Milha, a music and cultural event in Ílhavo and Gafanha da Nazaré, is back from October 30 to November 1. The festival, promoted by the Municipality of Ílhavo through the cultural project 23 Milhas, presents a dozen proposals focused on music, but also on dance and visual arts.
The event maintains its strong community connection, featuring three absolute premieres of projects developed with over a hundred participants. These projects stem from the collaboration of the Coro da Madrugada and the Orquestra do Mar, as well as the municipality's dance schools and musicians and dancers who are creating a new piece for the Companhia Jovem de Dança de Ílhavo. Also highlighted is the album presentation concert by LES A LES, the winning band of the 23 Milhas's record support.
Milha kicks off on October 30, at 9:00 PM, at the Casa da Cultura de Ílhavo, with the inauguration of the exhibition «Instruções para a Paisagem» by Inês Santiago, and the presentation of the vinyl by LES A LES, released by 23 Milhas and the Municipality of Ílhavo. The exhibition will be on display until December 31. The vinyl will be available at the ticket offices of the Casa da Cultura de Ílhavo and the Fábrica das Ideias da Gafanha da Nazaré, and for sale during the event at a Showcase of discography and materials by artists from PRAIA, a platform for artists from Ílhavo.
Following this, at 10:00 PM, the annual creation of the Companhia Jovem de Dança de Ílhavo will premiere, under the direction of choreographer Rui Horta. With 19 performers, and the restaging by Allan Falieri, two renowned works will be revisited: «Wolfang, bitte...» and «Ordinary Events». This is the seventh creation by the company, which maintains the artistic direction of Luiz Antunes. At 11:00 PM, in the foyer of the Casa da Cultura, the concert by LES A LES will feature their electronic and experimental music with poetry, with musical direction by Vítor Hugo and Carlos Lázaro.
On Saturday, the Casa da Cultura hosts, at 5:00 PM, the second presentation by the Companhia Jovem de Dança de Ílhavo, followed by a concert by Fearless Monkeys, a brass band from the PRAIA platform that blends alternative rock, pop, and k-pop.
In the evening, in Gafanha da Nazaré, the exhibition «No Café-Livraria» by Anastasiya Lykhalot opens at the Convés da Fábrica das Ideias. Afterwards, the Coro da Madrugada will present «Os Vês pelos Bês», a show dedicated to the shared songbook of Rui Veloso and Carlos Tê. This will be followed by a party with a vinyl DJ set by Emanuel Graça (project Em Rotação and portugal.mp3), celebrating Portuguese music.
On the final day of Milha, the works from this year's PRAIA workshops will be presented: Designer Tiago and Núria Mandane (4:00 PM), and Luana Torrão, Hugo Marques, and Sekai (4:45 PM). Playwright David Calão and visual artist Alexandre Martins have created original lyrics and a multimedia exhibition based on this work, presented at the Sala Estúdio Cinema de Ílhavo.
To close the festival, the Casa da Cultura de Ílhavo hosts, at 6:00 PM, the presentation by the Orquestra do Mar. This year, the project has invited Margarida Campelo to perform «Dinamite» (1982) by Dina, and other songs by the artist. The Orquestra do Mar has previously paid tribute to Fausto Bordalo Dias, Carlos do Carmo, and António Variações.
The weekend before Milha, training sessions will be held for members of the PRAIA platform and the general public, including 'Bases para Captação em Estúdio' (with Wakai), 'Introdução à Iluminação' (with GrETUa), 'Como preparar um dossier de venda de um espetáculo' (with Patrícia Pires), and a visit to the MDB studios in Gafanha da Nazaré.
Tickets for Milha - Festa da Música e dos Músicos de Ílhavo will be available from October 9, starting at 11:00 AM, at the ticket offices of the 23 Milhas venues and at BOL.
