TO: Carys Marderosian and Ms. Adair's 1st grade class
Henry Barnard School, Providence RI
Dear Carys and Miss Adair’s class:
Tio Miguel is a part of the Farra Fanfarra Associação Cultural and brass band, a Portuguese cultural association and international touring band that plays concerts all over Portugal and in Germany, Spain, Servia, Italy, Malta, Israel, and many other places. Farra Fanfarra even played at Rhode Island College next door to Henry Barnard School!
I visited the Armazem, Farra Fanfarra's rehearsal studio and clubhouse in Sintra. It is in a large converted agricultural warehouse. In addition to playing concerts, Farra Fanfarra, as a chartered Portuguese cultural association also develops and participates in social justice causes. I visited the band during one of their Monday night rehearsals.
At the Armazen, I listened to Farra Fanfarra saxaphonist Rui Machado record a solo for the bands upcoming music album and learned from the producer Trinta how to put effects and help edit the track.
At the Armazem, Farra Fanfarra was hosting a week long encounter of international musicians from Portugal, Germany, Italy, Albania, Servia and Israel called Music and Human Rights. I got to participate in one of the workshops where we talked about how people sharing music that they like together is one of the best ways to create connections among people. The paintings on the back and side of the Armazem are by an artist living in Portugal called Verseci. He designs much of the band's art.
This is Paul Robert and Sandro Felix, two musicians in Farra Fanfarra. They met Carys when Farra Fanfarra played a concert in Massachusetts, and wanted to take pictures with me to say hi! They asked when you are going to come visit?
These are some of Farra Fanfarra's trophies from competitions. The band has won several top international awards including Best International Band at the Haizetara festival in Pais Basque, and the Best International Band at the world famous Guça Brass Festival in Servia.
Ollie is one of the performers in Farra Fanfarra. He was putting on a juggling workshop and he taught me how to juggle.
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