European Youth and Prejudice – the elephant in the room

One thing we have learnt from the 2008 Summer Media School (SMS) in Lisbon? That there is still a lot to do to when it comes to uniting young European journalists behind a common vision of how the press can be a force for unity in Europe.

The point of this event in Lisbon was to bring together those interested in journalism from all across Europe to learn from each other in an atmosphere of mutual intercultural understanding. Yet this aim made one large assumption – that we have intercultural understanding in the first place. So far the program has been marred by a remarkable lack of racial and cultural sensitivity. The European Youth Press (EYP) now, more than ever, has its work cut out for it.

Five days into the SMS and we are finally talking to one another with honesty – cracks begin to show in the edifice that is “generation Europe”. So far SMS in Lisbon has been a whirr of media workshops, street interviews and brainstorming sessions. Getting to know all the participants, from 7 different European nations has been an incredible experience. Yet in the midst of all this excitement and chaos, we have forgotten to ask some important questions: What are we all doing here? What does the European Youth Press stand for? Why are we involved?

This is not a question that can be answered now. We must simply recognise the gulf between who we profess to be and who we really are as the new “generation Europe”. Once our prejudices are out in the open then we can discuss them. In some cases this may simply be a miscommunication – a product of the language barrier or differences in humour – yet it may also be evidence of much deeper differences. If we simply continue to believe that we have no prejudices then we will forever remain divided, as though by some invisible force – an elephant in the room that is not confronted.

The European Youth Press is a space where young journalists who believe in forging a more informed, tolerant and educated Europe through the press can come together to share experiences and ideas. In the mainstream media where some of us work we are under pressure to produce articles that will sell, with sensationalist headlines and with conclusions often based upon dubious evidence. But EYP is not about profit. It is about young people having a voice on important issues, not sometime in the distant future, but here and now in the present.

Text: Tanyella Allison

WHAT IS OUR CULTURE?

The vivid emotion of Fado, the delicate beauty of Portugese tiles, the excitement of initiation rituals. Now we move through European culture, exploring the streets of Lisbon and comparing our occasionally bizarre experiences!

video
- Praxis in Portugal : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvJfTM9CznI
- Portrait of a portugeese singer : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3mmqKcIA-8

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Praxes!

“It’s so big you can’t fit it in your mouth!! - It’s so small you can’t see it!!” – boys and girls with painted faces shout at each other across the street. The new students, or “caloiros”, are led by senior students in chants, some full of blatant sexual innuendo and crass competitiveness.

Nelson Chantre, a second year student at ESCS helps me to unravel this vibrant ritual, as the colourfully painted students dance and shout around us. The caloiros are separated into four teams and adorned with frivolous costumes – mafia, pirates, zombies or Mexicans – and spend a week battling it out in a celebration designed to welcome them to their new life as a university student.

For the senior students, who are also the organisers of the ceremony, the dress code is a much more serious matter. Whilst they fully participate in the celebrations they must also dress in a strict uniform – black trousers or skirt, a white shirt and specially tailored waistcoat and jacket. Most also wear the “capa”, a special cape which (occasionally lovingly decorated with badges) which they wear over their left shoulder. ‘Why the left shoulder?’ I hear you ask. “Because it is near my heart”, Nelson explains. For Nelson, this ceremony is not just about getting drunk and singing nursery rhymes – it is also a symbolic ceremony marking entry into a new system of rules, and a new way of life. “ The uniforms that we wear symbolise that we are all equal, but we must also teach the students to have respect for the rules, and respect for the school”.

The caleiros have a lot to learn, in this game of symbols and subtle signals. Scratching the surface, I discovered that if you are wearing your jacket, your “capa” must not be more than 10m from you. Also, one button undone on your waistcoat means you are single, two buttons undone and you are spoken for (certainly useful information).

Still, what is the point in all this ceremony? As the students begin dancing the ‘party train’ there is no doubt that they are having a good time and getting to know each other better (if perhaps a little too well), but why all the crazy costumes and shouting? “Integration” says Joana Goncalves, who is joined by her fellow Zombie and Pirate, “Without this ceremony we would feel like outsiders around each other” Francisco Inacio adds. Even Vanessa Duarte, a seemingly shy 18 year-old, admits, “the sexual songs make me feel normal with everyone – we are not embarrassed!”

