June 24, 2025 • 35 mins
In this episode, Silvia Manuela interviews Brianna and Chris Ferreira from the group Concertinas do Norte, a traditional Portuguese music ensemble based in Massachusetts. They discuss the origins of their group, their musical influences, and the importance of keeping Portuguese cultural traditions alive through music. The conversation touches on their experiences performing, the challenges they face in the community, and their aspirations for the future. The Ferreira siblings share their personal journeys with the concertina, the significance of family support, and their commitment to engaging younger generations in Portuguese music.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:35):
Welcome to the Portuguese collective podcast Concertina de
Norte. We have Brianna Freda and her
brother Chris Freda, and we haveTiago Montino and they are a
group doing traditional Portuguese music in
Massachusetts and hopefully everywhere else in the near
(00:55):
future. And I've heard about you guys
because lovely Brianna, just shecame into the Deans and she was
like, let's let's introduce you guys to the world.
And I thought that was the best idea ever.
You guys are you're the first group I've ever had on the
podcast. So more than one guest.
So that's really cool. So thank you and welcome to the
podcast. Thanks for having us.
(01:17):
Of course. So tell me when this group
started. So we started back in 2019.
We are in a hindsight in Norwood.
I know we joined. I believe it was 2012.
I joined in 2010, yeah. So that's where we sort of got
close. And usually at the end of each
practice we would just like sortof play Cozortina, just us three
(01:40):
sing it just like kind of. Yeah.
And then it just sort of like clicked.
We were like, we should just, like, do this, you know, as a
band because we had performed, too, before making Cusatinas the
North, like on stage in New Bedford.
I'm here in Milford. But it was just like, you know,
(02:00):
as Brianna, Chris Santiago. And then.
Yeah. Just you needed a name.
We needed a name. How did you guys come up with
the name? So our mom is from our
Cristobaltvich and our dad's side is from Trash Munch.
And I'm from Montelagri and trash munch too.
So we thought, since we're all from the north of Portugal,
(02:25):
concertina to north. Yeah, it makes perfect sense.
So it's not that you're selective to a region at all of
Portuguese music. It's just those are your roots
home insure to your to your roots.
I love that. So I I know that you would say
now we're a group. Have you guys been performing a
(02:46):
lot? Yes, yes, since I'm 2019 like
where we, you know, created the Facebook page, made it official,
we get calls here and there now for fresh those typically like
in Massachusetts, there have been a couple of times where
we've gone to Connecticut, but now it's, you know, we're
official performers. Performers taking bookings, what
(03:08):
is like your ideal place to play?
Is that that local feasts? I know you guys call them
feasts, right? We call them fesh.
Do you guys say fesh dish too? Yeah.
OK, OK. I've learned so much doing this
from all different parts of the world.
So we're on the same page. We say fesh dish.
So is that typically where you guys will perform or are you
(03:31):
still performing within the FESHU so typically?
Any. Fasters whether it's.
Rancho based or if it's just like the, I don't know, as nice
to go to the Fatima Fashta or yeah, the other Portugal.
We don't have like a specific, you know.
(03:51):
I'm going to be honest with you,we don't really have concertina
groups over here. In last year, we were, I was
doing helping with an event the the full core festival in
California. And they had a group come and I
was talking to one of the parents and a lot of those kids,
they play concertina and they start when they're like 3 years
old. And we just don't have that
(04:14):
here. And I personally love the sound
of a concertina. So it's just, it's, it's
missing. I can name maybe one or two
people that play the concertina here that are like in my age.
And then maybe the little, you know, school people they have,
they play here and there, but now even like playback has come
into play for some of those sounds.
(04:35):
So thank you for keeping that because I feel like a concertina
speaks to so much of our music. It's really interesting to see
that there's people like for instance, you know, Louis Zingo
that I had on the podcast that really dove really deep into the
concertina and now meeting you guys.
You guys are keeping that tradition alive.
(04:56):
It's a really special thing thatyou guys are doing.
I hope you feel that. Yeah, yeah.
In other words, you guys need tomake your way to California
because we need that here. Send us an invoice, yeah.
For sure we have to do that. It's definitely like an old
school vibe, right? Like doesn't it feel like
there's nothing more traditionalthan being in a dimensional
(05:17):
flow? Codico and now this I mean it's
it's pretty you can't get more portraits than that.
You want to get the capital for Soghiza or Constantine?
Like that's pretty pretty like nostalgic in a way for me
thinking about it because we don't have a lot of it's not
fruitful out here. So it's it's nice to see that
(05:38):
you guys are making like, I wantto say career like, I hope it
becomes a very fruitful side hustle.
If anything, like the growth from 2019 to now has to be a
lot, right? Yes. 100%, yeah.
Well, were you guys doing your own music or are you still doing
covers? We do covers mainly.
(05:58):
We do like folk lariku type music.
We'll do like Vivas kind of bitch and then here and there
we'll do some PIMPA so. What is your favorite, Brianna,
What's your favorite? I think my favorite is singing
loud Endinga. It's just a clown and yeah, just
love singing it and I also sinceit's like a popular song and
sing like the crowd like get into it and singing too.
(06:20):
It's just, it's a. There's gonna be those songs and
the guys are probably like we'reso sick of letting thing I, but
it's going to there's going to be those songs that you're going
to sing to for the rest of your life because they just do
something to the crowd. It's like when the song on Ming
and the Minga plays out of fresh.
So it's like, I don't know what the child pulled that song has
on people, but it gets the dancefloor full every single time.
(06:45):
Yeah. What about you, Chris?
Do you have a favorite style or even song?
Honestly, I would have to say Lauren Dinga too.
I mean, at least in Milford, it's like the most popular song
that just gets everyone on theirfeet and then just singing like
side by side altogether. Like there'll be, you know, a
couple songs before where like, you know, the crowds, like kind
of mild. But all of a sudden, when like
Lauren Dinga hits, everyone out of nowhere gets like energy.
(07:06):
I love it and you, Tiago. Mine's just a kind of it, just
being able to play thing quadresand stuff like kind of it is
just my way to go. For someone that doesn't
understand or know the sound of like the concertina or what you
guys are doing, can you describeit in any way?
Like I describe father as like jazzy.
(07:27):
How can you describe concertina?I would say almost like an
extremely, extremely loud piano.Actually, you know what?
That's a good, That's a good point.
That's actually. Really like high pitched.
Loud. I don't know how you guys do it.
To me, playing a concertina is like doing this.
Like I even, I mean, I sing it for a band and even when they
(07:49):
give me the tambourine, I'm like, do I have to?
That's so much to think of at the same time.
So I don't know how you guys do it.
And singing, That's crazy. From what I've heard, it's one
of the hardest instruments to learn so.
I can only imagine. So, Brianna, how old were you
when you started I. Believe I was 10 years old, 10.
(08:11):
Years old, I started playing. Concertina.
Chris, how old are you? I want.
To say around 12. 12 in Chicago.I started around 12 as well.
We're at the same and. What like interested you guys at
such a young age to play slim thing?
That was like old school, right?I don't want to say it's not
cool, but, you know, when you'reyoung you're like, is this cool
(08:31):
or not? You know?
Yeah, well, we were all in Rancho.
