Another great fado night at the 103rd Blessed Sacrament Celebration in New Bedford, MA on Saturday, August 5th. The evening and the venue were perfect for an intimate night of fado with fadistas Kimberly Gomes from New Jersey and Carlos Furtado from Massachusetts.
Kimberly Gomes was born and raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Her father is from the mainland of Portugal and hermother was from Terceira, Açores. Being a Luso-Americana she has always been involved and surrounded by the Portuguese community and culture.
Carlos Furtado was born in Sao Miguel, Azores, he came to the United States in 1998 and from a young age Carlos had an interest in singing fado. He enjoyed listening to Amalia Rodrigues and Antonio Mourao on the radio. As a child he sang cantigas ao desafio with his father and also sang in a Portuguese folklore group. Carlos settled in Fall River, Massachusetts where he now lives.
Kimberly and Carlos were accompanied on the Portuguese guitar by José Santos and on the viola de fado by Viriato Ferreira. Each singer started singing on the stage and then walked among the audience giving them a close and personal experience.
Even with 5 separate stages holding simultaneous performances at the 2017 Feast of the Blessed Sacrament there was no noticeable noise at the Museum Café and the crowd was quiet and attentive listening to the two fado singers.
Congratulations to the organizers of this great feast, considered by many as “The largest Portuguese feast in the world”. It was an amazing feat to have a quiet, intimate fado night (noite de fado) and truly feel Portugal in the great city of New Bedford.
Entertainment Schedule at Museum Café
Thursday, August 3, 2017 8:00 PM to 11:30 PM
Fado Singers: Sonia Bettencourt and Jeremias Macedo
Musicians: Viriato Ferreira, viola classica and Jose Silva, guitarra Portuguesa
Friday, August 4, 2017 7:30 PM to 11:30 PM
Fado Singers: Kimberly Gomes and Carlos Furtado
Musicians: Viriato Ferreira, viola classica and Jose Silva, guitarra Portuguesa
Saturday, August 5, 2017 7:30 PM to 11:30 PM
Fado Singers: Sonia Bettencourt and Jeremias Macedo
Musicians: Viriato Ferreira, viola classica and Jose Silva, guitarra Portuguesa
Sunday, August 6, 2017
Jordan Paiva singing classical music – 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Matt Silva on acoustical guitar – 7:30 PM to 11:00 PM
