Evaluation of Music: Malhão

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Going to abroad made me not only know other different cultures, but also discover more about my own cultural heritage. Our music teacher invited us to participate in the music´s evaluation and challenged us to prepare something that was attached to our culture.

When you talk about Portuguese music it is impossible don´t mention Fado, our biggest treasure. Fado means destiny. 

For the first part we prepared a moment of listening. Music doesn’t need words to be understandable. We asked for the group to close their eyes and listen two plays of Fado and try to feel what the singer was singing. 

On the second part we taught to dance Malhão, an ancient and typical dance from the North part of Portugal. After a while the whole group was already dancing with some confidence.

Learning this dance it was really fun and the whole group was excited to have participates in such a special moment.

In here you can listen the tracks used in this session:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6RVgZLzDjU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hm692FACmM

You can also have a look about Malhão in here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJBn_DpTz3g

Easter from each corner of the world

Sunday, March 27, 2016

In each corner of the world there are rituals and consuetude. There are dishes and deserts. There are celebrations. In each corner of the globe exists religions. There are smells, colors, tastes and flavors. In each corner of the world exists a piece of me…and a piece of you.  We live attached to each other. Despite our differences we all share the same root.

This year I had a special Easter. I was far away from my family. But I had the opportunity to be surrounded by wonderful people.

Our teachers, Catrine and Tobias, invited us to spend the Easter with their lovely family. After a long walking in the forest we got all together around the table.

Delicious things was covering the towel, like fruit´s cake, jelly gums (Godis were everywhere!) tea, chocolate almonds and a sweet desert prepared by us.

Around the table were reunited little pieces of the world. A piece of Portugal, Sweden, Congo and Brazil. Thank you for everything dear Catrine and Tobias! How wonderful it was…

Airs of Spring in Gotemburg

Saturday, March 26, 2016

This Saturday we decided to visit Gothenburg. We walked the city streets during the entire morning. Suddenly I started to fell the Spring arriving in the city. The sun was picking up in the middle of the clouds. The city was full of flowers. The birds were everywhere! After lunch we went to a beautiful garden with a greenhouse that enchanted us.

To finish the afternoon we had a Swedish FIKA and ate five different kinds of Swedish cakes. I don´t know what happened but I think the airs of spring are making me starving!