And for me, I started playing first and I didn't really think
about playing or anything. But me and my parents, we went
to Portugal and we happened to walk by this music store and
they had concertinas in the in the shop and we went inside and
my dad's like, you want to buy one?
(08:52):
I'm like, yeah, let's go, let's buy it.
And then I just bought it and has been playing ever since.
So by Ovido, like just by air, you, you kind of taught
yourself. My like the couple weeks that I
was in Portugal, I learned by Livido like looking at the at
the sheet music, but it didn't work out and I ended up getting
(09:13):
a teacher here and then teachingmyself as well just by.
By ear. And then I'm sure the Hanshu
supports that because do you guys have live music or for the
Hanshu, is it all live musicians?
Yes. Oh yeah, yes.
He's out, Toka do it. Yeah, he plays Fireman Shoe.
Yeah, well. That's it's more common over
(09:33):
there for you guys to have like all the groups to have live
music when some groups are just playing a playback over here.
It's actually, it's kind of sad to be honest, because there's
nothing like live music, right? So did you guys all basically
get lessons or family for you and your brother Rihanna?
No. One year we were in Portugal.
(09:57):
I feel like there were a lot of fights, huh?
Yeah, let's just fights. But let me say, I started
playing concertine out of pettiness.
Like I'm going to do it better than you want.
Yeah, one year we were in Portugal.
We were there for like 6-7 weeksand my grandfather took Chris,
Yeah, only Chris to get less like concertina lessons.
(10:18):
And you know, he come, come homeafter the lessons, like just
like practicing. And I told my grandpa I was
like, I want to learn. And he's like, you can't, you're
a girl. I was like, what does that mean?
So I took that and I was like, no puppy in the lessons.
And yeah, but honestly, I literally love playing
concertina. So yeah, there's something that
(10:39):
that girls have fire under them when you tell them like it's
just for boys. Like you're like, OK, we're
gonna, Yeah, traditionally. Back then it would typically
just be men and boys playing concertina.
So I was like, no, I want to play concertina.
Good. For you.
So who's older? Chris is.
Chris is older, so the older boythe oldest.
(11:00):
Yeah, Tia was the oldest, but between the siblings and the
oldest. How old are you guys?
I'm 24. I'm about to turn 21 in a couple
weeks. And then I'm 23. 23, you guys
are at the best age, such a great age.
Like honestly, go to every single thing you can, go to, get
booked as much as you can, like do everything you can because
(11:23):
once you have kids, it's a lot harder to manage the gig life
because it's late nights and allof that.
How are your parents just so excited to see you guys doing
your own thing? I mean, it's a long time coming,
right? Yeah, I know.
Our mom especially, It's like she loves to live through our
shoes. So as equal having his
(11:46):
granddaughter be on the concertina.
Yeah, now he's like, you know, she proved me wrong about it.
Yeah, she he definitely is like she proved me wrong, that's for
sure. But I feel like definitely like
our Avash and Avash, they see usplaying and performing and like
singing those traditional songs and you know, they, it's like
(12:06):
they almost like see them when they were like a kid because I
know my both of my grandmother'slike they love to sing too.
So your families are all in music as well?
No, no, not like professionally like just some more like for
fun. Yeah, so you guys grew up around
just the same way we all kind ofgrew up around Portuguese music
and at the end of every fest that people are just.
That's another thing that I knowthere's, I don't know if there's
(12:29):
a name for, I want to say what you guys do, but like after you
guys dance, you guys do like a jam session basically with the
concertina players and then there's like a special dance or
dances that you guys do or something.
I see it online and I'm like, how does everybody know the
steps to all of this? It's definitely tough trying to
(12:51):
explain. It's like not what these people
because it's true. It's like, how do how does
everyone know to Just Dance Evita to the song or dance a
kind of. Yeah, and I think there's just
like triple the amount of people.
So when I see it online, I'm like, this is like a flash mob
of but I should practice. It's awesome.
You kind of told me a little bitthat you have plans to play with
(13:16):
losing this year. Can you tell me a little bit
about how that came about? Yeah.
So Louise, he first came to me because he wants to start have
like a real live band now. And he offered me, you know, he
told me if I want to be like hiscontadata like sort of like in
the background. And I said, yeah, of course.
(13:37):
And Chris is sort of like the substitute backup if physicals
are seeing the player isn't ableto make it or like in the
Massachusetts area. But the plan is hopefully to
come out with some music with him and our own too.
Yeah, you guys have a plethora of people that will record and
(14:01):
all of that stuff. So take advantage of that while
you guys can, you know, and there's, I think once you get
deeper into the music world, youlook, you get to know more
musicians and then the connections happen that way.
And by the time you guys know, you guys have an album out.
Battle of the Beefonish SaturdayAugust 23rd Portuguese band of
San Jose, CA The first ever competition to see who makes the
(14:23):
best beefon. An all day festa with food and
entertainment. There's going to be ice cold
super box in the Horse Dos eating contest.
Hey, save me some. You can have a battle without a
Wiener. The grand prize $1000.
I want $1000. Battle of the Beefanish, an all
day culinary and cultural festival with tons of food,
(14:46):
vendors and entertainment like Ozagios doing their farewell
show. Anyone can sign up.
Visit battleofthebeefanish.com between April 10th and June
20th. I think it's something you're
really unique that you guys havethe three of you.
(15:07):
It's a really, it just looks really good when you guys are in
fifth years and then you guys have this very young vibe about
you guys playing such an old school instrument.
And I think that's the gap that everybody is trying to bridge
there. You know, it's just trying to
bring in the new with the old, but still, you know, still
staying in tradition with some things, but like adding some
(15:28):
flair here and there because we have to evolve.
We have to make things fun and interesting for us too.
What do you see? Like what is it do you guys talk
about like your big goals? What is something that you guys
want to do, hope to do, wish to do?
You're like 1 gig that you woulddie to play at or something one.
Gig Honestly mine would be performing at nasting out of the
(15:51):
lapa and add crystal fish. What about you guys?
I don't know what my that is. We're manifesting, we're putting
it out there in that, in the universe.
Just some sort of big stage withlike almost hundreds of
thousands of people. Maybe the Ipmas, honestly, like
like an actual performance from us, yeah.
(16:12):
I can see that totally happening.
That's exciting. So you guys all dance in the
session or not anymore? We all do.
Yeah, yeah, we still do. But only Chris, you are the one
that is in plays the music for the.
Country. Yeah, I'm that took a load,
yeah. What did?
What region do you guys dance for in your country?
I mean You mean region? More specifically, because of
(16:34):
all the vage. I follow your guys's group.
What's the name of your guys's group?
But I'm sure that Norwood. I think I do, actually.
I think I do all right. Well, what is like a challenge
that you faced with the 4G's community?
What do you feel like hold you back sometimes?
Maybe like people in the crowd not being so involved.
Like dancing and stuff. Yeah, like lack of, like
(16:57):
dancing, almost like people are like just not interested
sometimes. It's definitely not every
fashion that's like that, but like there are some that I'm
just like, Oh my God. But.
Yeah, there's nothing like performing to nobody dancing.
Exactly. And it's like, we'll be on the
mic, like, OK, guys like dance this one.
(17:18):
And then no one gets out like. Yeah, because I think so much of
how you play is how the audienceis.
