Blown off Course (Desvio de Rumo)

Opera by Libretto de Pedro RebeloGlenn Patterson

HANA - soprano   VALENTIMbarítono WIND/VENTO - narrador CHEF - cozinheiro -  Vicente Viriato Camila MandilloAndré HenriquesMiguel Azguime

Sond’Ar-te Electric Ensemble

shakuhachi (special guest) flauta clarinete violino violoncelo piano percussãoSílvia CancelaVítor VieiraLuís André FerreiraFrancisco Cabrita João DiasKiku DayNuno Pinto

Blown Off Course explores relationships between Portugal and Japan through language, music and food. Since the Portuguese arrived in Japan in the 16th Century, as the first Europeans to encounter Japan’s rich and fascinating culture, multiple exchanges began and continue to this day. This chamber opera recounts the chance meeting of Hana, a Japanese woman and Valentim, a Portuguese man, in both the 16th Century and today. These encounters are a result of a ship (16th Century) and a plane (today) blown off course by the force of the wind (the narrator). Six centuries apart, these interactions develop relationships through the exchange of sounds, words and food traditions.…