Sense of Place: Maria Reis wants her Portuguese roots front and center

Set List

• "Fórceps"
• "Fado Do Salineiro"
• "Holofote"
• "Olívia"

Portugal has had to work hard to nurture its own musical identity. Way out on the western edge of Europe, it's dwarfed by neighboring Spain, and the country is inundated with cultural exports from them, as well as France, Italy, Germany, the U.K. and the U.S.

For our Sense of Place: Lisbon series, we talked to some of the artists who have helped build that scene, and today we're kicking things off with one of those artists. Maria Reis is a musician who originally played with her sister in a band called Pega Monstro and now performs as a solo artist. She also helped start an independent record label called Cafetra Records when she was just 14 years old.

In this session, you'll hear Reis talk about starting a label as a teenager in Lisbon, why she chooses to write solely in Portuguese, and how she ties traditional Portuguese music into her songwriting. She'll also talk about how she ended up working with the American musician and Portuguese ex-pat Panda Bear.

Also, special thanks to our on-site production team in Lisbon for their support:

• Video Producer: Manuel Casanova
• Sound Engineer: Manuel San Payo
• Assistant Sound Engineers: Rodrigo Duarte Pacho and Hugo Santos
• Casa Independente Team: Inês Valdez and Sara Braz

Episode Playlist

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