quarta-feira, 30 de maio de 2007

President is visiting Portugal

President of Lithuanian Republic Valdas Adamkus and his wife Alma Adamkienė with group of people is going to have three days visit in Lisboa and Porto on May 31st - June 2nd.

We wish successfull future collaboration between two countries.

More information and press release:

terça-feira, 29 de maio de 2007

Lithuanian Ambassador to the Portuguese Republic


Mr. Algimantas Rimkūnas starts his work in Lisboa as Ambassador to the Portuguese Republic.

Press release from DELFI:

quinta-feira, 24 de maio de 2007

casa de Ariae ("smelio namai")








Brasilian film in "Lithuania cinema spring festival"

I could make a copy for those who have not seen yet :)

Produced by Pedro Buarque de Hollanda
Written by Elena Soarez
Starring Fernanda Montenegro
Fernanda Torres
Music by João Barone
Carlo Bartolini
Cinematography Ricardo Della Rosa
Editing by Sérgio Mekler
Distributed by ARP Sélection
Columbia TriStar
Sony Pictures
trigon-film
Release date(s) July 28, 2006
Running time 115 min
Country Brazil
Language Portuguese

In 1910, pregnant Áurea (Torres) along with her mother, Maria (Montenegro) arrive at a remote, desert-like part of the Brazilian state of Maranhão -- called the Lençóis Maranhenses -- where her fanatical husband Vasco de Sá (Ruy Guerra) has relocated the family from the state's capital, São Luís, to start a farm. Soon the white settlers realize that they are not alone: a group of descendants of runaway slaves live in the area, in a settlement -- generally known as a quilombo -- they call "The Island" because it is the only permanently fertile spot in a sea of sand where it rains only during the rainy season. Due to the madness of Vasco, Maria seeks to bribe the black settlers to kill Vasco, but they, while taking her money (it is basically useless in the local barter economy), do no such thing.

However, soon enough Vasco's workers abandon the farm. Vasco, enraged over this betrayal, dies when he accidentally buries himself under a heap of construction matieral for the half-finished house. This leaves the two women with no way of returning to the city. Left to their own devices, the two women venture out to explore the area. They find a fishing hut on the shores of the ocean and notice that Massu (Seu Jorge), the fisherman, has salt which he regularly obtains from his father who lives in the nearby Island. Massu takes them there, as they seek to follow the salt trail out of the desert. However, Massu's father does not know where the salt comes from since he is the grandson of a runaway slave; he already had been born in the sanctuary; he does not know the world beyond the confines of the Island. Yet soon they establish contact with the itinerant trader who brings the salt (fittingly called Chico do Sal), but he too does not offer any viable connection back to the civilization Maria and Áurea grew up in.

Unable to return for now, Áurea and Maria get settled and with the help of Massu start a small farming operation. About ten years after their arrival, Áurea still longs to return to her former life beyond the seemingly insurmountable dunes, while her mother seems quite content in their new situation since she feels she does not have anything worthwhile to return to. Quietly, Áurea has been purchasing beasts of burden to venture out of the sandy trap. In fact, when the old trader dies, Áurea, following a fresh trail in the sand by herself, sets out to return her family to civilization as she knew it. This civilization she finds in the form of an international scientific expedition that, for the purpose of observing an annular solar eclipse on May 29, 1919, had come to the remote desert to verify claims made by Albert Einstein's theory of General Relativity concerning the curvature of space.[1] Áurea falls in love with Luiz, a young soldier escorting the expedition, whom she also asks to request permission for her and her family to return home with the scientists. The permission is granted, and Áurea hurries back home to bring her mother and daughter to where the expedition is. However, when she returns to her "house of sand," the dunes have further encroached upon her house; she fears that her mother and daughter (both are called Maria) are buried under the sand. This turns out not to be the case -- the mother had died, the daughter had found refuge with Massu -- but precious time is lost: they miss the expedition.



Unikaliame brazilų režisieriaus Andrucha Waddingtono filme pirmą kartą vaidina dvi garsiausios Brazilijos aktorės - "Oscaro" premijai nominuota Fernanda Montenegro ("Centrinė stotis") ir Kanų festivalio prizu už geriausią vaidybą apdovanota Fernanda Torres ("Mylėk mane amžinai arba niekuomet"). Lyg žvaigždės tamsioje naktyje jos švyti jaudinančioje dramoje apie trijų kartų moterų gyvenimą Šiaurės Brazilijos smėlio kopose.

