What's on

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INFORMATION COURTESY OF THE IRISH ASSOCIATION (Irish Association Portugal)

Diverse and vibrant young jazz sounds at 12 Points festival

Four nights, twelve young bands, the best that Europe has to offer.

Europe’s New Jazz

16th – 19th February 2012 | Casa Da Musica, Porto PORTUGAL | 12 Points Homepage - 12 Points Festival

“An extraordinary festival”

Laurence Mackin, The Irish Times, May 2011

“A compelling showcase of high level creativity from an impressive array of emerging European Jazz talents."
Mike Flynn, Jazzwise UK, May 2011



One of the most stimulating music gatherings in Europe, lands in Portugal for 2012, as nomadic jazz festival 12 Points presents the cream of young European Jazz, when its 7th edition erupts in the magnificent modern venue of Casa Da Musica, Porto from February 16th to 19th.

Alternating between Dublin and other European cities, 12 Points punches above its weight as an important destination for Europe’s creative young musicians. With over four hundred applicants, 12 of the best have been selected for the 2012 edition. There is wide diversity; some comfortably rooted in jazz, others rebellious with electronic, rock and folk fusions. Some have already signed to major labels, some yet to release debut CDs

The final selection includes our first ever Bosnian participants Divanhana, bringing the evocative sound of sevda, a dramatic urban blues style that will be right at home among our fadó loving hosts, while Poland makes an overdue return to 12 Points courtesy of the exciting Warsaw saxophonist Maciej Obara and his potent quartet.


Planet Jazz has an ever-shifting relationship with its neighbouring constellations, and it orbits the tribalism of pop and rock and the formalities of the classical sphere with ease. Those polarities are writ in those emerging artists pushing boundaries at 12 Points 2012. From Berlin, Schneeweiss und Rosenrot evoke a folk sensibility, with tender harmonies and strong songwriting, while Girls in Airports, our lo-tech groovers from Copenhagen, have embraced the world of Afro beat and Ethiopiques with gusto. Experimental pop-jazz band Machine Birds are prowling the Norwegian underground scene with their improvised electro hybrids.

Different creative agendas are at work with bands like Actuum, a knotty and noisy Parisian five piece with turn on a dime compositions that speak of obsessive devotion to the practice room, not unlike young Londoners World Service Project, mining a similar rich seam of metric gymnastics with all out improv and an urban edge.

If there is a middle ground, it’s occupied by the lyrical leanings of Helsinki’s Big Blue and the sassy interplay of text and music from Dubliners Thought-Fox, and the fleet linear explorations of Portuguese bassist Hugo Carvalhais. Of course, 12 Points wouldn’t be complete without a thought-provoking piano trio. Taking the angular route are this year’s contenders, Ghent’s De Beren Gieren, while Italy’s Livio Minafra helps us maintain an important tradition of solo piano performance at 12 Points.

These are testing times for creativity at the margins, but also a time for rapid evolution, with young bands showing how to revive, renew and reconnect. Those that make their way to Porto are among the brightest hopes that Europe has to offer.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION – CONTACT:

Aoife Concannon | +353 87-9495365 | pr@12points.ie

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Whatever chocolate you prefer, dark, milk or white chocolate you are invited to the medieval town of Obidos to indulge your chocolate fetish at the tenth International Chocolate Festival, DISNEY THEME this year dedicated to Disneyland Paris (20 years old this year)

This year however it will only be open at the weekends unlike in the past when it was all week.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday of each of the four weekends from March 2nd to March 25th, the festival activities will be in full swing with exhibits, parades, shows and competitions and a host of other family-friendly fun. With Nestle as an official sponsor, the Chocolate House awaits younger visitors with a whole range of games and delightful surprises. Stunning sculptures carved and moulded from chocolate by skilled chocolatiers will be on display featuring characters and scenes from Disney favourites such as Finding Nemo, Pirates of the Caribbean, Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan and Cars as well as the ever youthful Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

Tickets 5 euros for children aged 6 to 11 years and 7 euros for adults

Festival Internacional de Chocolate de Óbidos

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The Expoeste in CALDAS DA RAINHA , 8-11 March, Expowoman, an event dedicated to women tHERE WILL BE several stands for health, beauty, career, eroticism and fashion, among other topics.

A total of 40 exhibitors will participate in a space meant to be meeting and strengthening of relations between people, brands, companies and services in the event. The event is also part of various sports demonstrations, fashion shows and debates.

One of the highlights is a women-only lunch at the restaurant of the School of Hospitality and Tourism West, whose revenue accrues to the project looks at you, on March 8, International Women's Day.
Lunch will cost eight euros and reservations must be made through tel. 910889912 or via email projecto@olha-te.oeste.pt .

At the evening Expoeste will hold a mega dinner sponsored by the restaurant Lisboa, buffet, live music, a male strip show On the 9th, at 22:00, the room has a show with Carlos Moreno.