So like, if you feel like the audience is into it, you're
going to get more into it too. So yeah, sometimes it's pulling
teeth, getting these pants to move.
Nobody wants to be the first one.
All right? How often do you guys?
Rehearse sort of like up in the air, depending on how many
(17:42):
performance we have lined up forthe year.
Usually in the winter, if we do get together, it's more like for
fun and maybe like new music. But then like during the summer,
especially June, it's like our most popular month because of
the well, we'll usually get together like every week.
So about every week you have to fit that in with hunter practice
and all of the other things thatyou have going on in life.
(18:04):
So let's, let's talk about a little bit about culture where
Chris and Brianna were like, howdo you visit Portugal?
Is that something that you you guys go to Portugal?
Often, yeah, we go every summer.Every summer so your fees is
fluent? I would say yes.
Yep. Yes, in Seattle.
Do you visit often? As well, I usually go every
(18:25):
other year. You guys are so much closer.
Man. That is such an easy flight
compared to 13 hours, Yeah. Yeah.
That's. Yeah.
When you decided to make this group, was there any goal in
mind or was it just for fun? Is this something that you guys
really want to take seriously when we started off?
(18:50):
It was more for for fun and to almost, you know, just to show
people our talents and keep the tradition alive now.
That too. It's nice to get paid.
And now we like to take it more seriously, just try to, you
know, go to places we haven't been before.
(19:13):
Just keep, you know, spreading the tradition, the culture,
getting our name out there even more.
Yeah, I'm excited for people to get to know you guys.
I know that I talked to Brianna about getting you guys a feature
in the magazine. So I think that we can go a
little bit more in debt. It's a job and you're putting
putting a show together for yourentertainment.
So don't ever forget that that you have to be taken care of.
(19:35):
2019. You guys have already been doing
this for a long time. I may be giving you advice that
is beyond where you guys are at already, but what do you feel
like like the community can do for you guys to help you guys
prosper? Bug us?
(19:58):
California, we don't have a lot of true Trident tradition things
like we have ranchos here and there, but it's a lot of
Asurianu ranchos and there's nota lot of continent
representation here. So I would love to get my little
continent people over here to represent for me because I feel
(20:20):
like a lone soldier over here. So what's the big deep
difference between the accordionand the concertina?
The noise that makes. For sure.
Yeah, I'm curious. I was just curious.
It's just like way more I was. Like wait, are they that big of
a difference? It's just different sounds.
So the concertina is more in thenorth, Yeah.
(20:43):
And then the the accordions are pretty much throughout Portugal.
What they're using? Yeah.
Anyone to know about you guys? But just young now off as kids,
yeah. That are trying yourself.
I was an. Adult when we started, yeah, I
think I was. Still an adult, yeah, or maybe
just turning 18-6 years ago, youwere not an.
(21:04):
Adult I was I. Was 18 or 19.
You're a different person. I'm.
Sure, from true. Yeah, well.
We're just young adults trying to spread the tradition and
culture. Yeah, I think you guys are.
Doing an amazing job. I love that you guys are smiling
so hard. That means that you guys are
loving what you're doing and talking about, so you care a lot
(21:26):
about it. Do you guys have your
concertinas with you? Oh, then you would.
Have to tune in and everything like that, I'm sure.
I mean can. You guys play something to end
that like in at the end of the episode?
If anything. My brother can, I got it from
downstairs. We'll, we'll see.
(21:47):
At the end, I don't want to put pressure on you, but I think
that it's so cool to see that you guys are so young and doing
something that I say is an old school tradition and keeping it
alive. Would love for you guys just
continue teaching the younger ones or cousins and people in
the group to to keep that alive.I mean how you guys learned was
(22:10):
from the older ones too. So just to keep that going and
just spreading all of it like toto hear you guys starting at
like a 1011 like that's just wild.
And you guys could, you know, really pay it forward by
teaching some kids too and bringing them on.
And I'm sure when I would look at singers, I would look at them
(22:32):
like, I want to be that. I want to do that so bad when I
was little. And there are just kids that are
doing the same thing and lookingat you guys.
So don't forget that you guys are role models in doing a huge
service for the community as well.
OK, well, where can people find you?
(22:52):
Where can people find your social media accounts?
Are you guys all over social media?
Yes, we're on. Instagram and Facebook you guys
got to get on tik. T.O.K, I brought that up once.
You know how boys are. It's too much work.
It's TikTok yeah on. A TikTok What?
I see so many people playing on TikTok all the time.
(23:14):
It could be a way for you guys to get some revenue too to go on
lives and like even record goingon live practicing and stuff.
Just just an idea. Well, I know I was right.
You. Started doing a TikTok so if I
get used to it, you know the range you TikTok.
Maybe I'll, you know, think about having Cosatinas the north
have a TikTok account, Facebook and.
(23:34):
Instagram, then really the the it's only one post that you're
doing right that gets flooded through.
Then you're just adding TikTok. It's not too bad.
Yeah. Well, how hard is it playing
with your brother Brianna? Is that hard?
Ask her first. No, actually it's not hard
because I feel like we have the same mindset because we're
(23:55):
siblings sometimes, you know, ifI tell him to do something,
he'll give me some attitude. But it's just sibling love.
That's good, I mean. If for you guys to be able to
create something together, I always say there's no bond like
like a music bond because you'retruly creating something
together. So you guys are going to be
(24:16):
family forever. I mean, obviously you have to be
family as siblings, but what's Yago with the mix?
There's going to be like this deniable bond that for the rest
of your life, you guys are goingto have this creative bond.
And that's the beauty of music and then sharing culture.
So I always say like, you guys don't know how lucky you guys
are to to be absorbed in it because you didn't have to think
(24:36):
about continuing speaking or else you're going to lose it.
And, and maybe you guys were faced with that, but being so
just submerged and so much Porsche stuff around, you guys
are so lucky to like continue doing it so we can keep
spreading all of this culture because it's it's, it is dying
after COVID too, These organizations really got hit.
(24:59):
And I see a lot of people closing their doors.
And I think that there was a lotof time where the younger
generation wasn't allowed to have a say and they didn't want
us to be in charge of anything. And now they're a Rashka a
little bit and they need us and we're stepping up to the plate.
(25:21):
So I'm proud of you guys. If you guys want to follow
Concertina Sue N, they are on Facebook and Instagram and soon
will be on TikTok. And if you want to book them
while you're booking, things areon your socials, right?
Yes, I'll make sure to put all of that in the info.
Is there anything that you want anybody to know where you guys
(25:43):
playing next, next as of? Right now we are playing next at
Provincetown in Massachusetts onJune 28th. 28th I believe.
Yeah, and it's the first. Time performing.
There. So come on.
Nice. How many?
Performances do you think you guys will have throughout the
summer? So there's some.
(26:04):
Like still in the talks, yeah, the thing about pushes people,
it's always last minute. So yeah.
But definitely I would say like a handful will have throughout
the summer, like throughout the year too.
It's perfect because there's. So much going on in the summer.
Well, I can't wait to see you guys perform live.
