In my childhood street, there was a record store. That’s where I saw Prince for the first time, in the mid-80's. It was a poster or a flag (I can’t be precise), where he showed up naked and androgynous. Every time I passed by that store I was fascinated by that image, but then came Madonna, with all her lace and tutus, winning my attention, and I forgot about Prince.

Luckily, my father loves music, has great musical taste and at the time had a bar, where he often played music. The bar has a satellite which allowed us to watch MTV. And there was Prince, on his motorcycle, wearing his purple suits and Victorian shirts, sided by Wendy on the guitar (I’d never seen a girl playing guitar before), with all his talent (my father told me he played ten instruments). And “there” was not only at the bar. He was also playing in our house. Prince and the Revolution.

Over the years, I followed his career with excitement. Even when I got in my grunge phase, listen to Nirvana all day long, “Diamonds and Pearls” album was also playing in our house, in our car, in my brother’s bedroom. To me, “Musicology” was a brilliant work, which was never properly recognized, perhaps because of all the noise of the new century music industry. Not to mention all the music he wrote and composed for other artists, that most people don’t even dream it’s his.

The truth is it doesn’t matter what I think. It’s unanimous that Prince was “a master architect of funk, rock, R&B and pop”(NY Times). A genius who, like most geniuses, never let himself get stuck in a particular genre, always trying to explore new paths, despite the critics, despite the levels of popularity or what the industry thought he should do. And today we lost a genius.

She was never just Kurt's girfriend.
She was already an awesome artist way before they met. And kept on being so after he passed.
She never needed to live in his shadow. She never need to shout for atention. Her work speaks for herself. In music, in music, in life.

It happens she's a girl. Or has Kat George puts in this brilliant article, "there’s a stigma attached to Love that comes not because of her messiness, but by virtue of that perceived lesser quality: womanhood."

A must read! Really! Just follow the link
Thank you, Kat George. And thank you Courtney for your incredible talent, for your message, for your strength, for always doing your thing. You're the Queen!

The festival, curated by Alicia Adams, Vice President of International Programming and Dance, includes dozens of performances by some of the world's best contemporary music, dance, and theater artists, many who are making their U.S. or D.C. debuts. Visual arts are highlighted in exhibitions and installations around the building, and additional events focus on literature, film, cuisine, and more.

Here's a bit of what you can see from the "Portuguese team":

Installation “The Stone Raft” by the Portuguese, Pritzker Prize winners, architects Souto Moura and Siza Vieira.
The installation “The Stone Raft”, made of Portuguese stone, is based on Jose Saramago’s book with the same title and will be in exhibition at the exterior front of the Kennedy Center.

Installation – Hall of homage to Fernando Pessoa - “A journey of Imagination”
A real size cork tram, which symbolizes the power of the books and literature in transporting us to journeys of our imagination, basically alluding to Lisbon and Fernando Pessoa as well. The tram conveys Fernado Pessoa’s message, used as Arte Institute’s motto since the beginning, “the man has the size of his dream”. With this installation Arte Institute also intends to show the American public a way of employ a traditional Portuguese material, as cork, but giving it a modern and contemporary usage.
In that hall, there will be a cork station with panels from the artist Manuela Pimentel who works the idea of Azulejo (painted, tin-glazed tile work) in a contemporary way. The artist also has an installation where we can listen to Fernando Pessoa’s poems and Portuguese popular sayings.

Installation: So Blue So White--Fashions Centuries in the Making
This installation relates the fascinating tale of how Portuguese trading ships brought Chinese porcelain to Europe, where it became extraordinarily popular and widely imitated, eventually by manufacturers such as Royal Delft. The international passion for blue-and-white porcelain that began in the 16th century continues to this day, influencing leading fashion designers throughout the world. A selection of their exquisite creations, inspired by blue-and-white porcelain and ceramic tiles, comes together in a dazzling display in the Hall of States. Highlights include two whimsical gowns created by Portugal's Storytailors atelier, both commissioned especially for this festival.

Free Concerts:
Rodrigo Leão. António Zambujo. The Gift. Sofia Ribeiro. Luisa Sobral

The play “Ode Marítima” by Diogo Infante is also part of the program and will be played both in DC and New York.

But there is so much more!!!