Drąsi moteris Aureja į Šiaurės Brazilijoje esantį miestą Maranhao atvyksta verčiama kuoktelėjusio sutuoktinio Vasko. Šis yra klaidingai įsitikinęs, kad nederlingą žemę smėlynuose įmanoma pelningai užsėti grūdais. Tačiau viskas nutinka kitaip, nei planuota ir kūdikio besilaukianti Aureja kartu su savo motina Marija lieka visiškai vienos dykumoje smėlio užpiltame name. Po alinančių klajonių ir paieškų joms pavyksta susidraugauti su vietiniu vyru Massu ir rasti maisto. Aureja iš visų jėgų kovoja su nelaiminga lemtimi, bet po truputį pripranta prie naujo gyvenimo ritmo smėlio kopose.

Sparčiai bėgant metams mes sutiksime Aureją galutinai susitaikiusią su žiauraus likimo išdaigomis. Tačiau pasiutusi, aistringa ir seksualinių santykių ištroškusi duktė Marija neranda sau vietos bekraščiuose smėlynuose. Mergina beprotiškai nori pamatyti ir pajausti už dykumos esantį pasaulį, kol vieną dieną ši svajonė išsipildo...

Dramatiško epo veiksmas užtrunka net 59 metus, o režisierius Andrucha Waddingtonas meniškai įkomponuoja į scenarijų svarbiausius įvykius pasaulio istorijoje. Iš apie prasidėjusį karą nenutuokiančių žmonių perspektyvos mes stebėsime amerikiečių lėktuvų bandymus išvengti susidūrimo su vokiečių povandeniniais laivais, tapsime Einšteino realityvumo teoriją įrodžiusio 1919-ųjų saulės užtemimo liudininkais, išgirsime stulbinančias naujienas apie pirmuosius žmogaus žingsnius Mėnulyje.

"Sundance" nepriklausomo kino festivalyje 20 tūkst. JAV dolerių vertės specialiuoju prizu apdovanotąjį filmą galima drąsiai pavadinti vienos šeimos afera, nes tris skirtingus vaidmenis sukūrusi Fernanda Montenegro yra dvi personažes įkūnyjančios Fernanda'os Torres mama ir režisieriaus Andrucha'os Waddingtono uošvė.

sábado, 19 de maio de 2007

PEDRO ABRUNHOSA - QUEM ME LEVA OS MEUS FANTASMAS...

QUEIMA DAS FITAS











The Queima das Fitas (Portuguese for Burning of the Ribbons) is a traditional festivity of the students of some Portuguese universities, organized originally by the students of the University of Coimbra.

HISTORY
The first Queima das Fitas was organized by the students of the University of Coimbra, which is the oldest university of the country, and for many decades the only in Portugal.


COIMBRA
Coimbra's Queima das Fitas, the oldest and most famous, is organized by a students' commission formed by members of the students' union Associação Académica de Coimbra. Celebrating the end of graduation courses, symbolized by the ritual burning of the ribbons representing each faculty, it takes place at the second semester (around May), being among the biggest student festivities in Europe. It lasts for 8 days, one for each Faculty: Letters, Law, Medicine, Sciences & Technology, Pharmacy, Economics, Psychology & Education Sciences and Sports Sciences & Physical Education. During this period, a series of concerts and performances are held, turning Coimbra in a lively and vibrant city. It also includes a parade of the university students, sport activities, gala ball, and many other public events and traditions.

The Ribbon Burning festivities are the big yearly celebration for the students and townspeople as well. The festivities run for a full week in May beginning with the traditional nighttime fado serenade in the square of the Old Cathedral of Coimbra. The square is packed with students in their black capes and according to the ritual, studies are forgotten for a week of joy and all-night revelry. The high point of the festivities is the Cortejo, a parade beginning in Alta (upper Coimbra, the university historic centre and home to the Rector's Office and the famous University tower) with the graduating students burning their grelo. The parade progresses down the hills of the Alta towards the Baixa (downtown Coimbra, near the river) with dozens of elaborately decorated floats, each in the color of their respective faculties, carrying placards with ironic criticisms alluding to certain teachers, the educational system, national events and leaders. The parade is made up of thousands of "newly liberated" students set apart by their top hats and walking sticks.