I have a feeling I'm going to see you guys at the IPM as one
(26:24):
day and if you guys ever need anything, any help with Flyers
or marketing or anything like that, I'm happy to help you guys
in any way that I can. We've reflected pretty much on
everything. You guys are doing the most you
can to keep our culture alive. I don't know how much more you
can possibly do, I mean. Let's put it this way.
I mean, at least for me, I don'treally talk about this as much,
(26:46):
but as a kid, I mean probably hundreds.
If not, I'm probably speaking for thousands of Portuguese
kids. I was never a big fan of like
anything for Claudia Ku. Like the only read like not even
in a bad way, but the only reason that I even started, you
know, like for Chloe Ku is because my mom kind of pulled me
by the ear and said, like, you're going to run shoe
(27:08):
practice. And I'm like, why do I have to
go to this? I don't want to do it.
Like I don't like it. And she's like, you're still
going to go because your sister's in it and you're going
to like it, you know, just like here.
And I was like, OK, fine, whatever.
So like then I finally decided to go, but only took like a
month. I still only sat there like I
didn't participate. But then all of a sudden, like
some sort of like spark came outof nowhere, like just watching
(27:32):
like the took of Lords with the concertinas.
And I like the dancers dancing. Then in my head I'm like, all
right, fine, it doesn't hurt to try.
I'm already here, might as well.And then from that moment on, it
just kept growing in me. And then like as I got older, my
mindset kind of like decide likewe got to keep this tradition
alive. Like we got to keep it going.
I finally got my like close friends to finally start liking
(27:55):
folkloric stuff too. So we'll host like a concertina
night like at our Milford Portuguese club.
And like before, my friends wouldn't even dare to try and
dance. But now, after a couple
concertina nights and Apple super.
Bowl. Yeah, I was going.
To say that they'll. Actually try like they'll try to
dance like I have an Italian friend who actually like for an
(28:17):
Italian, he knows how to like dance beaters kind of this in
like folklore dances. And I tell him all the time,
like you do better than most of these Portuguese people.
No, I know. You know what that's really nice
for you to point out because I think it's harder for boys to
want to dance. So I always say like you got to
(28:37):
start them really young because they're not going to just want
to do it at 11 or 12. They'll be embarrassed.
They won't feel like it's cool. Like it's really hard for boys.
So I think thank you for saying that because I literally just
started my boys in Iran and not in Iran show.
It's a Portuguese inspired dancegroup but it's a start for them
and I feel so guilty. I'm like, Oh my God.
(29:01):
Does he hate this so much? He's only 7, but he's starting
to do this. He'll learn to love it.
Yeah. So I'm like.
Oh man, and then I think selfishly, am I doing this
because I loved it and am I forcing him because I loved it?
Like I don't want to force him if this is not his thing.
Like so thank you for saying that she was pushing, pulling
(29:22):
your ears and then you eventually liked it.
So I still have a little bit more pulling of ear to do, but
he's not complaining too much. But I do think for people that
have kids, for boys in general, it's a lot harder to start
later. So if you can start them when
they're younger, then they'll they'll learn to love it in a
different way. And like you said, like that
(29:42):
what was happening was you were creating a passion for it.
Like something started to spark because you're like, I think I'm
passionate about this. I think I love this.
You said you started dancing when you were five, Thiago.
I did, yeah. Oh.
My. Gosh, he was. 20 years later.
I'm still doing it. So you know what I love?
About ranchers is that everything is truly traditional,
(30:04):
like the the far the like the music, There's nothing that is.
I guess for. Instance, we have ranchers here,
but we also have something called Luzo and Luzo is
Portuguese with an American twist.
So the costume, they have one competition a year and it's a
(30:24):
full on like first, second place, third competition.
And they have costumes, but it'swith like sequence and glitter
and it's more like dance competition.
And they add these, you know, moves, which it's cool to see
it. And it's the way that California
has tried to pull in these American kids that don't know
anything about being Portuguese and to be like, look, we're
going to do like a, I don't know, a CUDA DJ set song to the
(30:48):
Vita. So it's like that.
So being that I danced in a Rancho for at least 10 years, I
know the true tradition of the region.
I dance for Wesley Petejo when we were very strict.
No makeup, no sunglasses. No, you know, like you do not.
You have your hands on your sides.
When you walk around, you don't put your hands down.
Like, I know you know that side of it.
(31:12):
You know, it's because it's in you.
Once it's in you, you start looking at other groups.
Like I can't believe they let them wear that or I can't
believe you can walk around likethat because you care, Like you
care so much about the representation of it.
You care that like, you're not going to go out there without
your marriage all the way up. You know, like you're not going
to go out there like that. You're not going to go half
(31:33):
dressed outside in front of everybody.
And there's something to say about keeping it traditional
like that. Remember when I was younger, I
used to fight to wear a face makeup on performing like, no,
because they didn't have makeup back in the day.
They would fight. You could only wear your wedding
ring and you could only wear like all that stuff.
Do you guys, are you guys prettystrict with those traditions and
(31:53):
in your group? Yeah.
So you have to you. Have to or also just takes away
the the beauty of the tradition for it.
But I will please ask for you guys to record something so we
can add it to the end of this episode and everyone can get a
little taste. A lot of my listeners are from
California, so a lot of people from California are going to be
able to meet you for the first time.
(32:15):
And I really appreciate you reaching out to me.
I was really, really excited to talk to you guys.
I think what you guys are doing is really cool, so I can't wait
to see where you guys grow. Yeah, no problem.
Do you guys have any questions for me?
No. Where are you from In?
Portugal, my parents. Are both.
From a Lintejo. Okay, so there's no water
insight. I'm from the mountain so.
(32:39):
You're paying. Yes, I've been to the north
before. My one of my cousins married a
girl from the north and their wedding was there.
So that was the only time I was only in the place where the
wedding was. But it was beautiful.
And I remember, like going on a bus all the way into the
mountains. It was really pretty.
Yeah, let's just say Portuguese.Weddings are definitely
different their. Wedding compared to.
(32:59):
You know what we have at 8:00 I?I learned that well, even just
the bridal parties, like there'sno bridal parties there.
It's just your pivotings of your, of your wedding, which is
so much more simple. And then we just glamorize
everything over here. There's you guys don't have like
ranges and stuff for, for the parades for the street sun
(33:20):
festos or anything. Oh, like via the?
Like miss via the portable? No, no, no.
See. I knew it like trying to figure
out the different customs from coast to coast.
We have a big thing with the Queens here and I think that's
more of a Surya new custom as well where every hall has their
(33:40):
big issue to can to fetch that, at least over here I don't.
Recall like any like town or even like event doing something
like that you guys don't do anything for.
Running a Santa Isabel, so interesting.
That is like a huge thing here. That is so interesting to know
because my mom never let me be queen.
She's like, we don't do that. I don't understand it.
We don't do it. So if you want to be a side mate
(34:02):
to your friend, that's my but I'm not going to go and have you
be queen for something that I don't understand.
All right, you guys. Well, thank you for coming on
the show. Thank you for having us.
Thank you for. Having us.
You're welcome. So nice meeting you.
I know me and Brianna have been in contact.
Bettiagu and Chris, I would loveto, you know, be in touch with
you guys too and see you guys. I'm excited for you.
Guys, thank you. Thank you.
(34:23):
You're. Welcome.
