ANDn statements to the Lusa agency days before the opening, the exhibition’s curator, filmmaker Diogo Varela Silva, his grandson, said that this was a date that Celeste Rodrigues “would like to celebrate”.
The exhibition, which will be open until September, aims to “show his path, and what he did over more than 70 years of his career – which was one of the longest in fado – and, passing this testimony, of these more than seven decades dedicated to the national song”, said Diogo Varela Silva.
Celeste Rodrigues, in an interview with Lusa in May 2018, recalled that she started singing “just for fun”, in a “round of friends” with the show manager José Miguel (1908-1972), who invited her to be part of the cast in one of his fado houses, Café Casablanca, in Lisbon, where he made his debut in 1945.
“My dream wasn’t to be an artist, I really liked to sing among fadistas, not in public, but it happened”, he said at the time, when he was preparing to celebrate 73 years of career, on the stage of Teatro Tivoli, in Lisbon, in May 2018, his last concert.
Regarding the exhibition, Diogo Varela Silva said that “the various decorations he received, films, photographs and some texts” will be on display.
Varela Silva also highlighted the photobiography of Celeste Rodrigues, which she organized and wrote, which will also be presented today.
In this photobiography is “her story, a historical overview that she was telling and that (Diogo Varela Silva wrote), from Fundão (where she was born) until her last concert at Tivoli”, in Lisbon, a few months before her death, on 01 August 2018.
At the opening of the exhibition, two new songs recorded by Celeste Rodrigues, aged 95, will be presented. They are “If Someone Seeks Me Ask the Wind”, by Ricardo Maria Louro, with music by Pedro de Castro, and a version by Celeste Rodrigues of “A Noite do Meu Bem”, a song by Dolores Duran originally recorded in 1959.
For Diogo Varela Silva, preparing this project, consisting of an exhibition and a photobiography, was good because it allowed him to review the good memories he has.
“I’m constantly reminding her, there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t remember her or a detail about her – that she would like this or that, or how she would react. She’s still very present. It’s a present nostalgia” .
“I keep her very close to me. People die when we forget them”, underlined Varela Silva, adding: “she will be eternal in me”.
The photobiography includes a ‘QR Code’ for the two unpublished themes.
At the opening of the exhibition, musicians who usually accompanied Celeste Rodrigues perform: her great-grandson, Gaspar Varela, and Pedro de Castro, on the Portuguese guitar, André Ramos, on the viola, and Francisco Gaspar, on the bass guitar.
This is not the first time that Celeste Rodrigues, creator of hits such as “Olha a Mala”, “Saudade Vai-te Evans”, “Mulher da Beira” or “A Lenda das Algas”, has been honored at the Fado Museum.
In 2013, Celeste Rodrigues was also honored at the Fado Museum, with the presentation of a video by Bruno Almeida and a CD/DVD commemorating her 90th birthday.
In 2010, the documentary about his life, “Fado Celeste”, directed by Diogo Varela Silva, was premiered, and he received the Silver Medal of the City of Lisbon, at Cinema S. Jorge.
In 2015, for its 70-year career, the “Heart Beat” section of the DocLisboa Festival opened with a re-editing of the documentary, simply titled “Celeste”.
In 2012, she was awarded the Order of Infante D. Henrique, rank of Commander.
Also Read: Exhibition at Museu do Fado honors Celeste Rodrigues on her centenary
Always be the first to know.
Seventh consecutive year Consumer Choice for Online Press.
Download our free App.
