão as a solo instrument.
