Bons Sons Festival in Portugal to Feature World Music and Folk from the Iberian Peninsula

The Bons Sons (Good Sounds) Festival returns August 16-19 of 2012 with a tasty mix of folk, world music, jazz, and indie rock. The festival takes place in the village of Cem Soldos, in Tomar (central Portugal). This year’s event features Spain as a guest country.

Highlights include Linda Martini, Legendary Tigerman, PAUS, Vitorino, Maria João e Mário Laginha, Angolan band Batida, António Zambujo, Márcia, Aldina Duarte and A Naifa.

Even though Bon sons is in essence a festival of Portuguese music, organizers have invited countries with a strong cultural tie to Portugal, such as Brazil (2008) and Cape Verde (2010) in past editions. In 2012, the guest country will be Spain – a country whose cultural exchange with Portugal, in spite of the proximity of its cultural roots, has fallen short from any prediction.

Representing Spain will be folk bands Vigüela and El Naán and several participants in the Handcrafts and Trinket Fair.

In addition to concerts, the festival includes exhibitions, the craft fair, and screenings of films and videos. This year, Bons Sons will highlight Tiago Pereira’s video series A música portuguesa a gostar dela própria (“Portuguese music liking itself”) which is dedicated to Portuguese bands.

16 August

17:00 h. Nuno Prata. Música na Igreja
18:00 h. Capitão Fausto. Stage: Giacometti
19:00 h. Filho da Mãe. Música na Igreja
20:00 h. Lousy Guru. Stage: Giacometti
21:00 h. See You Later Alligator. Cem Soldos Auditorium
21:00 h. El Naán. Stage: Lopes Graça
22:30 h. A Naifa. Stage: Lopes Graça
0:00 h. Yechidah. Stage: Noites Longas

17 August

14:00 h. Vídeos MPAGDP: A música portuguesa a gostar dela própria. Cem Soldos Auditorium
14:00 h. Cosie Cherie. Stage: MPAGDP
16:15 h. Gala Drop. Stage: Giacometti
17:15 h. Curtas em flagrante (short film festival). Cem Soldos Auditorium
17:15 h. Carlos Batista. Stage: MPGDP
18:00 h. Celina da Piedade. Música na Igreja
19:00 h. You Can’t Win, Charlie Brown. Stage: Giacometti
19:30 h. Abaixonado. Stage: MPGDP
20:30 h. António Zambujo. Música na Igreja
22:00 h. Linda Martini. Stage: Giacometti
23:30 h. The Legendary Tiger Man. Stage: Lopes Graça
1:00 h. Paus. Stage: Giacometti
2:30 h. Batida Stage: Giacometti

18 August

15:15 h. Joana Espadinha. Stage: MPAGDP
16:15 h. Gabriel Ferrandini & Pedro Sousa. Stage: Giacometti
17:00 h. Márcia Música na Igreja
18:00 h. Canto Hondo. Stage: MPAGDP
19:00 h. y 21:00 h. Joana Sá. Cem Soldos Auditorium
20:00 h. Mikado Lab. Stage: Giacometti
21:00 h. Gobi Bear. Stage: MPAGDP
22:00 h. ATMA. Stage: Lopes Graça
23:30 h. Os Velhos. Stage: Giacometti
1:00 h. Maria João & Mário Laginha. Stage: Lopes Graça
2:30 h. João Gomes DJ Set. Stage: Noites Longas

19 August

14:00 h. Vídeos MPAGDP: A música portuguesa a gostar dela própria. Cem Soldos Auditorium
15:00 h. Os Passos em Volta. Stage: Giacometti
15:15 h. Rafael Carvalho. Stage: MPAGDP
17:00 h. Vigüela. Stage: Tarde ao Sol
17:15 h. Curtas em flagrante (Festival de cortometrajes). Cem Soldos Auditorium
17:15 h. Martim Torres. Stage: MPAGDP
18:30 h. Aldina Duarte. Música en la Iglesia (Música na Igreja)
19:00 h. Não me importava de morrer se houvessem guitarras no céu (“I wouldn’t mind dying if there were guitars in heaveno”, Tiago Pereira documentary). Cem Soldos Auditorium
19:30 h. Birds Are Indie. Stage: MPAGDP
20:00 h. Xícara. Stage: Lopes Graça
21:30 h. Pé na Terra. Stage: Giacometti
23:00 h. Vitorino. Stage: Lopes Graça
0:30 h. Bento 17 DJ Set. Stage: Noites Longas

The festival’s website is very fun to watch and is available in Portuguese, English and Spanish:

bonssons.com