Tuesday, August 2, 2022

Unifantinha Festival, Travancinha, Portugal Sat July 30th 2022

This is a local family festival with live music that is about 20mins from our house. The closest around our part of the world. They have not held the festival for 3 years, while they created a proper organisation, upgraded a lot of the facilities (although apparently not enough as there  was multiple power outages early in the day and loss of water as well). 

It all started at 14 with local singer songwriter, Garyon performing his all original material. I much prefer this to his covers, which is sadly, mostly what I hear him playing at the local markets and they are often not that good. Anyway, he had a lot of more interesting tracks including one where the music was very close to Redemption Song by bob Marley (which he often covers).  Hardly any people were were around  at this time as it was so fucking hot! 38C in the shade..  He did not get much response. 


They had a drum circle out in the area behind the main bar area next with about 15 people but it was so hot and there was hardly any shade, so not that many people could be bothered but they were for sure having fun. Local organizer, Nick was also trying to explain to people about the concept and how to think if it as an conversation and it is ok to pause and listen and play when you have something to say. Cool… good advice..



I Spy showed up around 15-16 to set up there gear some of which would also be used for the live jam session at 18.   They were starting to serve some food around 16 and pizzas at 17..   Cheese (goat), veggy or a chorizo… They had a cougette burger gyozas (3), falafel, brownies, and flapjacks..   The bar you could get lemonade, watermellonade, gin and tonic, beers (1€), fizzy orange drink (Sumol), sparking water, white wine and I think that was it. Free tap water!  


Larry Lush (local 90s UK record producer and DJ played tracks for a few hrs before the jam session. Mostly poppy electronic stuff disco, some funk, most of it is not my taste at all. Virtually no rock music. 

Larry Lush

The jam session had Rob on Drums, Larry on keys, Andy on Sax (all from I Spy), Rui on double bass, Nick on guitar and Carlos on djembe. Later a guy came and played jews harp and flutes.  A girl came up to do some singing but you never heard anything she sang. Pity.. Mike did not do a very good job on the sound.. Too stressed. Some of it was ok and other stuff not that great. A bit too much towards the piano jazz stuff that I Spy play as openings for their shows often. No real rocking going on at all  I was going to join but it was too hot and I did not like the idea of my synths in this heat. It was not good for them some weeks ago. 

Jam Session


Carlos Geometri (famous Brighton UK DJ) played some very cool dub and African music on the PA before I Spy started. Sounds was great for I Spy (Nick was working with Mike) but I was so tired from the heat and beers (only had 3 in 8 hrs) that I headed home. I would have liked to hear Carlos´s full set and there was another DJ (D.C) on after him..  Trance stuff, I think,


It was great to catch up with some friends and meet people again.. I guess there was about 120 people and at least 30 children. They had lots for them to do which was cool. Pool, sandbox, painting, drawing area, stuff for them to climb, a dance class, etc..  A good time by all. Pizzas were small but really good..   


http://unifant.pt/

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