Well enjoy the rest of your weekend and I'm looking forward
to the video and happy Mother's.Day as well.
Yeah. Happy Mother's Day.
Thank you. I appreciate.
It all right guys have a good rest of your weekend.
OK. Thank you.
SO. Much no problem.
(35:25):
None. OK, so what's going on?
Welcome to the Portuguese collective podcast Concertina de
Norte. We have Brianna Freda and her
brother Chris Freda, and we haveTiago Montino and they are a
group doing traditional Portuguese music in
Massachusetts and hopefully everywhere else in the near
(00:55):
future. And I've heard about you guys
because lovely Brianna, just shecame into the Deans and she was
like, let's let's introduce you guys to the world.
And I thought that was the best idea ever.
You guys are you're the first group I've ever had on the
podcast. So more than one guest.
So that's really cool. So thank you and welcome to the
podcast. Thanks for having us.
(01:17):
Of course. So tell me when this group
started. So we started back in 2019.
We are in a hindsight in Norwood.
I know we joined. I believe it was 2012.
I joined in 2010, yeah. So that's where we sort of got
close. And usually at the end of each
practice we would just like sortof play Cozortina, just us three
(01:40):
sing it just like kind of. Yeah.
And then it just sort of like clicked.
We were like, we should just, like, do this, you know, as a
band because we had performed, too, before making Cusatinas the
North, like on stage in New Bedford.
I'm here in Milford. But it was just like, you know,
(02:00):
as Brianna, Chris Santiago. And then.
Yeah. Just you needed a name.
We needed a name. How did you guys come up with
the name? So our mom is from our
Cristobaltvich and our dad's side is from Trash Munch.
And I'm from Montelagri and trash munch too.
So we thought, since we're all from the north of Portugal,
(02:25):
concertina to north. Yeah, it makes perfect sense.
So it's not that you're selective to a region at all of
Portuguese music. It's just those are your roots
home insure to your to your roots.
I love that. So I I know that you would say
now we're a group. Have you guys been performing a
(02:46):
lot? Yes, yes, since I'm 2019 like
where we, you know, created the Facebook page, made it official,
we get calls here and there now for fresh those typically like
in Massachusetts, there have been a couple of times where
we've gone to Connecticut, but now it's, you know, we're
official performers. Performers taking bookings, what
(03:08):
is like your ideal place to play?
Is that that local feasts? I know you guys call them
feasts, right? We call them fesh.
Do you guys say fesh dish too? Yeah.
OK, OK. I've learned so much doing this
from all different parts of the world.
So we're on the same page. We say fesh dish.
So is that typically where you guys will perform or are you
(03:31):
still performing within the FESHU so typically?
Any. Fasters whether it's.
Rancho based or if it's just like the, I don't know, as nice
to go to the Fatima Fashta or yeah, the other Portugal.
We don't have like a specific, you know.
(03:51):
I'm going to be honest with you,we don't really have concertina
groups over here. In last year, we were, I was
doing helping with an event the the full core festival in
California. And they had a group come and I
was talking to one of the parents and a lot of those kids,
they play concertina and they start when they're like 3 years
old. And we just don't have that
(04:14):
here. And I personally love the sound
of a concertina. So it's just, it's, it's
missing. I can name maybe one or two
people that play the concertina here that are like in my age.
And then maybe the little, you know, school people they have,
they play here and there, but now even like playback has come
into play for some of those sounds.
(04:35):
So thank you for keeping that because I feel like a concertina
speaks to so much of our music. It's really interesting to see
that there's people like for instance, you know, Louis Zingo
that I had on the podcast that really dove really deep into the
concertina and now meeting you guys.
You guys are keeping that tradition alive.
(04:56):
It's a really special thing thatyou guys are doing.
I hope you feel that. Yeah, yeah.
In other words, you guys need tomake your way to California
because we need that here. Send us an invoice, yeah.
For sure we have to do that. It's definitely like an old
school vibe, right? Like doesn't it feel like
there's nothing more traditionalthan being in a dimensional
(05:17):
flow? Codico and now this I mean it's
it's pretty you can't get more portraits than that.
You want to get the capital for Soghiza or Constantine?
Like that's pretty pretty like nostalgic in a way for me
thinking about it because we don't have a lot of it's not
fruitful out here. So it's it's nice to see that
(05:38):
you guys are making like, I wantto say career like, I hope it
becomes a very fruitful side hustle.
If anything, like the growth from 2019 to now has to be a
lot, right? Yes. 100%, yeah.
Well, were you guys doing your own music or are you still doing
covers? We do covers mainly.
(05:58):
We do like folk lariku type music.
We'll do like Vivas kind of bitch and then here and there
we'll do some PIMPA so. What is your favorite, Brianna,
What's your favorite? I think my favorite is singing
loud Endinga. It's just a clown and yeah, just
love singing it and I also sinceit's like a popular song and
sing like the crowd like get into it and singing too.
(06:20):
It's just, it's a. There's gonna be those songs and
the guys are probably like we'reso sick of letting thing I, but
it's going to there's going to be those songs that you're going
to sing to for the rest of your life because they just do
something to the crowd. It's like when the song on Ming
and the Minga plays out of fresh.
So it's like, I don't know what the child pulled that song has
on people, but it gets the dancefloor full every single time.
(06:45):
Yeah. What about you, Chris?
Do you have a favorite style or even song?
Honestly, I would have to say Lauren Dinga too.
I mean, at least in Milford, it's like the most popular song
that just gets everyone on theirfeet and then just singing like
side by side altogether. Like there'll be, you know, a
couple songs before where like, you know, the crowds, like kind
of mild. But all of a sudden, when like
Lauren Dinga hits, everyone out of nowhere gets like energy.
(07:06):
I love it and you, Tiago. Mine's just a kind of it, just
being able to play thing quadresand stuff like kind of it is
just my way to go. For someone that doesn't
understand or know the sound of like the concertina or what you
guys are doing, can you describeit in any way?
Like I describe father as like jazzy.
(07:27):
How can you describe concertina?I would say almost like an
extremely, extremely loud piano.Actually, you know what?
That's a good, That's a good point.
That's actually. Really like high pitched.
Loud. I don't know how you guys do it.
To me, playing a concertina is like doing this.
Like I even, I mean, I sing it for a band and even when they
(07:49):
give me the tambourine, I'm like, do I have to?
That's so much to think of at the same time.
So I don't know how you guys do it.
And singing, That's crazy. From what I've heard, it's one
of the hardest instruments to learn so.
I can only imagine. So, Brianna, how old were you
when you started I. Believe I was 10 years old, 10.
(08:11):
Years old, I started playing. Concertina.
Chris, how old are you? I want.
To say around 12. 12 in Chicago.I started around 12 as well.
We're at the same and. What like interested you guys at
such a young age to play slim thing?
That was like old school, right?I don't want to say it's not
cool, but, you know, when you'reyoung you're like, is this cool
(08:31):
or not? You know?
Yeah, well, we were all in Rancho.
And for me, I started playing first and I didn't really think
about playing or anything. But me and my parents, we went
to Portugal and we happened to walk by this music store and
they had concertinas in the in the shop and we went inside and
my dad's like, you want to buy one?
(08:52):
I'm like, yeah, let's go, let's buy it.
