Cadernos de Jazz em Portugal – Essays on the History of Jazz in Portugal
By Pedro Cravinho
About the book
This is the first issue of a bilingual editorial project (in Portuguese and English) dedicated to jazz history in Portugal, named Cadernos de Jazz em Portugal – Essays on the History of Jazz in Portugal – edited by Jazz ao Centro Club’s Educational Service. At a first stage, with the Essays on the History of Jazz in Portugal, my aim is to present the major players and events in the process of development of Jazz in Portugal throughout the Estado Novo (New State), regime.
Regarding the subject of this issue – the jazz-related activities carried out around Coimbra during the New State regime, from the late-1950s until April 1974, the year of the Carnation Revolution that put an end to the regime –, never received the attention it deserved in the scant academic publications on the history of jazz in Portugal. However, the city of Coimbra, the Students’ Union of the University, and Coimbra’s Orfeon Jazz Club played important roles in the process of consolidation of jazz in Portugal. As so, with this first issue, I intend to promote the knowledge about the major events and personalities that most contributed to the dissemination and practice of jazz in Coimbra.
“Cravinho’s work captures the vibrancy of the Portuguese jazz scene and offers a powerful example of the innovative research coming out of Europe today. This collection will function as a valuable educational resource, enabling students to engage with jazz in new ways and to understand the complex role of music in society.”
-Tony Whyton & Nicholas Gebhardt (Foreword)