2011/08/25

















Sacrilidge, Satisfaction, Social revolution, the Sixties and Fado



I was stumbling around the internet trying to quiet the hunger of my musical addiction when I came across a strange version of the Rolling Stones "Satisfaction," by Carlos Bastos. Carlos Bastos is a Portuguese Fado singer who in the sixties began to combine the traditional melancholic sounds of Fado with the ephemeral rhythms and lyrics of pop. His album, "All That Fado" , is a collection of covers from the likes of Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. At first glance, the idea seems kind of gimmicky, a attempt to make a quick buck of the backs of musical giants. But listening to songs like "Satisfaction" covered by Bastos, one starts to build an appreciation for this peculiar bridge between 60's pop and Fado. Bastos takes the Stones classic and wrings every drop of desperation out of the tune, creating something original and much more nefarious. Bastos received a bit of a mixed response from the general public. From the guardians of Fado the reaction was a bit stronger. To hear Fado sung in English was akin to sacrilege and he was denounced as a musical heretic.

Satisfaction from J. Sprig on Vimeo.



Ultimately music acts on it's audience through the the basic physics of sound, moving the air an arousing sensations in our bodies.
Very simply, sound is the vibration of any substance. The substance can be air, water, wood, or any other material. When these substances vibrate, or rapidly move back and forth, they produce sound that our ears gather and these vibrations allow us to interpret them. Physiologically music works the same way it does on me as it does on another person. But emotionally we have very different responses. A song can have one affect on me and a completely different affect on someone else. Sometimes a song can meaning beyond it's tones.
"Grândola, Vila Morena" is a Portuguese song by Zeca Afonso, that tells the story of fraternity and brotherhood shared among the people of Grândola, a town in the Alentejo. Salazar, and his "Estado Novo" regime considered the song to be Communist, and banned it from being played or broadcast. On April 25, 1974, at 12:20 a.m. the song was broadcast on Portuguese radio as a signal to start the revolution that peacefully overthrew the regime; it thus became commonly associated with the Carnation Revolution and the beginning of democratic rule in Portugal.

Dostoevksi said that taking a new step is what people fear most. Usually the first steps toward any revolutionary change are forced. There must be an accompanying frustration, sense of defeat, and complete failure to see a future, that letting go of the past and chancing the future becomes the only option. Other times change comes from the combination of generations brushing up against each other in an awkward cultural tango of clashing social attitudes and sometimes just a bit of insanity is all it takes. Being that We Hate Tourism Tours was born from a combination of all of the above, we always admire and salute those kindred spirits with which we share the same rebellious DNA.

Purveyor of Travelling Lifestyles

2011/08/09

Sun Sand and SURF


Right now in Lisbon 'The Oceans Festival' is going on until the 13th of August.
The aim of this festival is to promote a real-time consciousness for protecting our worlds oceans and fresh water supply. Portuguese have always had a love for the sea. We, at We Hate Tourism Tours show our love in the the form of surfing. Innately we are humbled, respectful and grateful for our oceans. I would like to start this blog by saying, "Thank you Atlantic ocean, for all the great waves!"
Portugal has over 1,700 km of coastal waters. Remote cities in the eastern part of the country are only 2 hours drive from the majestic Atlantico. Portuguese girls have the best beach hair and the guys tan like their Brazilian cousins. Lisboa is the closest European capital city to a beach. Looking westward along the Tejo River the beach seems so close you can touch it. Touch we do! Beaches around Lisboa are more than just beaches to locals. They remind us of our youth. Skipping school, riding ticketless on the train, hoping there are no cops to send us back to the city.
We still get to the beach daily, just legally, break on through to the other side of Lisboa!
SUN
Everyday during the summer months the beaches are packed with sundrenched bodies, extended families, and sunglass sellers. Lube up with suncream. The sun in Portugal is harsh on your skin. After the end of a long day at the beach you will have realized you have endured too much Vitamn D. Every year our country of ten and a half million, loses 24,000 people to cancer. Watch your back! Usually one forgets to use sunscreen on the not so obvious places of the body, the back, neck (remember behind the ears), feet (inbetween toes), behind the knees, even underarms. Sunscreen doesnt last forever, so reapply every 2 hours.
SAND
In Portugal you can find every beach type: mainland, barrier island, spit, and pocket. Powdery or yellow tinted grains of quartz roll off your body like water on a ducks back. You can leave your beach blanket at home.The beaches around Lisboa are the perfect place to bury a friend and not get sand in the car.
SURF
Portuguese surf can be consistent, but is unforgiving. Portugal is the only country in mainland Europe to have a current named after it. The Portugal Current is extremely complex. The Portugal Current begins about 300km north of Portugal in the open ocean. It drags south into the Mediterranean or clashes with the Azores and Canary Currents that sit off the southwestern part of the country. The cold and warm water currents collide and power hurricanes to the eastern coast of the United States in late summer months. In the summer, the strong heat and cold water temperatures are deseptive. Hypothermia can set in before you catch 4 waves, so bring a wetsuit (3/2mm, even during sweltering summer months). Home to 100+ known surfing breaks, the coast of Portugal is pounded by swell and littered with countless locations to get your surf on. Caxias in, well Caxias and Paço D'arcos in the town of Oeiras are the closest spots to Lisbon and accessible via public transport. Guincho beach in Cascais is favored amongst travelers. Find true southern hospitality on the south end of the 25th of april bridge, hit up breaks like 'Cova' or Praia do Barba. You'd better watch for us locals! Just kidding. Paddle out with some of our Surfing Bros by clicking on their bus.
Lisbon South Surfers By JT