After the outbreak in 1969 of a crisis opposing the students to the dictatorial government of António de Oliveira Salazar, the festivities, as well as all other manifestations of the academic traditions, were suspended by the students as an act of protest. This was known as the luto académico (Portuguese for academic mourning). The restarting of the celebrations took place in 1980, in the middle of an intense political controversy between left-wing students who opposed the celebration, and conservative students, who wanted to resume the practice. Such struggle took some time to heal, but the "Queima das Fitas" is now only contested by a small fringe of the more radical left-wing student movements.

Nowadays the beer industry has become an important sponsor of Coimbra's Queima das Fitas, which has given still a wider projection to the festival, quite popular among young people from all around the country and even from Spain. During the festival's week groups of students from other universities, such as Lisbon or Porto, among thousands of other visitors, come to enjoy it. This growth in popularity has involved significant change to the festival, ever more professionalized, moving it a great distance away from its origins at the end of the 19th century. Students of more traditionalist or leftist sensibilities have occasionally decried this as an increased commercialization and commodification of their "mystique" and traditions.



OTHER CITIES
The tradition of Coimbra was extended to all Portuguese cities with University. The “Queima das Fitas” of Porto is practically as old as each one of Coimbra. In 1920 the students of the faculty of medicine of Porto had organized the first party which had given the name of "Festa da Pasta". In 1943 the name of the event changed definitely to “Queima das Fitas”.
In Porto, the "Queima das Fitas" didn’t happen since 1971 until 1977. In 1978, under some controversies of some Portuguese quadrants, that considered this event one reactionary initiative, the student feast restarted, growing and growing, year after year. Nowadays, this event has the participation of more than 350 000 students.

In Minho University, the student feast adopted other name “O Enterro da Gata” (“cat funeral”). The cat, in this region is the symbol of school flop, so it is necessary to make it funeral.

In Lisbon, where the tradition is not so strong, the University celebrates all the years the “Semana Académica de Lisboa” (student week of Lisbon). The same name is used by the University of Algarve and University of Évora.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queima_das_Fitas

http://2007.queimadasfitas.org/
http://www.fap.pt/index.php?ch_site=queima
www.aaum.pt
http://www.sal2007.com/
http://www.saalgarve.com/
http://www.queima.aaue.pt/2007/

"VILNOJA 2007" - International Sculpture Symposium



Since the first of May is taking place in Suderve (Vilnoja Stone Sculpture Park), near Vilnius, the International Stone Sculpture Symposium “Vilnoja 2007”. The objective of these symposiums is to promote and to popularize stone sculpture as a form of art and bring together sculptors with different professional and cultural backgrounds to demonstrate their process of stone sculpture creation, to exchange ideas and experiences.

Vilnoja Stone Sculpture Park has been given the name of the lake on the banks of which, and in which, monumental sculptures have been picturesquely erected. An unexpected and unique idea was to create sculptures not only on the land, but also to move them into the lake.

The success of the private Vilnoja Granite Sculpture Park depends on several factors. This is an idea that was born in time; it exploits the attractive topography of the area and has sculptures created by world celebrities. The founder of Vilnoja Sculpture Park, Vidmantas Martikonis, invited eight well known Lithuanian artists to the first symposium of granite sculpture that took place in the four hectare territory in 2001.In 2002, the symposium became international when sculptors from Latvia, Sweden, Russia, Poland and Byelorussia came to it. Forty monumental granite sculptures are now exhibited in the sculpture park, and the geography of artists who have participated in Vilnoja stone symposia has reached the most remote places of the world.
The symposium is a perfect occasion for foreign sculptors to get to know our country and culture, to communicate and realize freely and at ease their ideas in Lithuanian granite – very strong and hard.

This year, and for the first time in this Symposium, Portugal has two sculptors in this event:

Maria Leal da Costa (http://www.wonderfulland.com/maria/) and
Paulo Marujo.

This is an excellent opportunity to contact with important Portuguese artists and understand one little more the Portuguese culture.

Música de Cabo Verde - Cesária Évora



Here you have a nice duet between the most important singer from Cabo Verde, Cesária Évora and Dorota Miśkiewicz...