The praxes ceremony certainly puts “Fresher’s Week” in the UK to shame – getting drunk and getting laid seem to be the two main purposes of our ‘ceremonies’. Yet in Portugal, the aim is rather to break down barriers between young people with diverse interests and backgrounds in a fun and sociable way. Whilst in Holland some universities have degrading ceremonies in order to initiate students into cliquey ‘fraternities’, in Portugal the point is to make everyone seem approachable. Comparing European culture is not a task I would like to assume, but whilst watching the colourful caloiros, I couldn’t help but feel like I had missed out on an important life milestone.

Text: Tanyella Allison

Breakdance to unite the nations

Pumping hip hop beats are filling a run-down gymnasium in the old centre of Lisbon. We can feel the heat and the smell of sweat in the air when we walk in.

A group of guys with muscular bodies are doing “headspins”, “turtles” and “windmills” across the floor – the acrobatic moves of the “Formula Armada” breakdance crew. There are 10 people in the group between the ages of 18 and 28 from all over the world: Angola, Brazil, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland, who all live in the close suburbs of Lisbon. They got to know each other through friends and breakdancing events, and now they train together two times a week in the old centre of Portugal’s capital.

One of the founders of the group is Wilson Magalhaes, a 21 year old Angolan, who started dancing at the age of 9, imitating his older brother Owaldo and his uncle who were also performing. “But my biggest idol is Michael Jackson” he comments. Together with his brother Owaldo he founded the group “Formula Armada” in 2004.
The main idea behind the group is to have a positive impact on young people and to find a way to cope with the struggles of life. “We are like a family”, says Wilson and stresses that, “everybody is an equal member”.

Maria, 27, is one of the two “B-Girls” of the crew. For seven months she has practiced with Formula Armada after she met the crew at a national Breakdance championship. She was adamant that she had no problem keeping up with the boys, even though breakdancing is a very athletic and powerful sport - she keeps the boys in line.

At the moment “Formula Armada” is developing a unique style and they are becoming more widely known, both in Lisbon and beyond. Since winning some national competitions and even appearing on national Portuguese television now they regularly get booked for events and shows. Wilson tells proudly that now they have started to earn some money with dancing and that they also obtained some sponsorship. Right now they are touring across Portugal with a Hip-Hop Formation named “Makongo”. To find out more, check www.myspace.com/formulaarmada

What is Breakdance?
Breakdance is a dance style which was originally performed in the streets and which is known as a part of the hip hop movement. It was first danced by African American and Puerto Rican youths in Manhattan and the South Bronx of New York City during the early 1970s. Normally it is danced to Pop, Funk and Hip Hop music.
It is said that Breakdance or B-Boying was an alternative for the youth apart from the violence of urban street gangs.The Breakdance culture is known to be free of any race, gender or age boundaries and today it is a worldwide practised and accepted dance style

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But breakdancers aren't the only ones, who represent street culture in Lisbon. Do you know anything about Capoeira?

Capoeira is a folk art that ritualizes movement from martial arts, games, and dance. It emerged in Brazil some time after the 16th century in the regions known as Bahia, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and São Paulo. It is said that Capoeira was first created and developed by slaves brought to Brazil from Angola, the Congo, the Gulf of Guinea and the Gold Coast, who used it as a way to practice their martial arts moves while making it appear to be a game or dance.

One of the most important “Capoeiristas” was “Mestre Bimba”. He was a master practitioner and founded the first Capoeira academy in Brazil in 1932. Mestre Bimba developed the Capoeira Regional style which was more effective. Besides the Capoeira Regional there is also practiced the Capoeira Angola today which are the two biggest and common styles of Capoeira.

Text: Manuel Rhode

Photo: 1) Yannick Brusselmans, 2) Eugene Soineanu

Postcards from Lisbon

Night time in Lisbon


Over 12 milion tourists have visited Portugal last year, according to the local media. Tourism is contributing with about 5% at Portugal’s gross domestic product. Lisbon is, after Barcelona, the European city attracting most tourists, with 7 milion tourists sleeping in the city’s hotels in 2006, according to DN online. The number of tourists grew by 11,8 % compared to the previous year.

