LOU REED, Fado singer Mariza and Portuguese band Clã were some of the artists that inaugurated Porto’s Casa da Música recently.
They joined a host of dignitaries, including Prime Minister José Sócrates, President Jorge Sampaio and Porto Câmara President Rui Rio, in the celebrations that included a gala concert in the main auditorium with the Porto Metropolitan Orchestra.
The space-age, Koolhaus design building, situated by the city’s Boavista Plaza, has been described as “an impressive and tense spatial monument of subtle simplicity” and “like the product of a meteor attack over the city”.
Sócrates said the building represented “a cultural and architectural landmark for a city that has a tradition of good architecture”. Sampaio praised the “excellent acoustic qualities” of the ultra-modern building and talked about its pivotal role in bringing together national and international musical talent, while being a “powerful magnet for tourism”.
Casa da Música was to have been the architectural icon for Porto European Capital of Culture in 2001, but protracted work on the foundations, coupled with poor weather conditions, delayed completion of the building.
Nancy Sinatra, daughter of Ratpack crooner Frank, is billed as the second international talent to perform at Casa da Música on Friday, April 29, at 10pm. Tickets cost 20 euros. For more information, visit www.casadamusica.com C.G.