Aprender Português em Cabo Verde...




Entre 16 e 28 de Julho, a Universidade Jean Piaget de Cabo Verde em parceria com o Instituto Camões de Portugal e com o Instituto Internacional de Línga Portuguesa, irá realizar um Curso de Verão para estudantes estrangeiros que possuam conhecimentos de Língua Portuguesa.
A escola de Verão decorrerá nas instalações da Universidade Jean Piaget de Cabo Verde, na Cidade da Praia. O custo deste curso, incluindo transporte, almoços e lanches, visitas e passeios culturais é de 250,00 €.

Para mais informações, consultar www.unipiaget.cv/escoladeverao.
Fotos de Cabo Verde:


terça-feira, 15 de maio de 2007

Rita Guerra - À espera do sol




No dia em que te foste embora
anoiteceu
desde essa dia,
nunca mais amanheceu...

e sei que desde então
vivo na escuridão...

(refrão)
à espera do sol.
talvez do luar,
à espera de luz
p'ra me iluminar

à espera de quem
já me fez feliz,
à espera do sol,
à espera de luz,
à espera de ti.

agora a noite
é a minha companhia
porque tu foste
e levaste a luz do dia.

e sei que desde então
vivo na escuridão

à espera do sol.
talvez do luar,
à espera de luz
p'ra me iluminar

à espera de quem
já me fez feliz,
à espera do sol,
à espera de luz,
à espera de ti.

e sei que desde então
vivo na escuridão

à espera do sol.
talvez do luar,
à espera de luz
p'ra me iluminar

à espera de quem
já me fez feliz,
à espera do sol...

à espera do sol.
talvez do luar,
à espera de luz
p'ra me iluminar

à espera de quem
já me fez feliz,
à espera do sol,
à espera de luz,
à espera de ti.


Rita Guerra is the owner of one of the most beautiful voices and one of the most stable careers in the Portuguese music scene. Since 1989, Rita is a regular feature on the shows of Casino do Estoril. She set foot for the first time on the casino’s stage side by side Adamo, a well known French singer.
“Pormenores sem a minima importância” was her debut album, featuring Rui Veloso, a famous rock singer and composer, and the group Taxi. “Independence Day” was her second album, a CD released in 1995 sang only in English. Approaching ethnic music in the album “Da Gama”, Rita Guerra got the help of maestro Pedro Osório and Paulo de Carvalho, portuguese representative at ESC 1974.
In 2000, Rita and Beto, one of the backing singers in Riga, released an album called “Desencontros”. One of the duets “Brincando com o fogo” is considered by many one of the most beautiful and recognizable songs of the Portuguese music history.
The stage has been Rita’s second home for many years. She has been participating in some of the most prestigious shows presented in Portugal. It was the case of “Canções do Século”, that was on the road from 1993 to 1998. The show run through some of the most well known songs of Portuguese music history. Along side Helena Vieira and Lena D’Água, the show was a hit.

1999 saw Rita Guerra, Helena Viera and Beto preform on the show «POPera», where some of the most famous opera arias were arranged and preformed with a modern and contemporary touch. At the moment, Rita performs daily at Casino do Estoril in its latest production “Fruta Cores”.
Rita has also regularly worked in the Portuguese soundtrack of animated films such as “Hercules”, “Lion King”, “Prince of Egypt”, “Little Mermaid” and others.

In 2003, Rita Guerra was invited by RTP to represent Portugal at the Eurovision Songcontest in Riga. Three songs were in contest, and the winner was “Deixa-me sonhar (só mais uma vez)”. Rita also participated in 1992, on the Portuguese national selection, with the song “Meu amor inventado em mim”, where se came 2nd. In the meantime, Rita got married to the lyricist and composer of the song, Paulo Martins.

quinta-feira, 10 de maio de 2007

For Andzelina :)


Mariza Reis Nunes (pron. IPA: [mɐ.'ɾi.zɐ]/) (born December 16, 1973 in Mozambique) is a fado singer. She moved to Portugal when she was three, and was raised in one of the most traditional quarters of Lisbon, Mouraria - Alfama, where she learned how to sing fado.

She has a Portuguese father but her mother hails from Mozambique (the song "Transparente" is a tribute to her African grandmother).

