Highlights include a new work by Dino D’Santiago, Adilson, and the debut performances of Banda Monte Cara and Fidju Kitxora in Braga, among several multidisciplinary proposals that cross cinema, opera, music, and crucial debates on memory and the future.
From 18 to 20 September 2025, Braga will host PARAÍSO, a multidisciplinary arts programme that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the independence of the Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOP). Organised across three main strands – Performance, Thought, and Mediation – PARAÍSO returns to the city to amplify and reflect on Afro-descendant artistic expression, offering an immersive journey into essential narratives from the margins and archives. PARAÍSO is part of the Official Celebrations of the 50th Anniversary of the 25 April Revolution.
Cinema and Thought: Opening Paths Through Memory and Dialogue
PARAÍSO begins on 18 September at gnration with a screening of the acclaimed documentary Independência (2015), by Angolan director Mário Bastos. Also known as Fradique, Mário Bastos, born in Luanda in 1986, is one of the most expressive and talented voices in contemporary Angolan cinema and co-founder of the production company Geração 80. The film is a powerful reconstruction of Angola’s struggle for independence, based on testimonies from former fighters, rare archival material and previously unseen footage, offering a crucial perspective on our collective memory. The following day, 19 September, Livraria Centésima Página will host the roundtable discussion “And after independence? From liberation struggles to today’s challenges.” This vital debate, central to this year’s theme, features researchers Marta Machado, Sheila Khan, and Tiago Vieira da Silva, moderated by Marisa Rodrigues. It aims to discuss identity, colonial memory, and the paths opened up by these historic commemorations.
The Opera Adilson: A Journey Through Citizenship and Identity
Also on 19 September, at Theatro Circo, the festival presents the highly anticipated new work by Dino D’Santiago: the opera Adilson. This original five-act opera, with dramaturgy by Rui Catalão and musical direction by Martim Sousa Tavares, is a commission by BoCA – Biennial of Contemporary Arts. Adilson follows the moving journey of an Afro-descendant man, born in Angola to Cape Verdean parents, who has lived in Portugal for over 40 years without ever obtaining Portuguese citizenship. The story of Adilson – known as D’afonsa to his friends, Nuno to his family, and Adilson on his passport – unfolds in a bureaucratic maze of waiting rooms and postponed applications, preventing him from being fully recognised by the country he has always called home. More than the tale of a single man, the opera portrays the lived realities of thousands left at the margins of the system, transforming waiting into poetry and invisibility into an act of resistance. In its final moments, the opera resounds with a powerful declaration: “I am not Portuguese. I am Portugal. A country still waiting.”
Mediation: Walking the City and Activating Heritage
The Mediation strand is central to PARAÍSO, inviting audiences to engage with and deepen their understanding of the festival’s key themes. On 20 September, attendees will have the opportunity to take part in a fully booked guided tour led by researcher Chisoka Simões, tracing a route through Braga’s colonial imagery and memory sites. Later in the afternoon, at gnration, a presentation will be held showcasing the results of an artistic residency at the Braga Public Library. Led by visual artist Ruben Zacarias, this project explores and activates bibliographic heritage linked to the PALOP countries. The conversation will be moderated by researcher Rosa Cabecinhas.
Music: The Legacy and the New Cape Verdean Generation
The evening of 20 September at gnration features a double bill celebrating iconic and emerging figures in Cape Verdean music. The legendary Banda Monte Cara, a cornerstone of Cape Verdean culture in Lisbon since 1976, will perform in Braga for the first time. Blending the experience of original members with the vitality of new talents, the group will revisit and reimagine the rich musical heritage of composers such as Dionísio Mario, Paulino Vieira, Manuel de Novas, Tito Paris, and Pedro Rodrigues. Audiences can expect a concert that is both celebration and homage – bringing the unmistakable Cape Verdean swing to life. Also performing that evening is Fidju Kitxora, one of the most promising acts in the contemporary Afro-Lusophone music scene. Their debut album, Racodja (2024), is a raw and documentary-style tribute to the Cape Verdean diaspora. Melding traditional rhythms like funaná and semba with hip-hop, dub, and electronic music, Fidju Kitxora uses Kriolu as a political tool and act of resistance, aiming to “repair and rebuild narratives that have been denied to us” through powerful and intense performances.
A Time to Listen and Reflect from the Margins
PARAÍSO reaffirms its mission to be a space where one listens and thinks “from the margins, from the archives, and from the voices that continue to elevate Afro-descendant experiences today.” In a year of such symbolic importance for the independence of the PALOP countries, this artistic moment in Braga invites us to celebrate cultural and artistic richness while reflecting on history, identity, and possible futures. Curated by Nuno Abreu, with BANTUMEN curating the Cinema and Thought strand, and Rosa Cabecinhas (CONCILIARE, CECS, University of Minho) curating the Mediation and Thought strand, PARAÍSO offers a rich and diverse programme that unfolds across several emblematic venues in the city, including Theatro Circo, gnration, Livraria Centésima Página, and the streets of Braga.
For more information and full programme details, visit the websites of Theatro Circo and gnration. Tickets available at Theatro Circo and gnration box offices, regular outlets, and online at: https://theatrocirco.bol.pt and https://gnration.bol.pt