Stephen's Lisbon Portugal Zaratan Artist Residency

a quiet moment before the show - photo by Nuno DIreitinho

instruments on stage ready to be played - photo by Nuno DIreitinho

I play cigar box guitar - photo by Nuno DIreitinho

I wrote, recorded and then performed "Lovely Lisbon" at the concert. Listen at https://3handstephen.bandcamp.com/track/lovely-lisbon
and https://open.spotify.com/album/4S9Bx6E2Vh8EFA2Z8Ayqgk?si=owuYUZSbR46l_0oVYZF7IA

I play my miniature guitar - photo by Nuno DIreitinho - video by Daniel Pinheiro

Listen to Stephen play his miniature guitar: https://vimeo.com/1176071889?fl=pl&fe=cm video by Daniel Pinheiro

photo by Nuno DIreitinho

I read my poem, "Freedom", about the 1974 Carnation Revolution in Portugal and the current situation in the United States - photo by Nuno DIreitinho

photo by Nuno DIreitinho

I wrote, recorded and then performed "I'm living for the day"at the concert.
Listen at https://3handstephen.bandcamp.com/track/im-living-for-the-day
and https://open.spotify.com/album/55x8L3tsAOqcgKKJmOLsOe?si=LCE96M5kTqKthbSv_4HKxA

The Zaratan Black Box Theater is a magical place!!! - photo by Nuno DIreitinho

I perform "We Repeat Ourselves with Rui Gonçalves - photo by Nuno DIreitinho. You can hear the version of the song that I recorded with Virgin Llama - Daniel Antunes Pinheiro (Baixo, Ritmo), Pedro Januário Gomes (Guitarra, loops), Rui Gonçalves (Voz), at their Lisbon studio, below:

Daniel plays my Duck Caller during my "Rain, Rain" song. to Daniel's left is Gemma, the person who brilliantly oversees the Zaratan residency program. photo by Nuno DIreitinho

audience members playing percussion instruments during my "Rain, Rain, Rain" song - photo by Nuno DIreitinho

I hand a percussive egg to an audience member - photo by Nuno DIreitinho

audience members join in -photo by Nuno DIreitinho

I stayed in an apartment up the stairs and above the art center for 28 wonderful days during my Zaratan Artist Residency.

The view from my apartment window. Notice the cobblestone sidewalks, made of small pieces of stone arranged in a pattern or image, like a mosaic. These sidewalks line Lisbon's narrow, twisting streets all over town.

I met with Pedro, Luna and Daniel every Thursday to talk about my residency, get helpful advice, explore ideas about what do and see, and plan for my Black Box Theater "Out of the Box" concert

It was a pleasure and an honor to meet sound artist, recording artist, poet, actor, director, playwright and author Americo Gonzales, the Director-General of the Arts in Portugal. He came to my 'Out of the Box" Concerto at Zaratan. We talked afterwards and posed for this photo, taken by his wife.

photo by Americo Rodrigues

I recorded a Shady Pines Radio show with special guests Virgin Llama at their Lisbon studio. Listen to the show at https://www.mixcloud.com/3handstephen/1-on-1-with-3-hand-stephen-with-guests-virgin-llama

Virgin Llama trio in their Lisbon studio - photo by 3 Hand Stephen

One weekend I attended Shabbat services at the Sinagaga Shaare Tikva in Lisbon, where I was asked by the Rabbi to come up to the pulpit and read a prayer. Luckily I knew enough Hebrew to be able to do it.

Sinagaga Sharare Tivka

below: An afternoon Faddo concert took place in a small concert hall across the street from the art center.

below: One sunny afternoon I took a train to Cascais, a beautiful Portuguese coastal town.

below: I took a train to Sintra, and spent an afternoon there, climbing up a steep, winding hill to the castle above and then enjoying a traditional Portuguese dinner at a tavern below.

I found out all about the 1974 Carnation Revolution while I was in Portugal and it inspired me to write and recite a poem about it,

Sao Bento Palace, the historic seat of the Assembly of the Republic, Portugal's parliament, serving in this capacity since 1834.

Me with fellow revolutionaries.

Lovely Lisbon - drawing by 3 Hand Stephen