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August 2019

- 'Boavista' live at Olando -

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Summer time. Holiday time. The terrace of Orlando's small restaurant bursting full. The whole beach crowd had come to hear 'our' guitarists Daniel and Yannick play. Daniel is in his mid-thirties, Yannick in his early twenties. For father and son the age difference between the two musicians is too small, for friends a little too large. Are they brothers? The initiated know: they are teacher and pupil and play throughout Portugal with their guitars and amplifiers during the holidays. I had met them a few years earlier at the annual market in São Teotónio, where, despite the noise of a big event, they played their great music completely serenely. I asked them spontaneously if they wouldn't like to give a little concert in our holiday resort. I know a nice restaurant somewhat out of town, I told them. They came – and we loved their music. At 'Friday Night in San Francisco' everyone held their breath enthusiastically. And when the young guest Alina wove her wonderful jazzy blues voice with the guitars, everyone got goose bumps despite it being a balmy August night.
As I had planned, I would paint the two musicians this year. So I sat in the front row with the watercolour box and the drawing pad, while everyone else was tucking in and listening. Time passes by quickly when listening anyway, tone by tone, chord by chord, but it flies by when painting. Soon there was a break, then the final applause and an encore. The audience cheered. Wow, that was another great concert. "The bill, please!" – "Orlando, it tasted great." – "We are going to the village, are you coming?" – "Are you coming after us?" – The tables emptied, and our beach crowd moved on to the village, where they would meet again at Joao's place.
My picture wasn't quite finished yet. "No problem," Daniel laughed at me. "You'll get a private concert. We'll have something to eat first – and then we'll make music for both of you: you and your painting." Whilst the dishes and glasses were being cleared away loudly from the many tables, Daniel and Yannick took a seat on their stools and played in front of an empty house. After each piece Daniel looked at me questioningly. But I shook my head again and again. Finally, Orlando was sitting on one of the chairs. Dulce, his wife, had taken off her apron and demonstratively put her shopping bags for tomorrow on the table. It was time to go. That's it, finished. I nodded to Yannick and Daniel, the extra concert was over. A final applause. Now the cables were rolled up, the amplifiers and instruments were towed to the car. Orlando closed the big gate to the restaurant humming. "Will you join us for a beer at Joao's?" My husband Klaus asked the two musicians. "Your fans want to celebrate the beautiful evening with you!" – "Sure thing," was the answer from both of them. – "Then, until the next time," Orlando shouted to us from his moped, as he started chugging away with Dulce in the back seat.

 

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