Pantera

Musician and composer Orlando Barreto, more commonly known as Pantera [Panther], was born in the Island of Santiago, Cape Verde, in 1967, and died at the age of 33. His daughter Darlene, who was only 6 years old when her father passed away, has been carrying out deep research on his life and work. It was within this framework that she challenged us to pay him a tribute. Pantera opened new paths for his country’s music. In his voice, there was the heartbeat of Cape Verde and its people. Exploring traditional ways, he made a poetry full of love, insight and assertiveness sprout. We are able to find our own vision over those features through the experiences we shared with him as a friend and as an artist. Aside from the reencounter as we revive his creativity and affection, we follow an exploration path, plunging into his land, costumes and culture, always projecting them into a contemporary world where he also placed himself. This is thus a performance that is built upon the wanderings of memory. And above all it is an intense and dynamic collaboration experience. Each of the performers establishes a personal relation as one remembers one’s own experience and gives us back a creative wealth that translates into the value and meaning of this tribute. Between what remains to be done and what will remain to be said, this is our message to Pantera. — Clara Andermatt & João Lucas