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Sopa De Pedra
Sopa de Pedra a Portuguese all-female vocal ensemble that explores the country’s oral traditions, passed down for generations by women through work songs, lullabies, ballads, and festive and religious songs. Their music is based on a cappella polyphony, sometimes accompanied by traditional percussion instruments such as the adufe and the pandeiro. Through their polyphonic arrangements, they breathe new life into a heritage long confined to the domestic sphere, bringing it to the forefront of contemporary stages, both in Portugal and abroad. Concert curated by Alain Weber.
All dates
Sopa de Pedra
Sopa de Pedra a Portuguese all-female vocal ensemble that explores the country’s oral traditions, passed down for generations by women through work songs, lullabies, ballads, and festive and religious songs. Their music is based on a cappella polyphony, sometimes accompanied by traditional percussion instruments such as the adufe and the pandeiro. Through their polyphonic arrangements, they breathe new life into a heritage long confined to the domestic sphere, bringing it to the forefront of contemporary stages, both in Portugal and abroad. Concert curated by Alain Weber.
The work of Sopa de Pedra is rooted in the tradition of Portuguese female singing, long present in field work, festivities, evening gatherings and the rituals of daily life. The group explores this oral heritage with great care, focusing on repertoires historically carried by women: work songs, Christmas and Epiphany songs (janeiras and reis), love songs, lullabies, romances and devotional chants.
Their practice is built around a cappella polyphony: voices intertwine, at times supported by traditional percussion (adufe, pandeiro, ferrinhos), giving voice to a powerful, raw and deeply territorial Portugal. Far from a museum-style reproduction, they reinterpret the pieces they collect, allowing themselves personal arrangements, harmonisations and original compositions inspired by the traditional repertoire.
Beyond the music, their approach carries a deeper commitment: to restore audibility to women's voices long confined to the domestic sphere and to the realm of the unofficial, and to bring this heritage into dialogue with contemporary issues. On stage, their understated yet deeply present performance invites the audience into an attentive, almost ritual listening, where the voice becomes a place of shared memory.
Concert curated by Alain Weber.
© Xavi Torrent
© Xavi Torrent
Sopa de Pedra
Sopa de Pedra is an all-female Portuguese vocal ensemble formed in Lisbon in the early 2010s. The name literally "stone soup" refers to a well-known Portuguese folk tale, in which a simple stone becomes the starting point for a shared meal: a fitting metaphor for the values of transmission, generosity and collective creation that guide the group's work.
The project grew out of the meeting of several singers united by a passion for Portuguese traditional music and for the oral repertoires long carried by women in the villages of mainland Portugal from the Alentejo to the Minho, including the Beiras, Trás-os-Montes and the Lisbon region. Drawing on field recordings, sound archives and encounters with singers from rural communities, they have built their own repertoire, which they arrange for multiple voices.
For over a decade, Sopa de Pedra have been a familiar presence on the Portuguese scene, performing regularly at world music and vocal tradition festivals both in Portugal and abroad. They have become a key reference in the contemporary revival of Portuguese female traditional singing.
Practical information
Address
Cascais Marina
Accessibility
Accessible to wheelchair users. Participatory performance involving movement and sound.
Dates and times
Wednesday, June 24, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Safety
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Free entry. Booking in advance is recommended; plan to arrive 15 minutes early to secure your place. Walk-ins are welcome subject to availability.
EXPERIENCES On board
Immersive exhibition Presents
Created with the exceptional collaboration of the Musée du Louvre, this exhibition highlights female figures in Mediterranean civilisation, thanks to the digitisation and modeling of part of the Louvre's collections. A two-stage experience: an introductory film to provide context, followed by an immersive experience in a 16-meter-long tunnel covered by 120 m2 of LED screens.
A sound journey through the Mediterranean
An immersive sound experience designed by Ircam, inviting the public to explore the richness and diversity of the Mediterranean through headphones equipped with spatialized sound.
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© Elisa Von Brockdorff
The artists
Frequently asked questions
Yes, the boat is freely accessible on site. However, you can pre-book your time online on our website.
For reasons of safety and preservation of the boat, high heels and stilettos may not be worn on the boat.
The museum boat is open to all free of charge. To find out on which quay it will be moored, or to pre-book your slot, consult the page dedicated to your town.
Appropriate facilities have been set up on the Festival site for the reception and access of people with reduced mobility. The boat is equipped with a 1m-wide ramp, accessible to people with reduced mobility, but may require the accompaniment of a third party due to its gradient of over 6%. Access to the aft deck and immersive exhibition is possible. However, the upper deck is not accessible. Please inform us in advance of any special accessibility requirements, so that we can make the necessary arrangements.