And then I just bought it and has been playing ever since.
So by Ovido, like just by air, you, you kind of taught
yourself. My like the couple weeks that I
was in Portugal, I learned by Livido like looking at the at
the sheet music, but it didn't work out and I ended up getting
(09:13):
a teacher here and then teachingmyself as well just by.
By ear. And then I'm sure the Hanshu
supports that because do you guys have live music or for the
Hanshu, is it all live musicians?
Yes. Oh yeah, yes.
He's out, Toka do it. Yeah, he plays Fireman Shoe.
Yeah, well. That's it's more common over
(09:33):
there for you guys to have like all the groups to have live
music when some groups are just playing a playback over here.
It's actually, it's kind of sad to be honest, because there's
nothing like live music, right? So did you guys all basically
get lessons or family for you and your brother Rihanna?
No. One year we were in Portugal.
(09:57):
I feel like there were a lot of fights, huh?
Yeah, let's just fights. But let me say, I started
playing concertine out of pettiness.
Like I'm going to do it better than you want.
Yeah, one year we were in Portugal.
We were there for like 6-7 weeksand my grandfather took Chris,
Yeah, only Chris to get less like concertina lessons.
(10:18):
And you know, he come, come homeafter the lessons, like just
like practicing. And I told my grandpa I was
like, I want to learn. And he's like, you can't, you're
a girl. I was like, what does that mean?
So I took that and I was like, no puppy in the lessons.
And yeah, but honestly, I literally love playing
concertina. So yeah, there's something that
(10:39):
that girls have fire under them when you tell them like it's
just for boys. Like you're like, OK, we're
gonna, Yeah, traditionally. Back then it would typically
just be men and boys playing concertina.
So I was like, no, I want to play concertina.
Good. For you.
So who's older? Chris is.
Chris is older, so the older boythe oldest.
(11:00):
Yeah, Tia was the oldest, but between the siblings and the
oldest. How old are you guys?
I'm 24. I'm about to turn 21 in a couple
weeks. And then I'm 23. 23, you guys
are at the best age, such a great age.
Like honestly, go to every single thing you can, go to, get
booked as much as you can, like do everything you can because
(11:23):
once you have kids, it's a lot harder to manage the gig life
because it's late nights and allof that.
How are your parents just so excited to see you guys doing
your own thing? I mean, it's a long time coming,
right? Yeah, I know.
Our mom especially, It's like she loves to live through our
shoes. So as equal having his
(11:46):
granddaughter be on the concertina.
Yeah, now he's like, you know, she proved me wrong about it.
Yeah, she he definitely is like she proved me wrong, that's for
sure. But I feel like definitely like
our Avash and Avash, they see usplaying and performing and like
singing those traditional songs and you know, they, it's like
(12:06):
they almost like see them when they were like a kid because I
know my both of my grandmother'slike they love to sing too.
So your families are all in music as well?
No, no, not like professionally like just some more like for
fun. Yeah, so you guys grew up around
just the same way we all kind ofgrew up around Portuguese music
and at the end of every fest that people are just.
That's another thing that I knowthere's, I don't know if there's
(12:29):
a name for, I want to say what you guys do, but like after you
guys dance, you guys do like a jam session basically with the
concertina players and then there's like a special dance or
dances that you guys do or something.
I see it online and I'm like, how does everybody know the
steps to all of this? It's definitely tough trying to
(12:51):
explain. It's like not what these people
because it's true. It's like, how do how does
everyone know to Just Dance Evita to the song or dance a
kind of. Yeah, and I think there's just
like triple the amount of people.
So when I see it online, I'm like, this is like a flash mob
of but I should practice. It's awesome.
You kind of told me a little bitthat you have plans to play with
(13:16):
losing this year. Can you tell me a little bit
about how that came about? Yeah.
So Louise, he first came to me because he wants to start have
like a real live band now. And he offered me, you know, he
told me if I want to be like hiscontadata like sort of like in
the background. And I said, yeah, of course.
(13:37):
And Chris is sort of like the substitute backup if physicals
are seeing the player isn't ableto make it or like in the
Massachusetts area. But the plan is hopefully to
come out with some music with him and our own too.
Yeah, you guys have a plethora of people that will record and
(14:01):
all of that stuff. So take advantage of that while
you guys can, you know, and there's, I think once you get
deeper into the music world, youlook, you get to know more
musicians and then the connections happen that way.
And by the time you guys know, you guys have an album out.
Battle of the Beefonish SaturdayAugust 23rd Portuguese band of
San Jose, CA The first ever competition to see who makes the
(14:23):
best beefon. An all day festa with food and
entertainment. There's going to be ice cold
super box in the Horse Dos eating contest.
Hey, save me some. You can have a battle without a
Wiener. The grand prize $1000.
I want $1000. Battle of the Beefanish, an all
day culinary and cultural festival with tons of food,
(14:46):
vendors and entertainment like Ozagios doing their farewell
show. Anyone can sign up.
Visit battleofthebeefanish.com between April 10th and June
20th. I think it's something you're
really unique that you guys havethe three of you.
(15:07):
It's a really, it just looks really good when you guys are in
fifth years and then you guys have this very young vibe about
you guys playing such an old school instrument.
And I think that's the gap that everybody is trying to bridge
there. You know, it's just trying to
bring in the new with the old, but still, you know, still
staying in tradition with some things, but like adding some
(15:28):
flair here and there because we have to evolve.
We have to make things fun and interesting for us too.
What do you see? Like what is it do you guys talk
about like your big goals? What is something that you guys
want to do, hope to do, wish to do?
You're like 1 gig that you woulddie to play at or something one.
Gig Honestly mine would be performing at nasting out of the
(15:51):
lapa and add crystal fish. What about you guys?
I don't know what my that is. We're manifesting, we're putting
it out there in that, in the universe.
Just some sort of big stage withlike almost hundreds of
thousands of people. Maybe the Ipmas, honestly, like
like an actual performance from us, yeah.
(16:12):
I can see that totally happening.
That's exciting. So you guys all dance in the
session or not anymore? We all do.
Yeah, yeah, we still do. But only Chris, you are the one
that is in plays the music for the.
Country. Yeah, I'm that took a load,
yeah. What did?
What region do you guys dance for in your country?
I mean You mean region? More specifically, because of
(16:34):
all the vage. I follow your guys's group.
What's the name of your guys's group?
But I'm sure that Norwood. I think I do, actually.
I think I do all right. Well, what is like a challenge
that you faced with the 4G's community?
What do you feel like hold you back sometimes?
Maybe like people in the crowd not being so involved.
Like dancing and stuff. Yeah, like lack of, like
(16:57):
dancing, almost like people are like just not interested
sometimes. It's definitely not every
fashion that's like that, but like there are some that I'm
just like, Oh my God. But.
Yeah, there's nothing like performing to nobody dancing.
Exactly. And it's like, we'll be on the
mic, like, OK, guys like dance this one.
(17:18):
And then no one gets out like. Yeah, because I think so much of
how you play is how the audienceis.
So like, if you feel like the audience is into it, you're
going to get more into it too. So yeah, sometimes it's pulling
teeth, getting these pants to move.
Nobody wants to be the first one.
All right? How often do you guys?
