Porto celebrates 90 years of poet Ary dos Santos with concert

The Coliseu Porto Ageas hosted ‘Cantar Ary’ on September 25, a concert celebrating the 90th anniversary of the birth of poet José Carlos Ary dos Santos. The event honored the influential figure whose work transformed Portuguese music through more than 600 written songs.

The performance featured the Banda Sinfónica Portuguesa, which provided new orchestral arrangements for iconic tracks such as ‘Lisboa, Menina e Moça’, ‘A Desfolhada’, and ‘Estrela da Tarde’. The concert brought together diverse musical generations, including Fernando Tordo and Paulo de Carvalho, who were contemporaries of the poet, alongside Camané, Carolina Deslandes, and Ana Lua Caiano.

The tribute served as a bridge between eras, connecting those who experienced Ary dos Santos’s work during its debut with a new generation of artists finding inspiration in his poetic and musical legacy.