Growing up, and until she became a fado singer, Mariza sang in a wide variety of styles, including gospel, soul and jazz.

Released in 2001, Mariza's first album, Fado em Mim, was an instant success in Portugal, selling more than 30,000 copies. This led to her recording company launching the disc internationally and taking advantage of the good reception that Portuguese music was enjoying at the time in Europe and in other countries, such as Mexico and Japan.

When Mariza's second album, Fado Curvo, was released in 2003, she was already considered as one of the best singers of what some call the new Fado movement. Mariza's voice, which harks back to the grand divas of the musical form, like the eternal Amalia Rodrigues, and her impassioned interpretations of Fado standards brought her great international recognition in a short amount of time, leading to her being the recipient, in March 2003, of BBC Radio 3's award for Best European Artist in World Music.

Mariza is considered as a more contemporary follower of Amália Rodrigues.

Her third album, Transparente, was recorded in Brazil and released in 2005.

terça-feira, 8 de maio de 2007

MÚSICA NA EMBAIXADA - DONNA MARIA













The great music of the group
DONNA MARIA
is a kind of a fusion between “fado”, the Portuguese traditional music, and electronic music.



www.donna-maria.blogspot.com



EMBASSY OF PORTUGAL
8 of May 2007 – 6 PM

segunda-feira, 7 de maio de 2007

Famous Portuguese in World History

Prince Henry the Navigator - The guiding spirit of the Portuguese discoveries, devoting much of his life to the cause of exploration. He worked to improve ships, their instruments and maps.

Vasco da Gama - Explorer who made the first sea voyage from Europe to the East (India).

Pedro Alvares Cabral - The first European explorer to set foot in South America (in today's Brazil).

Bartolomeu Dias - European explorer to first round the southern end of the African continent, opening a sea route from Europe to the East. Along the way, he explored about 1260 miles of previously unknown African coast.

Fernão Magalhães (Magellan) - The first European to cross the Pacific Ocean, and leader of the first voyage that circumnavigated the globe.

Jose Saramago - Nobel Prize-winning author.

Paula Rego - Appointed the first associate artist of England's National Gallery and living between London and Ericeira, Portugal, she has been placed amongst the four best living painters in England today.

Manoel de Oliveira - Beginning with silent films, he has been directing up to the 21st century having earned a multitude of honors such as the Jury Prize in Cannes.

Alvaro Siza Vieira - Pritzker Prize-winning architect.

Antonio Damasio - Scientist whose breakthrough publication Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason and the Human Brain is considered a book of reference worldwide.

Luis Figo - FIFA 2001 World Player of the Year.

Cristiano Ronaldo - Rising soccer star; Manchester United player.

José Mourinho - Notorious soccer coach; has won the Champions League, has coached Portugal's F.C. Porto and England's Chelsea.

Durão Barroso - President of the European Commission.

Tu conheces mais pessoas famosas de Portugal? Para que eu possa acrescentar a lista. ;)

sábado, 5 de maio de 2007

XUTOS E PONTAPÉS - NÃO SOU O ÚNICO

LENDAS DE PORTUGAL - GALO DE BARCELOS


Um peregrino galego que saía de Barcelos a caminho de Santiago de Compostela foi acusado de ter roubado umas pratas a um proprietário e condenado a enforcamento. Num apelo final, pediu um encontro com o juiz, que se preparava para comer um galo assado. O galego jurou que, como prova da sua inocência, o galo se levantaria do prato e cantaria. O juiz empurrou o prato para o lado e ignorou o apelo.

Todavia, quando o preso estava a ser enforcado, o galo levantou-se e cantou. O juiz compreendeu o seu erro, correu para a forca e descobriu que o galego se salvara graças a um nó mal feito. De acordo com a lenda, o galego voltou anos mais tarde para esculpir o Cruzeiro do Senhor do Galo, agora no Museu Arqueológico de Barcelos.

quarta-feira, 2 de maio de 2007

MADREDEUS - Haja o que houver



Haja o que houver
eu estou aqui
Haja o que houver
espero por ti
Volta no vento
Ó meu amor
volta depressa
por favor
Há quanto tempo
já esqueci
Porque fiquei
Longe de ti
Cada momento
é pior
Volta no vento
Por favor

Eu sei, eu sei
Quem és para mim
Haja o que houver
espero por ti