Portuguese culture will take center stage at New York City’s Lincoln Center on Saturday, October 3, with a full day of cinema, literature and live music featuring acclaimed Luso-American writer Katherine Vaz, Portuguese musical performances by Expresso Transatlântico and The Gift, and a festival of Portuguese animated short films.
The program, titled “Contemporary Portugal at Lincoln Center,” is the second day of a two-day celebration of contemporary Portuguese arts presented by Lincoln Center in collaboration with the New York based Arte Institute. Saturday’s activities begin at 12:00 p.m. at the David Rubenstein Atrium, 1887 Broadway, New York City. The event is free, open to the public and suitable for all ages.
The two-day celebration begins Friday, October 2, with Portuguese dance, film and music, including Companhia de Dança Arte Total, Companhia Portuguesa de Bailado Contemporâneo, and Lisbon multi-instrumentalist Noiserv (David Santos). Saturday shifts the focus to film, literature and music, concluding with a performance by The Gift.
The program introduces New York audiences to contemporary Portuguese animation, filmmaking, and literature. It will feature Katherine Vaz, the acclaimed Luso-American novelist and short-story writer, in a conversation about her literary work and Portuguese heritage. Her books include Saudade, Mariana, Our Lady of the Artichokes and Other Portuguese-American Stories, Fado & Other Stories, and the more recent novel Above the Salt.
Her appearance gives the October 3 program a significant Portuguese-American dimension, connecting contemporary Portuguese culture with the long-established diaspora in the United States. Lincoln Center describes the session as focusing on Vaz’s work and Portuguese heritage. Vaz, whose family roots are in the Azores, has made Portuguese and Portuguese-American history, identity, migration, and memory recurring themes in her writing.
Music takes over later in the program with Expresso Transatlântico, one of Portugal’s distinctive contemporary musical projects. The group combines the sound and tradition of the Portuguese guitar with influences and rhythms extending beyond Portugal, creating music that moves between tradition and contemporary experimentation. Lincoln Center describes Expresso Transatlântico as blending Portuguese tradition, global rhythms and contemporary experimentation, reflecting the broader purpose of the Contemporary Portugal featuring culture and performing arts.
The October 3 celebration culminates with a performance by The Gift, the internationally recognized Portuguese art-pop and rock band. Formed in Portugal in the 1990s, The Gift has developed a long international career and is known for combining rock, pop and electronic influences with elaborate and energetic live performances. The group will close the second and final day of Contemporary Portugal at Lincoln Center.
The event is expected to be attended by Francisco Duarte Lopes, Ambassador of Portugal to the United States, and Ambassador Luisa Pais Lowe, Consul General of Portugal in New York, according to Lincoln Center.
Contemporary Portugal is presented by Lincoln Center in collaboration with Arte Institute, with additional artist support from Portugal’s General Directorate for Consular Affairs and Portuguese Communities/Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Consulate General of Portugal in New York, TAP Air Portugal, RHI Initiative, Pestana Group Hotel, Fundação GDA, and the Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD).
The Contemporary Portugal at Lincoln Center event is free and open to the public. General admission is available on a first-come, first-served basis, with no ticket required to join the general-admission line.
PAJ/Staff
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Katherine Vaz: Our Lady of Literature – Interview– By Milicent Borges Accardi
Above the Salt | Katherine Vaz discusses her breakthrough novel – Interview-By Milicent Borges Accardi
Sources: Official Lincoln Center event page and Arte Institute – Contemporary Portugal Program
