Exhibitions, activities for children and families, conversations with History and tributes to memory, music, theater, installations and artistic representations, poetry, sport fill the vast program of the Celebrations of the 50th anniversary of April 25, 1974, in São Brás de Alportel, which gain intensity this month, but which began in January and continue throughout 2024, until 2025.
In São Brás de Alportel, the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Revolution of April 25, 1974 began in January and will run until the end of 2025, with an “overcrowded” program of initiatives in April, especially from the 24th to the 26th of April .
On the inspiring night of April 24th, which brought April into the early hours, the evening was full of poetry, at the Municipal Library, with the participation of Sónia Pereira and Carlos Boita.
On the long-awaited 25th, the celebrations begin at 10 am, in the Town Hall, with the flag-raising ceremony, to the sound of the National Anthem performed by the São Brás de Alportel Philharmonic Band and the collaboration of the Volunteer Fire Department. Honoring the right to association, one of April’s achievements, a parade of associations from the municipality of São Brás de Alportel will follow.
At 10:30 am, in Largo de São Sebastião, the Carolas Group and many friends who joined together, presented the artistic representation “April 25, 1974”, the result of an initiative that erupted spontaneously from the community.
In the Largo and southern section of Av. da Liberdade, which owes its name to the Carnation Revolution, one can breathe memory, with a representative scene where automobiles of the time take place… decorated by artistic elements highlighting the giant carnation that surpasses 6 meters high!
At 11:00 am, after a brief visit to the exhibition “April 25th: the turn of the page… 50 years of Democracy” which is on display at the Municipal Gallery until April 30th and which will be touring various spaces in the municipality from May , everyone is invited to participate in the Solemn Commemorative Session “Tribute to Memory, Seeds of the Future”, at São Brás Cineteatro Jaime Pinto.
This will be the moment when the Municipality of São Brás de Alportel will distinguish and honor a group of São Brasenses who sowed Democracy, fought for Freedom and made their contribution to the realization of the Carnation Revolution and the implementation of Democratic Local Power , which was another of April’s most relevant achievements. The members of the First Administrative Commissions, as well as all São Brasenses who have presided over the City Council and the Municipal Assembly since 74 will be worthy of this tribute.
The Seeds and future are launched by the voices of the boys and girls from the 3rd year class of Prof Jorge Gonçalves at the EB1 Ji School of São Brás de Alportel and CARTES – Arts Conservatory of the municipality, directed by António Jorge Pinto who will toast the presents with an emotional musical journey through Liberdade.
Because April is Today and needs to be forever, the day will end with a concert led by a young man, the highly regarded and talented Portuguese artist Buba Espinho, who will share the stage with the Coro Infantilojuvenil da Liberdade, a unique moment, from the 9:30 pm, at Largo de São Sebastião, with free entry.
The day’s program also includes, at 10 am, another edition of the traditional Singles and Married Game that the Grupo Desportivo e Cultural de Machados has been holding for decades on this day and another sporting initiative, at 11 am, at Campo de Sousa Uva, where the União Desportiva e Recreativa Sambrasense promotes the 1st Walking-Football, a meeting of players over 50 years old, born before April 1974.
Carnation Revolution is in every corner of São Brás de Alportel
The program for São Brasense’s celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Revolution of April 25, 1974 began to be prepared a year ago, with the constitution of the Commemorations Commission, presented on April 25, 2023 and formally constituted on June 1, 2023 , which chose to launch the initiatives as the presentation of the artistic exhibition in tribute to João Azevedo, an eternal defender of democracy, author of Zeca Afonso covers, at the Alportel Museological Center.
“After 50 years of the Carnation Revolution, Portugal once again finds itself at a time of choosing its future. And because the ideals of April 25, 1974 come true in all areas of our lives, the Commemorations Committee and the Municipality of São Brás de Alportel decided to build this program with a challenge to the entire associative layer of the municipality, who promptly presented proposals which seem very enriching to us”, explained the municipality’s representative on the Commission, Councilor for Culture and Heritage, Marlene Guerreiro.
Meanwhile, this month, the youngest were challenged by the Municipal Library to participate in the “Flying Carpet” Story Session especially dedicated to Freedom and Democracy and primary school students watched the play “The One That Smells as Freedom” that the VATe – Let’s Catch the Theater of The Algarve Theater Company brought it to São Brás de Alportel.
The “Conversations with History” initiative brought on March 16th an interesting Tertúlia about the Failed Coup of Caldas, with the participation of Artur Guerreiro and passed through the Municipal Library on Friday, April 19th, having received Ramiro Santos, in a presentation by work “50 years of April in the Algarve”.
The José Belchior Viegas School Group also joined this initiative, having launched the challenge to the students to create the Celebrations logo, with the work of Tiago Narciso being chosen to mark this anniversary.
On April 24, the School Group will carry out an artistic installation of carnations in Jardim Carrera Viegas and is preparing the creation of an artistic mural.
“Words of Poetry” is the name of the poetry recital that Sónia Pereira and Carlos Boita present at the Dr. Estanco Louro Municipal Library on April 24th, at 9:30 pm.
“And after April… Memories with a Flavor of Freedom” is the theme of the “Tertúlia Aqui entre Nós” which returns to the Municipal Gallery on the 26th, at 9:30 pm, with the honorable participation of the Captain of April, Admiral Martins Guerreiro, an illustrious saint -brasense who is very proud of his land.
The following day, the youngest children are invited to give free rein to their imagination and build “April Carnations” in the creative studio “Growing and Learning” that the Municipal Library will host from 4pm onwards.
This month’s program ends with a night of Fado at the Museu do Traje scheduled for 9pm on April 28th.
Also noteworthy are the exhibitions on display in the municipality. The Costume Museum presents the exhibition “Liberdade Semper!” until June 28th. while at Espaço Comunidade, the former headquarters of the Parish Council, until June, students from the Senior University present a set of paintings they created taking inspiration from the Carnation Revolution, also including some photographs from the Colonial War period, made available by the Center for Lighthouse of the League of Combatants.
Until the end of this month, it is possible to discover April 25, 1974 through literature. This was the motto behind the exhibition that the Municipal Library has on display until May 29th.
At the Municipal Gallery, the commemorative exhibition “April 25th: the turn of the page… 50 years of Democracy” is on display.
May will continue the program with a series of initiatives, including a special session of the Youth Assembly where young people from 2024 will meet young people from 1974, in a unique debate of ideas. Many other moments will mark the month, such as the interesting Conversation with History, on the 24th, by Dr. Maria João Raminhos Duarte; a gathering on the importance of the trade union movement and the artistic production “Liberdade”, 100% São Brasense talent, which will be presented to the public on May 25th. The celebration program will extend until the end of 2025.