Rehearse sort of like up in the air, depending on how many
(17:42):
performance we have lined up forthe year.
Usually in the winter, if we do get together, it's more like for
fun and maybe like new music. But then like during the summer,
especially June, it's like our most popular month because of
the well, we'll usually get together like every week.
So about every week you have to fit that in with hunter practice
and all of the other things thatyou have going on in life.
(18:04):
So let's, let's talk about a little bit about culture where
Chris and Brianna were like, howdo you visit Portugal?
Is that something that you you guys go to Portugal?
Often, yeah, we go every summer.Every summer so your fees is
fluent? I would say yes.
Yep. Yes, in Seattle.
Do you visit often? As well, I usually go every
(18:25):
other year. You guys are so much closer.
Man. That is such an easy flight
compared to 13 hours, Yeah. Yeah.
That's. Yeah.
When you decided to make this group, was there any goal in
mind or was it just for fun? Is this something that you guys
really want to take seriously when we started off?
(18:50):
It was more for for fun and to almost, you know, just to show
people our talents and keep the tradition alive now.
That too. It's nice to get paid.
And now we like to take it more seriously, just try to, you
know, go to places we haven't been before.
(19:13):
Just keep, you know, spreading the tradition, the culture,
getting our name out there even more.
Yeah, I'm excited for people to get to know you guys.
I know that I talked to Brianna about getting you guys a feature
in the magazine. So I think that we can go a
little bit more in debt. It's a job and you're putting
putting a show together for yourentertainment.
So don't ever forget that that you have to be taken care of.
(19:35):
2019. You guys have already been doing
this for a long time. I may be giving you advice that
is beyond where you guys are at already, but what do you feel
like like the community can do for you guys to help you guys
prosper? Bug us?
(19:58):
California, we don't have a lot of true Trident tradition things
like we have ranchos here and there, but it's a lot of
Asurianu ranchos and there's nota lot of continent
representation here. So I would love to get my little
continent people over here to represent for me because I feel
(20:20):
like a lone soldier over here. So what's the big deep
difference between the accordionand the concertina?
The noise that makes. For sure.
Yeah, I'm curious. I was just curious.
It's just like way more I was. Like wait, are they that big of
a difference? It's just different sounds.
So the concertina is more in thenorth, Yeah.
(20:43):
And then the the accordions are pretty much throughout Portugal.
What they're using? Yeah.
Anyone to know about you guys? But just young now off as kids,
yeah. That are trying yourself.
I was an. Adult when we started, yeah, I
think I was. Still an adult, yeah, or maybe
just turning 18-6 years ago, youwere not an.
(21:04):
Adult I was I. Was 18 or 19.
You're a different person. I'm.
Sure, from true. Yeah, well.
We're just young adults trying to spread the tradition and
culture. Yeah, I think you guys are.
Doing an amazing job. I love that you guys are smiling
so hard. That means that you guys are
loving what you're doing and talking about, so you care a lot
(21:26):
about it. Do you guys have your
concertinas with you? Oh, then you would.
Have to tune in and everything like that, I'm sure.
I mean can. You guys play something to end
that like in at the end of the episode?
If anything. My brother can, I got it from
downstairs. We'll, we'll see.
(21:47):
At the end, I don't want to put pressure on you, but I think
that it's so cool to see that you guys are so young and doing
something that I say is an old school tradition and keeping it
alive. Would love for you guys just
continue teaching the younger ones or cousins and people in
the group to to keep that alive.I mean how you guys learned was
(22:10):
from the older ones too. So just to keep that going and
just spreading all of it like toto hear you guys starting at
like a 1011 like that's just wild.
And you guys could, you know, really pay it forward by
teaching some kids too and bringing them on.
And I'm sure when I would look at singers, I would look at them
(22:32):
like, I want to be that. I want to do that so bad when I
was little. And there are just kids that are
doing the same thing and lookingat you guys.
So don't forget that you guys are role models in doing a huge
service for the community as well.
OK, well, where can people find you?
(22:52):
Where can people find your social media accounts?
Are you guys all over social media?
Yes, we're on. Instagram and Facebook you guys
got to get on tik. T.O.K, I brought that up once.
You know how boys are. It's too much work.
It's TikTok yeah on. A TikTok What?
I see so many people playing on TikTok all the time.
(23:14):
It could be a way for you guys to get some revenue too to go on
lives and like even record goingon live practicing and stuff.
Just just an idea. Well, I know I was right.
You. Started doing a TikTok so if I
get used to it, you know the range you TikTok.
Maybe I'll, you know, think about having Cosatinas the north
have a TikTok account, Facebook and.
(23:34):
Instagram, then really the the it's only one post that you're
doing right that gets flooded through.
Then you're just adding TikTok. It's not too bad.
Yeah. Well, how hard is it playing
with your brother Brianna? Is that hard?
Ask her first. No, actually it's not hard
because I feel like we have the same mindset because we're
(23:55):
siblings sometimes, you know, ifI tell him to do something,
he'll give me some attitude. But it's just sibling love.
That's good, I mean. If for you guys to be able to
create something together, I always say there's no bond like
like a music bond because you'retruly creating something
together. So you guys are going to be
(24:16):
family forever. I mean, obviously you have to be
family as siblings, but what's Yago with the mix?
There's going to be like this deniable bond that for the rest
of your life, you guys are goingto have this creative bond.
And that's the beauty of music and then sharing culture.
So I always say like, you guys don't know how lucky you guys
are to to be absorbed in it because you didn't have to think
(24:36):
about continuing speaking or else you're going to lose it.
And, and maybe you guys were faced with that, but being so
just submerged and so much Porsche stuff around, you guys
are so lucky to like continue doing it so we can keep
spreading all of this culture because it's it's, it is dying
after COVID too, These organizations really got hit.
(24:59):
And I see a lot of people closing their doors.
And I think that there was a lotof time where the younger
generation wasn't allowed to have a say and they didn't want
us to be in charge of anything. And now they're a Rashka a
little bit and they need us and we're stepping up to the plate.
(25:21):
So I'm proud of you guys. If you guys want to follow
Concertina Sue N, they are on Facebook and Instagram and soon
will be on TikTok. And if you want to book them
while you're booking, things areon your socials, right?
Yes, I'll make sure to put all of that in the info.
Is there anything that you want anybody to know where you guys
(25:43):
playing next, next as of? Right now we are playing next at
Provincetown in Massachusetts onJune 28th. 28th I believe.
Yeah, and it's the first. Time performing.
There. So come on.
Nice. How many?
Performances do you think you guys will have throughout the
summer? So there's some.
(26:04):
Like still in the talks, yeah, the thing about pushes people,
it's always last minute. So yeah.
But definitely I would say like a handful will have throughout
the summer, like throughout the year too.
It's perfect because there's. So much going on in the summer.
Well, I can't wait to see you guys perform live.
I have a feeling I'm going to see you guys at the IPM as one
(26:24):
day and if you guys ever need anything, any help with Flyers
or marketing or anything like that, I'm happy to help you guys
in any way that I can. We've reflected pretty much on
everything. You guys are doing the most you
can to keep our culture alive. I don't know how much more you
can possibly do, I mean. Let's put it this way.
I mean, at least for me, I don'treally talk about this as much,
(26:46):
but as a kid, I mean probably hundreds.
