Five bands, three philharmonics and the Baixa o Som Kids Ensemble will liven up Coimbra’s historic center over four days, starting on Monday, challenging passers-by to a “musical walk of discovery”.
“This project should have taken place around Easter, but due to the bad weather it was postponed until now. This is the second edition of the event, which we intend to hold again at Easter next year,” said the president of the Agency for the Promotion of Coimbra’s Downtown, Assunção Ataíde.
The Baixa o Som’24 Street Music Festival will take place in Coimbra’s historic center until July 4, organized jointly by the Municipality of Coimbra and the Agency for the Promotion of Coimbra’s Downtown (APBC).
The II Baixa o som Festival aims to “continue to challenge passers-by to walk through the various emblematic spaces of the city of Coimbra, establishing what is known as a musical walk of discovery”.
“This walk will take place to the sound of live music, performed by several national street music bands who, in an exercise of sharing with the public, will build the soundtrack of the urban route,” said the event organizers.
According to the Agency for the Promotion of Downtown Coimbra, the city will once again be the stage for an urban music festival, where music will be the guide to discovering the architecture, monuments, shopping areas and gastronomy.
“This edition seeks to broaden its scope of action, giving way to the ambassadors of street music in our country, the philharmonic bands, with the presence of the three county associations,” he said.
There will also be an exclusive concert by an ensemble of young musicians from the region, who “will present the general public with the results of a workshop to practice and perfect this musical language, bringing to ‘Baixa o Som’ a pedagogical and formative side, which is fundamental for the involvement of young musicians with this form of artistic expression”.
This band of young musicians is made up of wind and percussion players from various artistic schools and philharmonic bands in the Centro region, aged between 10 and 20.
The Ensemble Baixa O Som Kids open rehearsal is scheduled for Monday, with a performance in Praça do Comércio.
The following day will see the opening concert, the parade by the Ceira Musical Recreational Association Band and the evening concert with Ensemble Baixa O Som Kids, Folhas de Pêssego and Funk You Brass Band, in Praça 8 de Maio.
On July 3, the music will take to the streets of Coimbra’s historic center, with concerts by the Dixie Gringos – Jazz Band, Grupo Desmói Brass Band and Supertronik Bootleg, in Praça 8 de Maio.
On the last day there is music in the streets of the historic center, with a closing parade between Largo da Portagem and Praça 8 de Maio in the late afternoon.
