We already know that Brazil is in fashion. And I always wonder: which Brazil? I know several — and this is a privilege for those who live in Portugal. Here, in a much smaller territory, we can have close contact with several Brazils, something that I didn’t have there, for geographical reasons.
One of these Brazils is the Northeast, a region mistakenly seen as less developed or culturally poorer. They couldn’t be more wrong. The night of Saturday, February 28th, came to show Lisbon the cultural richness, joy and generosity of these people, in the second edition of Festvybbe.
Artists and public were up to the task hours of fun, homesickness and pride in being Brazilian and Brazilian. Flags of Brazil, flags of Pernambuco, the Fortaleza football team, crochet clothes (more Brazilian, impossible) with the colors of the flag and national team shirts were seen everywhere.
Style hats cowboyphrases here and there like “living is different from being alive” and beautiful dresses were some more details of the looks of the night. And I don’t write about clothes out of futility, but rather because I know that, in our culture, Wearing the best clothes for a special night is a sign of respect and prestige.
The MEO Arena was packed to see artists who proudly boast northeastern rhythms: Xand Avião, who gained fame by starring in the band Aviões do Forrórepresenting a first generation of singers who took forró to the world, and names of a new musical generation. It is the case that Nattan, “Nattanzinho”, Zé Vaqueiro, Léo Foguete, Felipe Amorim and Mari Fernandez.
The group is part of the Festvybbe project, which brings together artists in a mix of northeastern rhythms, with special guests. When they took the stage, joy was widespread, starting with Xand Avião. The repertoire brought new hits, such as Root Couple e Tenantbut also classics from the early 2000s, such as Heart e Suck it’s grapeleading the 30+ audience to nostalgia. Phrases that only Brazilians understand, such as “Let’s drag the room”, complete the nostalgic trip and reinforce why Portuguese is a unique and rich language.
Each artist presented a mix of recent and older songs, accompanied by a band in which the accordion is the big star. From start to finish, no one stood still. Although immigrants from the Northeast were the majority, there were also people from other regions, such as the Southeast and North. And, of course, Portuguese. “It’s an indescribable environment, I want to go to Brazil”told the DN Brazil Pedro Costa, who knows the songs through social media.
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Portuguese fans are of all ages. Two teenagers had a poster in honor of their idol Léo Foguete and were invited by the artist to go on stage. The moment highlighted how music has the powerful ability to unite cultures even in the most difficult contexts, such as the one Portugal experiences in the area of immigration.
Speaking of fans, there was no lack of affection for the artists. Nattan, who has just become a father, received a baby outfit from a fan. “Everything we do now is thinking about her (baby Ziza, born in January). I’m definitely imagining a lot of things that I want to give her as a gift. So, having fan affection focused on this, for us, is very significant, it is very important. I am very grateful”, the artist told DN Brazil.
Regarding bringing forró to Europe, he states that it is a “honor” and a “sense of having really won in life”. The goal is to expand the Lisbon show to other European cities in the coming years. In fact, immigrants from countries such as Norway, Switzerland and Spain came to Lisbon especially to participate in the party.
Show production
Another important detail, which also dispels any idea of cultural poverty, is the production of the show. In addition to a group of male and female dancers, it is a true spectacle, with lights and special effects that are unmatched on any international stage. The creative director of the presentation is André Gress, who prioritizes the identity of the artists and the construction of an original narrative on stage.
Another surprise of this edition was the participation of more artists, such as Jonas Esticado, Zé Cantor, Manim Vaqueiro, Ávine and Talita Mel, who made her first international presentation in Lisbon. Another novelty was the participation of Napa, Portuguese group who won the Festival da Canção and is on the rise in his career. They sang the song with Zé Vaqueiro Displaced, in a mix of two accents from the same language and the same love for music.
In addition to individual performances, the singers also took to the stage together. At one point, they were dressed in Brazilian colors and flags. At the end of the performance, wearing white and again with the flags of Brazil and Portugal, they sang songs like Morena Tropicanaby Alceu Valença.
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