Accordion player marks 40 years performing at Folklorama
Folklorama’s Casa do Minho is marking its 40th anniversary this year, and one performer has been sharing his gift every step of the way.
John Marques, president of the general assembly for the Casa do Minho Portuguese Centre, has been playing the accordion at the pavilion since 1983. He said it all began when a friend of his father was looking for musicians to play for Folklorama.
“There was an opportunity for us to play and represent our culture and I thought that was a unique opportunity for us,” he said, referring to his first time playing at the event.
“After that I never looked back and just continued on from there.”
Marques said in the earlier days of Folklorama he played a piano accordion, but eventually transitioned to a concertina.
“This is a typical accordion or a typical instrument that’s currently represented in northern Portugal, especially in the province of Minho,” he explained.
“The concertina is a very popular instrument. It’s used in every dance group.”
Marques described Portuguese music as lively and festive. He added that there are some slower songs, but it’s typically more geared towards dancing, which visitors can see at the pavilion.
“If you do visit our pavilion, you’ll see our dancers. It’s all very lively dances. A lot of intricate foot movement, leg movement and then the arms are always positioned high to demonstrate, ‘Hey, look at my feet and look what I can do with them,’” he said.
Marques said every year the volunteers work hard to find new ways to be creative and bring visitors to the pavilion.
Those who stop by this year can expect to experience the cultural heritage of Minho through traditional food, music and dancing.
“We have a lot of families who are committed to the Portuguese culture and to Casa do Minho,” Marques said.
“We’re fortunate that for the most part, there’s a strong core that comes back every year.”
He added that when visitors come to the pavilion, they can feel the passion.
“People are proud of their culture. People are proud of what they’re doing, what they’re representing and they’re enjoying performing and putting this out to the community at large,” Marques said.
A full list of the pavilions running the second week of the festival can be found online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
B.C. theatre to pay $55K to neurodivergent actor in discrimination case
British Columbia's human rights tribunal has awarded a neurodigergent actor, who was diagnosed with sensory and learning disorders, more than $55,000 after finding that a Kelowna theatre company discriminated against him because of his disabilities.
Who's responsible for regulating cannabis stores operating under the sovereignty banner?
It's not quite clear who is supposed to be regulating so-called sovereign cannabis stores or even ensure they're benefiting Indigenous communities.