Pink ice cream

Inside this river of green and gray, trees and buildings, tourists and businessmen, pink suddenly appears. Smiling to everybody passing by, Maria, a round faced chubby lady, sells her pink ice-cream for one, two or three euros, depending on the number of ice-cream bulbs. She does the same thing, every day, on the Liberdade Av., until 7 pm, hiding from the sun beneath a pink umbrella. The when she takes the metro home, across the city, somewhere near Pontinha. Her three children, aged 7 to 16 get dressed, eat and study of Maria’s pink ice-cream.

Poor “Alegria”

Here begins the middle-class life, protected from the tourists that invade the city, just like a swarm of clicking insects, taking photos one after another. Here, instead of photo-cameras, people walk with groceries bags in their hands, while backpacks are only worn by the little-ones returning back from school. Luis and his family are standing in front of their house, enjoying lunch, in the space left free by a car that parted from the sidewalk provisory parking lot. They’re having fish. “We stay like this when we are all at home. This is fish. It is good”, Luis says, while his wife laughs loudly of her husbands’ attempt in speaking a foreign language.
The “sight” of English seems to attract some other people and pairs of eyes to appear in the windows like some portrait exhibition framed by an unconventional artist.

Text: Adrian M. Popa

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Azulejos – the specific Portuguese Art

“Tiles! We work to preserve them!” (Carcavelos –Duarte e Rosa, Lda.)


Let’s talk about ceramics. This type of Portuguese art is called ‘Azulejos’, manafactured for about five centuries. It has a really strong history, makes a great present and also has a bright future. It signifies the soul of the Portugal, which is a colorful one.

Duarde Morgado, the manager of this shop, prefers the innovative paints, because he said he’s really good at it, and also his employees. He discovered his passion for this activity at about 16 years old, but he’s disappointed that his only son doesn’t share the same hobby, continuing this family business: he’s a modern student at architecture, leaving Portugal for studying in New York. Asked about his future plans, Duarte said that they want to research more about the tiles’ composition and also improving the polychromes and glazes, keeping up to date with the newest methods.

An important step in giving life to these tiles is the one when choosing the colors. There are two options: blue or multicolor. Blue, as Duarde’s wife, Rosa, said, represents the best the Portugal, expressing serenity, optimism and clarity. And the Portuguese people are characterized by this description also.

It’s good to know that more tiles doesn’t necessarily imply a higher price. In the price there are included a lot of factors, and tiles can be as expensive as 180 euros for only one tile. But one can also pay 20 euros for 30 tiles. So, the price is about factors: antiquity, method, material, size, and number.

Some models can be seen in the Palacio National de Sinatra in the center of Lisbon, in Palacio Marquies de Poma (where the paint was remade), in the Casino Lisboa Marcau, on a lot of streets, restaurants, different building, in the houses’ interior and of course, in a lot of specialized books.

The most popular and the most important paint made by Duarte e Rosa Morcado is called “The leaves and the grapes”, which actually represents the stamp of a grouse. It’s an abstract paint, but full of expressivity, showing the multiple personality of life. Excepting these tiles, they can also make different other things, like plates, decorations for locals, ashtrays and so many other forms. It’s a ceramic paradise out there and it’s a sin if you miss it, because Azulejo is one of the main industries in this dynamic city.


Name: Ceramica Artistica de CarcavelosAddressAvenida do Loureiro, 47 – b, 2775 – 599, CarcavelosContact21.456.32.67, www/azulejos@ceramica-carcavelos.pt The best painted ceramics would be in the Carcavelos, at about 12 kilometers from Lisbon. It’s called Duarte & Rosa Lda. and it’s the best one because it has an essential difference: there you can see the employees painting in front of you. They talk to you, explaining what they’re doing and what they want to do.


Text: Catalina Chersin
Photo: Yannick Brusselmans

If I make you cry I'm happy

Fado undoubtedly is Portugal’s most famous music. The mournful tunes and lyrics usually performed by one singer and one or more guitar players can be heard in the taverns of Lisbon’s working class city sectors every night. According to Portuguese Fado enthusiasts this music is probably the oldest Folk music in the world, however it is not music for old people only.

