"Viola da Terra" Chronicles book by Rafael Carvalho

Viola da terra, chronicles…

“In 2018, over several weeks, the newspaper “Atlântico Expresso”, on the island of São Miguel, published a series of chronicles I wrote about Viola da Terra. Stories, characteristics, contexts, actors, refinements, techniques, symbology, events, differences, similarities…  all information that is important to divulge, disseminate and debate about the viola da terra. Then came the dream of putting these articles together in a book. Some chronicles were merged to address common themes, others were revised to convey a more current reality. I hope that these chronicles can help to get to know, respect and understand our Viola a little better and its important role in our Azorean Culture.”

Rafael Carvalho

“Sharing, questioning, learning and teaching an instrument that was not taught… it was learned!” Here is the best summary that could be done about this book. Rafael Carvalho marks the rhythm and substance of this work with these four verbs, which say it all: to share, because art does not exist for oneself but for others, to question, because all the way through questions that become (or not) opportunities for decision, learning, because the thirst for knowledge can only be quenched with times and ways of learning, and teaching, because the gift of transmitting knowledge is the most beautiful corollary of knowledge.”

Santos Narciso