Expowoman 2012 Feira da Mulher nas Caldas da Rainha | DESTINOSLUSOS

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1 to April 8, 2012

"Óbidos remains a privileged setting for celebrations of events of historical-religious nature. Recalling the Passion and death of Christ, Holy Week attracts thousands of people to the Village, Portuguese and foreign, joined by piety and culture. "

Arousing the interest of the tourist point of view, Holy Week, early on, proved to be the best poster of Obidos and undoubtedly has the most impressive religious ceremonies of its kind in the West and in the country, in addition to a program cultural heritage with concerts, exhibits, records, attracting thousands of Portuguese and foreign Óbidos.

http://www.obidos.pt/CustomPages/Sho...2-a39718213184

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'Inspired by Light'
Exhibition of Original Art and Photography

At the Holiday Inn hotel, Armação de Pêra
Saturday 14th April - Wednesday 18th April
10am - 7pm each day

Brand new series of original acrylic paintings and photographic prints by husband and wife team showing exclusively in the Algarve.

Inspired by the natural beauty and stunning light of the Algarve - for more information, including map click link below:

A3 Art: Exhibitions

Thanks everyone!

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7th to 17th June

The most important festival in Sao Martinho do Porto is the Feasta de Sao Antonio. held in June. Sao Antonio is the patron saint of fishermen. Part of the festival is a procession to the Igreja de Sao Antonio. There are numerous traditional celebrations with fireworks and music and cultural performances.


The is a great outdoor restaurant in the square where the children`s playground is.
Just opposite the new location for Union Jacs.

It is busiest in the evening after 8pm but starts about 11 with all the Avenida lines with stalls.

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The largest and best city wide festival in Portugal is the Popular Saint’s Festival ( Festas dos Santos Populare) The celebrations are in honour of Saint Peter, Saint John and most importantly Saint Anthony, the patron saint of Lisbon (and weddings and lost causes).

13TH is a day of St. Anthony
24TH, St. John
29TH St. Peter

Lisbon takes to the street to celebrate the Popular Saints festival. Fires for barbecuing, colourful processions, the smell of sweet basil and fortune telling fill the city.

Saint Anthony, the patron saint of Lisbon, calls his people out for celebration over many nights but the highpoint is definitely on the night of June 12th. The city is packed with colour for the processions and festivities. Months of works go into preparing the marches that make their way down the main avenue in a blaze of colour and sound.

It is in the most traditional neighbourhoods, from the Alfama to Castelo, that the Saint and his customs that make Lisbon so special hold particular sway. In the squares where the narrow alleys and steep stairways meet up, restaurant terraces are set up for ‘caldo verde’ soup and grilled sardines underneath bright decorations and to the sound of ‘arraial’ folk music

This is one of the most picturesque dimensions to Lisbon at night and a place where old and young join up to enjoy.

Saint Anthony is also patron saint of weddings providing another tradition that lives on: the ‘Noivas de Santo António’ (Brides of Saint Anthony). Hundreds of Lisbon couples await the day when their council throws them an unforgettable wedding ceremony.

Arrive before June 13th to experience the best of the build up in a city given over to dancing and eating: under the streamers and balloons, dance and enjoy, read fortunes and give gifts of sweet basil.

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Every year, on the night of 23rd June, the city of Porto, in the north of Portugal, becomes lively and seemingly crazy.
Thousands of people come to the city centre and to the most traditional neighborhoods to pay a tribute to Saint John the Baptist, in a party that mixes sacred and ancient traditions

The festivities have been held in the city for more than six centuries, yet it was during the 19th century that Saint John's day became impregnated in the city's culture and assumed the status of the city's most important festival


the party starts early in the evening of 23 June and usually lasts until the morning of 24 June. The traditional attractions of the night include street concerts, popular dancing parties, jumping over flames, eating barbecued sardines and meat, drinking wine and releasing illuminated flame-propelled balloons over Porto's summer sky [4].
At midnight the partygoers make a short break to look at the sky at Saint John's firework spectacle.

One could expect the firework to be the climax and mark the end of the festivities. Yet, it is quite common for citizens of Porto, with all ages, to keep celebrating until 3 or 4 in the morning. Younger people take it even a step further. They walk from Porto's riverside core - Ribeira (for instance the parish of São Nicolau (Porto)- up to the seaside in Foz (parishes of Foz do Douro and Nevogilde (Porto)) or in the nearby suburb of Matosinhos where they wait for the sunrise near the sea.

Festa de São João do Porto - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The St. John Braga is a popular festival , which takes place in June in Braga , Portugal , which celebrates the birth of John the Baptist. The culmination of the festival is on the night of 23 to 24 June .
One key point is around the Chapel of St. John Bridge, built in the sixteenth century by King Diogo de Sousa. Although the oldest documents date from the fourteenth century is likely that these celebrations have their origin in advance.
The city is extensively decorated, from the most important streets in the historic center, passing through the main artery of the city, the Avenida da Liberdade, and culminating in the park of the Bridge.

Festa de São João em Braga ? Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre

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Medieval Fair of Óbidos

July 19 to August 12, 2012

Open Thursday to Sunday (closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays)


Events - Medieval Fair - Óbidos Turismo


Opening Hours
Thursday - 17h00 to 24h00
Friday – 17h00 to 01h00
Saturday – 12h00 to 01h00
Sunday – 12h00 to 24h00

Tickets
Ticket: 6,00 euros
Costume Rental: 6,00 euros
Dressed with medieval costumes: 3,00 euros
Free Entry for children under 12 years old