Breakdance to unite cultures

Pumping hip hop beats are filling a run-down gymnasium in the old centre of Lisbon. We can feel the heat and the smell of sweat in the air when we walk in. A group of guys with muscular bodies are doing “headspins”, “turtles” and “windmills” across the floor – the acrobatic moves of the “Formula Armada” breakdance crew.

Copyright Yannick Brusselmans

There are 10 people in the group between the ages of 18 and 28 from all over the world: Angola, Brazil, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland, who all live in the close suburbs of Portugal’s capital. The “B-Boys”, which the dancers refer themselves as got to know each other through friends and breakdancing events, and now they meet two times a week for training.

One of the founders of the group is Wilson Magalhaes, a 21 year old Angolan, who started dancing at the age of 9, imitating his older brother Owaldo and his uncle who were also performing. “But my biggest idol is Michael Jackson” he comments. Together with his brother Owaldo he founded the group “Formula Armada” in 2004. The main idea behind the group is to have a positive impact on young people and to find a way to cope with the struggles of life. “We are like a family”, says Wilson and stresses that, “everybody is an equal member”.

B-girl

Copyright Yannick Brusselmans

Maria, 27, is one of the two “B-Girls” of the crew. For seven months she has practiced with “Formula Armada” after she met the crew at a national Breakdance championship. She was adamant that she had no problem keeping up with the boys, even though breakdancing is a very athletic and powerful sport – she keeps the boys in line.

At the moment the group is developing a unique style and they are becoming more widely known, both in Lisbon and beyond. Since winning some national competitions and even appearing on national Portuguese television now they regularly get booked for events and shows. Wilson tells proudly that they have started to earn some money with dancing and that they also obtained some sponsorship. Right now they are touring across Portugal with a Hip-Hop Formation named “Makongo”.
More info: www.myspace.com/formulaarmada.

What is Breakdance?

Breakdance is a dance style which was originally performed in the streets and which is known as a part of the hip hop movement. It was first danced by African American and Puerto Rican youths in Manhattan and the South Bronx of New York City during the early 1970s. Normally it is danced to Pop, Funk and Hip Hop music.

It is said that Breakdance or B-Boying was an alternative for the youth apart from the violence of urban street gangs. The Breakdance culture is known to be free of any race, gender or age boundaries and today it is a worldwide practised and accepted dance style.

Manuel Rhode

“If I make you cry I’m happy”

Fado undoubtedly is Portugal’s most famous music. The mournful tunes and lyrics usually performed by one singer and one or more guitar players can be heard in the taverns of Lisbon’s working class bairros every night. According to Portuguese Fado enthusiasts this music is probably the oldest folk music in the world, however it is not music for only old people.

Copyright Damiano Razzoli

In the beautiful narrow streets of the Alfama quarter of Lisbon, big-lettered signs with the promise “Fado tonight” on them grace the front of every tavern. A young Portuguese woman with long black hair and brown eyes talks to tourists who meander through Alfama. With her black t-shirt and stylish jeans, she does not look any different from other young women in Europe. But when she closes her eyes and starts to sing, her music goes right into your heart, touches your soul and suddenly you understand that the lady standing right in front of you is really special. Raquel Tavares (23) is one of the most popular young Fado singers in Portugal.

“I started singing Fado when I was five years old”, the Fadista says. “I performed in the bars and I loved it.” Asked why she started to sing the Portuguese traditional music Tavares answers “I just had to”, and explains: “You cannot learn Fado, you have to have it in you.” Raquel Tavares grew up in Alfama within half a kilometre’s distance from the “House of Fado”, a museum dedicated to the Portuguese music, so her career as a Fadista does not seem surprising but rather predestined. It was actually not her parents who brought her to Fado though. “My mother is a Fado singer as well, but she started later than I did. So she came to know Fado through me, not the other way round”, the multitalented artist who won the Portuguese version of ´Dancing with the Stars´ says. Since the age of 18 Raquel has been a professional Fadista performing all over Europe and also in the US. She is very proud of the characteristic music of Portugal. “It is our culture, our tradition. We have to show you what we have.”

New Fado

Copyright Diletta Pignedoli

Although Raquel is a member of a new generation of young Fado singers, she does not like the experimental Fado which is mixed with other music styles. “I do not believe in the new Fado”, she firmly says. Apparently that does not harm her popularity among young people. According to her, the age spectrum of her fans is wide and there are young and old people who come to hear her sing. “We have very young songwriters and very young poets as well”, the Fadista stresses.

Asked about the secret of Fado 23-year-old Tavares explains: “Fado is a way of being in life, but the most important thing is emotion. Many people do not understand one word of what I am singing about, but they feel my feelings.” Her songs thus mostly are about feelings, emotions and life and also about her hometown. “Lisbon is my inspiration”, the beautiful woman tells. As sharing your feelings with strangers sounds very intimate one might think it is hard to perform in front of a big crowd. Raquel though prefers a big audience to a little one: “I love to sing in front of many people. It is way harder for me to do it in front of a small group.” A success for the young lady is when she sees that she could really touch the hearts and souls of her listeners: “If I make you cry, I am happy”, the Fadista says.

Sabine Stang