The soul of the people

The accelerated tempo of music and the colourful regional dress are the joy of an Algarvian folklore enriched both by successive invasions and by voyages by Algarvians in the spirit of adventure.

The “corridinho”, the “baile de roda” and the “baile mandado”, in which dancers follow a sequence of steps called out by a “mandador” or caller, are the folk dances that best typify the Algarve.  To the tinkling sounds of triangles and hectic notes of the accordion, couples whirl around until all that can be seen are a blur of legs, twirling skirts and petticoats, taking off in flight.

If the popular dances of the Algarve are a whirlwind of movement, the traditional songs represent a different aspect of the Algarvian character.  Such is the case with work songs, for example the fishermen’s “leva-leva”, and the songs accompanying the sound and rhythm of the scythes in the fields.  There are also nursery songs, and romances, which can be slow and ponderous, or lively like marches.  Normally, the lyrics change with the times and circumstances in which they are sung.

Nowadays, these songs are not sung by country people, but by folkloric groups and traditional bands with a passion for folk traditions, performing them throughout the year in hotels and restaurants, at markets and traditional festivals.