In the beautiful little streets of the Alfama quarter of Lisbon signs with the promise “Fado tonight” written on them in big letters are placed in front of every tavern. A young Portuguese woman with long black hair and brown eyes talks to tourists who meander through Alfama. With her black t-shirt and her jeans, she does not look different from other modern young women in Europe. But when she closes her eyes and starts to sing, her music goes right into your heart and touches your soul and suddenly you understand that the lady standing right in front of you is really special. Raquel Tavares is one of the most popular young Fado singers in Portugal at the age of 23.

“I started to sing Fado when I was five years old”, the Fadista says. “I performed in the bars and I loved it.” Asked why she started to sing the Portuguese traditional music she answers “I just had to”, and explains: “ You cannot learn Fado, you have to have it in you ”. Raquel Tavares grew up in Alfama within half a kilometre’s distance from the “House of Fado”, a museum dedicated to the Portuguese music, so her career as a Fadista does not seem surprising but rather predestined. It was actually not her parents who brought her to Fado though. “My mother is a Fado singer as well, but she started later than I did. So she came to Fado through me, not the other way round”, the multi talented artist who won the Portuguese version of ´Dancing with the Stars´ says and laughs. Since the age of 18 Raquel has been a professional Fadista performing all over Europe and also in America. She is very proud of the characteristic music of Portugal. “It is our culture, our tradition. We have to show you what we have.”

Although Raquel is a member of a new generation of young Fado singers, she does not like the experimental Fado which is mixed with other music styles. “I do not believe in the new Fado”, she says firmly. Apparently that does not do any harm to her popularity among young people. According to her, the age spectrum of her fans is wide and there are young and old people who come to hear her sing. “We have very young songwriters and very young poets as well”, the Fadista stresses that not only singers or fans of Fado are members of a new generation.

She has been a professional Fado singer for quite some time now, but Raquel is still not really used to her fame. She finds it strange that people stop and look at her or ask her for autographs because in her opinion she is the same person that she has always been. “When I walk through Lisbon and people ask me if I am Raquel Tavares, I am always a bit embarrassed. If on the other hand my mother is with me she would always be very proud and say ‘yes she is’”, the singer laughs.

Asked about the secret of Fado the 23year old explains: “Fado is a way of being in life, but the most important thing is emotion. Many people do not understand one word of what I am singing about, but they feel my feelings.” Her songs thus mostly are about feelings, emotions and life and also about her hometown. “Lisbon is my inspiration”, the beautiful woman tells. As sharing your feelings with strangers sounds very intimate one might think it is hard to perform in front of a big crowd. Raquel though prefers a big audience to a little one: “I love to sing in front of many people. It is way harder for me to do it in front of a small group.” A success for the young lady is when she sees that she could really touch the hearts and souls of her listeners: “If I make you cry, I am happy”, the Fadista says.
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The music one does not just play or sing, but feel

Antonio Cardoso has been selling Fado in his green truck in the Rua da Prata in Lisbon for 15 years. If you want to learn something about Fado, he’s the man.

Sabine Stang: What is the most important thing one has to know about Fado?
Antonio Cardoso: Fado is the traditional music from Lisbon. For us Portuguese, Fado is what Tango is for Argentinians or Flamenco for the Spanish.

Who are the most famous Fado singers?
Amália Rodrigues was the queen of Fado, she is the number one. From the young generation, Mariza is the most famous.

Who are your customers?
I sell especially to tourists, young and old people. The young customers like the new generation of young Fado singer a lot.

Are there conflicts between traditionalists and fans of the new Fado?
Some of the old people don’t like the new Fado. Mariza for example looks like a pop star, not a Fado singer. The costumes the young singers wear are made by designers. Some people say that is not traditional Fado.

What is the secret of Fado?
Fado is the kind of music that one doesn’t just play or just sing, but most important – feel.

Feel – what?
Love or things connected to it, for example, jealousy.

Text: Sabine Stang
Photos: 1) Damiano Razzoli, 2) Diletta Pignedoli