Here we arrive noble people: 25 years of carol singing encounters in the Municipality of Vouzela
Book with 100 color pages + 2 CDs with 36 carol traditional songs

Coordination: Luís Gomes da Costa

Catalog Number: nodar.013 / TRS.005
ISBN: 978-989-97205-8-9
© 2017, Municipality of Vouzela and Binaural – Associação Cultural de Nodar

“Here we arrive noble people”, bringing to light a publication that brings together important pieces of immaterial culture in the municipality of Vouzela, celebrating together the singing meetings of janeiras and kings that, since 1993, have been taking place with increasing participation and enthusiasm a little throughout the county. Today there are eighteen groups spread across the various parishes that proudly carry the torch of perpetuation of this interesting cultural manifestation of the first days of each year.

A municipality that persists over 25 years in organizing meetings of singing of janeiras that bring together groups from their villages, some of which were born and consolidated precisely from these meetings, deserves a special note, in these times when persistence is a value increasingly rare. In fact, Vouzela is a city fortunate for the dense presence of groups of costumes and singing, folkloric ranches and philharmonic bands, which together define an ecosystem of preservation and cultural evolution, being interesting to note how different the musical results are that can be obtained from the same traditional “broth”.

The janeiras are a stronghold of freedom and adaptation to the times, which we saw, for example, through the myriad approaches to janeiras and the singing of kings that we recorded in the multiple recording sessions we performed: Groups that sing the pure tradition without any addition, groups that depart from the tradition “cleaning it up” and making it more in line with the canons of “roots” music or groups that adapt popular melodies to january songs, bringing freshness and disengagement, which, we confess, has for us its value, in these times of aseptic patrimonialization, increasingly disconnected from the free culture of the villages.

The janeiras originally took place on the night of the first day of the year, taking the form of a sung pediment, sometimes accompanied by instruments, with a preponderance of stringed instruments and percussion.

The groups that intended to carry out the janeiras – the janeireiros – got together on the previous nights to combine the verses of the songs, the route to follow through the village houses and to rehearse the descendants, the soloist voices and the choirs of each song .

On the night of the first of January, the group started the journey, always carrying an oil lamp or lantern which, according to tradition, could not be extinguished all night, and for this purpose oil should be ordered in the houses to be sung. . They knocked on the door of each house and, after making sure that the owners were present, started the songs, which had an introductory part with the wishes of happy holidays, followed by two types of courts, some praising the family and others being increasingly small when it started to become evident that there would be no monetary or food reward.

The food product (chouriças, salpicões, eggs, chickens, dried fruits, wine, etc.) collected during the singing was subsequently distributed as part of an organized gathering among the participants at the janeiras.

To all this noble people, who continue to be a stronghold in the defense of traditions and who welcomed us in an incredible way:

Group of Costumes and Singing in Cambra
Singing Group of the Association “Os Amigos de Levides”
Campia Memories Group
Singing Group of the Musical Society Culture and Recreation of Paços de Vilharigues
Group of Canturas de Carvalhal de Vermilhas
Group of Costumes and Singing of Loumão
Singing Group of the Cultural, Sports, Recreational and Social Association of Paredes Velhas
Singing Group of São Miguel do Mato
Folkloric Ranch of Vilar de São Miguel do Mato
Singer Group of Suction Cups
Our Lady of Miracles Cantares Group, Adside
Cavaquinhos and Cantares à Beira, Queirã
Folkloric Ranch “As Capuchinhas de São Silvestre”
Group of Cantas do Crasto de Campia
Group of Cantares de Janeiras of Casa do Povo de Alcofra
Singing Group of the Folkloric Rancho of Fornelo do Monte
Fataunços Singing Group