A concert in Lisbon, at the B.leza space, will bring together Remna Schwarz, Karyna Gomes and Manecas Costa to reinterpret the repertoire of José Carlos Schwarz and evoke the cultural and political legacy of the musician and writer Teresa Schwarz in the fight for Guinea-Bissau's independence. This is the third meeting of the three Guinean artists to pay tribute to José Carlos Schwarz's discographic work, with the first having taken place in Faro under the curatorship of Kalaf Epalanga, and the second at the Língua Terra festival.
José Carlos Schwarz had a strong impact on the country during the independence period by creating modern music that combined traditional and contemporary rhythms, allowing him to convey the strength of the words of the revolutionaries and of Amílcar Cabral. Remna Schwarz, son of the aforementioned couple and president of the José Carlos Schwarz Foundation, noted that the musician's work continues to influence younger artists, such as Manecas Costa, who attributes his guitar playing style to José Carlos Schwarz. Karyna Gomes is likewise influenced by both artists, both musically and in the positions they took on freedom and the strength of women in Guinea-Bissau.
Teresa Schwarz, born in Cape Verde, was won over by Guinea-Bissau, where she received recognition as a combatant for independence and acquired Guinean nationality. Remna Schwarz pointed out that during that phase, Teresa had not yet begun the artistic career she would later develop, but was a companion in the fight for liberation alongside women. Artistically influenced by José Carlos Schwarz, she created the foundation with the purpose of supporting people who wish to enter the universe of culture and express themselves through art in a constructive way for the nation.
The show seeks to preserve the authenticity of José Carlos Schwarz's repertoire in a space that Remna Schwarz described as a crossroads of Portuguese-speaking African languages. In addition to the concert, the foundation will promote other initiatives as part of the celebrations of Guinea-Bissau's independence, self-proclaimed on September 24, 1973, including readings of poems and excerpts from Teresa Schwarz's literary works, in partnership with the Casa da Cultura da Guiné-Bissau.
