Concert at the Zocalo

About the concert at the Zocalo

When I first knew about the open air concert of Madredeus at the Zocalo Square, I knew that I must be there because much of the greatest concert of Madredeus were played at historical scenarios, with monuments and historical buildings as the perfect background of their wonderful music. I even think that they play a little bit better at this stages.

I went to the Zocalo that day, the concert was programmed to start at 8.00 pm so got there at 6.00 to meet my friends and get the best places at the first row. When I got there my suspects were confirmed, the square was full of people, (about 20,000 aprox.) much of this people were students that came to the plaza to protest against a new fee system in the University where I study..

My only hope was that the concert hadn't been cancelled, but everything happened with order and respect.

I was happy to be there, and I was happy to saw young people as the majority of the audience that day, but there were also entire families and older people, all waiting patiently for the concert, that by the way had a delay of two hours from the planned start, but nobody let his sits, and all waited patient for the Madredeus' music.

When the concert finally started, and Madredeus play "Haja o que houver" the reaction was incredible, I saw the entire square full of people, not properly fans, but all enjoying the melodies, the sweet voice of Teresa, the virtuosities of Pedro's guitar, the harmonic symphonies of peace, freedom, nostalgia and happiness that Madredeus transmits with its unique music.

I saw the youngsters screaming phrases like "you have a beautiful voice Teresa" or "you are an Angel, Teresa", to the lovely Teresa Salgueiro.

The fans asked them to play songs like Alfama, O Mar , O Pastor, Guitarra or O Paraíso, all were satisfied, including myself with songs like Concertino or "Ajuda" from O Espírito da Paz, my favorite album.

As a fan, seeing all this people clapping the rhythms of the songs and asking for more music after 3 encores, meant a lot for me, I even saw a young girl with tears in his eyes, I must confess that I barely did it, as I will do it as long as Madredeus keep playing and composing this beautiful songs that remind us that even in this collapsing and dirty world, exist good things to keep living for.

Pedro Escobar

Mexico City

The concert of Madredeus happened, in spite of the obstacles

AGENCIA NOTIMEX

The Zocalo Square of Mexico D.C. vibrated with the performance of the portuguese group Madredeus, in spite of technical problems and of a delay of more than 90 minutes that provoked some murmurs.

Since the afternoon, the Square of the Constitution was occupied by students of the UNAM, because of their denial to the rise of the costs in the University; that was the main obstacle to win in the performance of Madredeus

The concert, an initiative of the Culture Institute through the Government of the Federal District, inside the musical programme "La calle es de todos", had to quarrel with the students who denied to end their manifestation.

Elements of the so-called group Acción Ciudadana, who promised to end by the fixed hour, continued their monologues until the 21, an hour after the fixed.

Applauses, whistles and scream of desperation were some of the ways in which the audience asked for Madredeus to enter the stage, but all of that was vain because they didn't entered until few minutes before the 22.

With a duration of two hours, Madredeus satisfied the mexican audience, for whom the wait was worthwhile, because the portugueses offered a warm concert that left enchanted the listeners. (Notimex)

A Message of Hope

Madredeus offered a magical evening in the Zocalo; emotional music, with universal enchantment

LERIDA CABELLO MARADIAGA / EL UNIVERSAL

Madredeus threw a sing of hope... Two classical guitar, a cello, accordion, keyboards and voice was sufficient to provoke a special magic inside the young people that listened an emotional music with a universal enchantment

In this way, the Zocalo wore the gala clothes to host Teresa Salgueiro (voice), Pedro Ayres Magalhães (writer, producer and guitarist), José Peixoto (guitar), Carlos Maria Trindade (keyboards) and Fernando Júdice (acoustic bass), demonstrating why they are a musical phenomenon that cross many places in all the world.

The rendezvous between the two cultures started some minutes before the 22:00, giving as a result a lyrical mixture of fado and european "camera" music, eve if their roots are deep into the portuguese tradition.

Rita Guerrero was the responsible to organize the show, that started the programme "La calle es de todos", organized by the Department of the Federal District.

"Today we want to celebrate peace and hope. Our sister tongue has come to share its art. To you, from Portugal: Madredeus."

Having as background the metropolitan Cathedral and our flag, Teresa Salgueiro, owner of an unforgettable voice, interpreted contemporary music of Portugal, provoking an absolute silence among the listeners; we could only listen phrases like "Viva Lisboa!", "You have a precious voice, Teresa!", "Sing what you like, Teresa!". With that we can understand the popularity of the portuguese group in Mexico by now, a country that they visit for the third time in a bit less than two years.

And even if the concert started one hour and a half after the previewed, nobody moved from their sits and waited patiently until the quintet entered the stage, dressed in black, ad-hoc for a evening like that one.

"Hi to everybody! It is a great emotion to stay there. We are happy that you have waited for our music. I hope that it will be a good night for everybody" said Salgueiro

In this way, Madredeus pleased their public since the beginning to the end, playing more than 15 songs in almost two hours, in which took part recent songs as well as some of the previous ones "Os Dias da Madredeus", "Existir", "O Espírito da Paz" and "Ainda", in which we can hear the joy and the naturalness, fruit of the love for the song.

Without doubts, the harmony and the splendor that reigned in the Square of the Constitution were unforgettable for many, who traveled to unsuspected places with the voice of Teresa Salgueiro.

Index
Madredeus - O Porto