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"Beautiful people," greeted Caetano Veloso, the headliner of the first day (30 May) of the third edition of the Coala Festival. "How wonderful it is to be here in Cascais." Just as he had done during his solo concert in Porto, he decided to dedicate a song to Portugal, “A Rosinha dos Limões”, which has deep Portuguese roots. "I’m going to sing the first fado I ever learnt, when I was ten years old," he said. After all, at a festival dedicated to music in Portuguese, fado simply could not be missed. It was then that the legendary Brazilian musician shared a heartfelt thought that put the audience on high alert: "This might be the last time I travel from Brazil to Portugal."
If this was indeed the final concert in Portugal for the creator of Transa, we can only bow to the 83-year-old artist and thank him for the party he delivered tonight. The Manuel Possolo Hippodrome was transformed into an amphitheatre of affection, dance, and cultural communion to welcome yet another edition of the Coala Festival, an event dedicated to promoting the best music sung in the Portuguese language. Amidst samba, semba, and rap, and within a visibly relaxed, laid-back atmosphere, an audience spanning several generations gathered to watch the concerts and celebrate the vitality and history of the music.
The most highly anticipated moment of the night undoubtedly belonged to Caetano Veloso. As the Brazilian legend took to the stage, it became obvious that the crowd had travelled to Cascais to witness the presence of a living giant of world culture – the audience even included the former President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. Wearing loose-fitting trousers that showed youth still stubbornly resides in his spirit, Caetano proved that samba flows rhythmically through his veins. Although his dance moves are now more limited by the weight of the years, his grace remains entirely intact.
The concert masterfully oscillated between celebration and melancholy, returning once more to a more effusive spirit with “Eclipse Oculto”, which brought the festive energy back to the venue with a flawless percussion section. Meanwhile, “Sozinho” drew one of the biggest ovations of the night. With his guitar strapped on and bossa nova in his heart, the artist confessed with a touch of humour: "Of all the songs I've sung tonight, this is the only one that isn't mine."
Shortly after, he paid a heartfelt tribute to Diogo, the driver who has always accompanied him in Portugal, greeting his family members who were present in the audience. Meanwhile, the classics kept on coming, with tracks like “O Leãozinho”, which brought a few tears to the audience's eyes, “Uma Baiana”, featuring a muscular instrumental, “Muito Romântico”, “Alegria, Alegria”, “Não Enche”, and “Queixa” – a moment where the cultural exchange was on full display, with friends teaching each other how to dance samba while Caetano tried out a few steps on stage.
The final stretch of the show saw the artist perform tracks such as “Um Índio”, which showcased his intense and powerful vocals; “Fora da Ordem” maintained its critical tone; and “Desde que o Samba é Samba” brought the sound of the cavaquinho and less conventional dance moves, leading the crowd to wave their hands to, as the lyrics say, wave sadness away and banish anxieties. The concert ended with the Hippodrome completely converted into a dance floor during “Reconvexo” and “É Hoje”, which transformed the grass of Cascais into an authentic roda de samba, closing with the mandatory encore to the sound of “Odara”.
Paving the way for this memorable night was the legendary African musician Bonga. Armed with a huge reco-reco (scraper) and accompanied by bongos, the Angolan artist demonstrated that his raspy voice still holds the magnetic power to get everyone dancing. Under the motto "It’s going to be a grand old time", Bonga energized the crowd to such an extent that the audience began chanting his name in unison. This moment led him to say, "I have a tear in the corner of my eye," which served as the perfect prelude to singing “Olhos Molhados”, a song whose chorus repeats that very phrase. "A tear caused by love, friendship, and a good drink. May tears always be for good things," he concluded.
Slow J also left a profound mark on the festival. The Portuguese musician, who expressed his pride at "sharing the stage with a legend like Bonga" and was backed by a live band that included the traditional sound of the Portuguese guitar, established himself as a worthy representative of the evolution of the Portuguese language in contemporary music. Tracks like “Tata” got the crowd singing along in absolute unison.
The festival also featured performances by artists such as Zeca Veloso, Caetano's son, and Branko in collaboration with Tuyo. The Coala Festival continues tomorrow with artists like Marina Sena, Ana Frango Elétrico, and Zé Ibarra.