If not, I'm probably speaking for thousands of Portuguese
kids. I was never a big fan of like
anything for Claudia Ku. Like the only read like not even
in a bad way, but the only reason that I even started, you
know, like for Chloe Ku is because my mom kind of pulled me
by the ear and said, like, you're going to run shoe
(27:08):
practice. And I'm like, why do I have to
go to this? I don't want to do it.
Like I don't like it. And she's like, you're still
going to go because your sister's in it and you're going
to like it, you know, just like here.
And I was like, OK, fine, whatever.
So like then I finally decided to go, but only took like a
month. I still only sat there like I
didn't participate. But then all of a sudden, like
some sort of like spark came outof nowhere, like just watching
(27:32):
like the took of Lords with the concertinas.
And I like the dancers dancing. Then in my head I'm like, all
right, fine, it doesn't hurt to try.
I'm already here, might as well.And then from that moment on, it
just kept growing in me. And then like as I got older, my
mindset kind of like decide likewe got to keep this tradition
alive. Like we got to keep it going.
I finally got my like close friends to finally start liking
(27:55):
folkloric stuff too. So we'll host like a concertina
night like at our Milford Portuguese club.
And like before, my friends wouldn't even dare to try and
dance. But now, after a couple
concertina nights and Apple super.
Bowl. Yeah, I was going.
To say that they'll. Actually try like they'll try to
dance like I have an Italian friend who actually like for an
(28:17):
Italian, he knows how to like dance beaters kind of this in
like folklore dances. And I tell him all the time,
like you do better than most of these Portuguese people.
No, I know. You know what that's really nice
for you to point out because I think it's harder for boys to
want to dance. So I always say like you got to
(28:37):
start them really young because they're not going to just want
to do it at 11 or 12. They'll be embarrassed.
They won't feel like it's cool. Like it's really hard for boys.
So I think thank you for saying that because I literally just
started my boys in Iran and not in Iran show.
It's a Portuguese inspired dancegroup but it's a start for them
and I feel so guilty. I'm like, Oh my God.
(29:01):
Does he hate this so much? He's only 7, but he's starting
to do this. He'll learn to love it.
Yeah. So I'm like.
Oh man, and then I think selfishly, am I doing this
because I loved it and am I forcing him because I loved it?
Like I don't want to force him if this is not his thing.
Like so thank you for saying that she was pushing, pulling
(29:22):
your ears and then you eventually liked it.
So I still have a little bit more pulling of ear to do, but
he's not complaining too much. But I do think for people that
have kids, for boys in general, it's a lot harder to start
later. So if you can start them when
they're younger, then they'll they'll learn to love it in a
different way. And like you said, like that
(29:42):
what was happening was you were creating a passion for it.
Like something started to spark because you're like, I think I'm
passionate about this. I think I love this.
You said you started dancing when you were five, Thiago.
I did, yeah. Oh.
My. Gosh, he was. 20 years later.
I'm still doing it. So you know what I love?
About ranchers is that everything is truly traditional,
(30:04):
like the the far the like the music, There's nothing that is.
I guess for. Instance, we have ranchers here,
but we also have something called Luzo and Luzo is
Portuguese with an American twist.
So the costume, they have one competition a year and it's a
(30:24):
full on like first, second place, third competition.
And they have costumes, but it'swith like sequence and glitter
and it's more like dance competition.
And they add these, you know, moves, which it's cool to see
it. And it's the way that California
has tried to pull in these American kids that don't know
anything about being Portuguese and to be like, look, we're
going to do like a, I don't know, a CUDA DJ set song to the
(30:48):
Vita. So it's like that.
So being that I danced in a Rancho for at least 10 years, I
know the true tradition of the region.
I dance for Wesley Petejo when we were very strict.
No makeup, no sunglasses. No, you know, like you do not.
You have your hands on your sides.
When you walk around, you don't put your hands down.
Like, I know you know that side of it.
(31:12):
You know, it's because it's in you.
Once it's in you, you start looking at other groups.
Like I can't believe they let them wear that or I can't
believe you can walk around likethat because you care, Like you
care so much about the representation of it.
You care that like, you're not going to go out there without
your marriage all the way up. You know, like you're not going
to go out there like that. You're not going to go half
(31:33):
dressed outside in front of everybody.
And there's something to say about keeping it traditional
like that. Remember when I was younger, I
used to fight to wear a face makeup on performing like, no,
because they didn't have makeup back in the day.
They would fight. You could only wear your wedding
ring and you could only wear like all that stuff.
Do you guys, are you guys prettystrict with those traditions and
(31:53):
in your group? Yeah.
So you have to you. Have to or also just takes away
the the beauty of the tradition for it.
But I will please ask for you guys to record something so we
can add it to the end of this episode and everyone can get a
little taste. A lot of my listeners are from
California, so a lot of people from California are going to be
able to meet you for the first time.
(32:15):
And I really appreciate you reaching out to me.
I was really, really excited to talk to you guys.
I think what you guys are doing is really cool, so I can't wait
to see where you guys grow. Yeah, no problem.
Do you guys have any questions for me?
No. Where are you from In?
Portugal, my parents. Are both.
From a Lintejo. Okay, so there's no water
insight. I'm from the mountain so.
(32:39):
You're paying. Yes, I've been to the north
before. My one of my cousins married a
girl from the north and their wedding was there.
So that was the only time I was only in the place where the
wedding was. But it was beautiful.
And I remember, like going on a bus all the way into the
mountains. It was really pretty.
Yeah, let's just say Portuguese.Weddings are definitely
different their. Wedding compared to.
(32:59):
You know what we have at 8:00 I?I learned that well, even just
the bridal parties, like there'sno bridal parties there.
It's just your pivotings of your, of your wedding, which is
so much more simple. And then we just glamorize
everything over here. There's you guys don't have like
ranges and stuff for, for the parades for the street sun
(33:20):
festos or anything. Oh, like via the?
Like miss via the portable? No, no, no.
See. I knew it like trying to figure
out the different customs from coast to coast.
We have a big thing with the Queens here and I think that's
more of a Surya new custom as well where every hall has their
(33:40):
big issue to can to fetch that, at least over here I don't.
Recall like any like town or even like event doing something
like that you guys don't do anything for.
Running a Santa Isabel, so interesting.
That is like a huge thing here. That is so interesting to know
because my mom never let me be queen.
She's like, we don't do that. I don't understand it.
We don't do it. So if you want to be a side mate
(34:02):
to your friend, that's my but I'm not going to go and have you
be queen for something that I don't understand.
All right, you guys. Well, thank you for coming on
the show. Thank you for having us.
Thank you for. Having us.
You're welcome. So nice meeting you.
I know me and Brianna have been in contact.
Bettiagu and Chris, I would loveto, you know, be in touch with
you guys too and see you guys. I'm excited for you.
Guys, thank you. Thank you.
(34:23):
You're. Welcome.
Well enjoy the rest of your weekend and I'm looking forward
to the video and happy Mother's.Day as well.
Yeah. Happy Mother's Day.
Thank you. I appreciate.
It all right guys have a good rest of your weekend.
OK. Thank you.
SO. Much no problem.
(35:25):
None. OK, so what's going on?
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