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Segue-me à Capela, a group of seven Portuguese women formed in 1999, revived traditional polyphonic singing sidelined by cultural policies during Portugal’s New State era (1933–1974). Their approach embodies feminist artivism, viewing art as a means for social transformation, and explores inclusion and resilience strategies in music, offering visibility to marginalized cultural practices.
Despite the historical absence of female polyphonic singing in Portuguese musical traditions, the group has persevered. Under the Estado Novo regime and even after democracy was restored in 1974, women’s polyphonic singing remained marginalized. Through feminist artivism and performativity, Segue-me à Capela challenges this marginalization, reclaiming space for women in music and society. They conduct workshops nationwide, projecting their knowledge and resistance. Without direct alignment with feminist movements, the group embodies feminist artivism by challenging societal norms and transforming the perception of women’s roles in music. Through their performances, they redefine gender roles, demonstrating the transformative power of musical practice in society.
Segue-me à Capela is a group dedicated to preserving and sharing traditional polyphonic singing by Portuguese women. Founded by seven women who met at the University of Coimbra, their unique approach includes using percussion instruments alongside vocals, notably the adufe. They incorporate scenic elements into performances, such as evoking weather sounds before singing devotional songs like “Bendito e louvado das trovoadas.” Their repertoire consists of traditional songs primarily collected by ethnographers and folklorists, which they reinterpret through their own creative process. The group conducts workshops nationwide to pass on their knowledge. With two albums and collaborations with various artists, they continue to contribute to the preservation and evolution of Portuguese musical heritage.
The phrase “a abrir, sempre a abrir” (“continuously moving forward”), as expressed by Catarina Moura of Segue-me à Capela, encapsulates the group’s resilience in staying active despite challenges. Research indicates common difficulties faced by Segue-me à Capela akin to other female groups. Post-democracy, Portugal saw two movements revitalizing musical traditions, with Segue-me à Capela aligning with the latter, emphasizing urban origins and contemporary approaches. They differentiate themselves from the traditional “ranchos folclóricos” by consciously crafting performances that challenge stereotypes. While they acknowledge an intellectual rather than emotional connection to traditional music, they reinterpret it from a contemporary perspective. Despite initial skepticism, they transform traditional songs into artistic expressions, adapting them to modern sensibilities while honoring their rural origins. Their performances blend conscious intention with unconscious representation, embodying a feminist aesthetic and redefining traditional Portuguese music’s landscape with their female voices. Through their creative transformations and performances, they assert their place in the cultural fabric, contributing to a nuanced understanding of traditional music’s evolution.
Segue-me à Capela operates on the principle of sharing, integral to its mission of transmitting polyphonic women’s singing through community workshops. Despite minimal mainstream attention, these workshops are crucial, emphasizing the living tradition of polyphonic singing. Participants exchange songs, fostering a reciprocal learning environment. The Capelas incorporate learned songs into their performances, empowering participants and broadening their audience. Through workshops, Segue-me à Capela shares traditional songs and their significance, fostering a deeper understanding of Portuguese cultural narratives. Participants not only learn but also emotionally connect with the songs, preserving the memory of past generations. The workshops aim for active engagement, encouraging participants to embody and express the traditional songs. Segue-me à Capela significantly contributes to musical education by imparting traditional multipart singing skills, ensuring the preservation and appreciation of Portugal’s musical heritage for future generations.
In 1999, Segue-me à Capela emerged on Portugal’s stage, challenging the dominance of traditional rural polyphonic singing by groups like Cantadeiras do Vale do Neiva and Grupo Etnográfico de Trajes e Cantares de Manhouce. Prior, urban multipart groups like Cramol and Grupo de Cantares de Mulheres do Minho were rare. Female polyphonic groups lacked visibility, often confined to private spaces. Initial access to folk music stages was mediated by male authorities, limiting autonomous representation for women. However, Segue-me à Capela, through innovative interpretations, broke from traditional norms, embodying feminist artivism and empowering women in folk music.
Their journey wasn’t easy, facing discrimination from sound technicians and challenging gender stereotypes within the field. Women’s voices were historically subordinated to male-dominated instrumental ensembles, altering traditional song structures. Segue-me à Capela shifted this dynamic by adapting rural female voices to contemporary ranges, asserting their musical autonomy. They employed percussion as accompaniment, rebalancing melody and rhythm and challenging traditional norms of female vocal subordination.
Through these actions, Segue-me à Capela used traditional polyphonies as a form of resistance, carving out a space for recognition and representation in Portuguese music, challenging discrimination and asserting their artistic autonomy.
Segue-me à Capela emerged in response to the absence of opportunities for polyphonic singing groups of women within the traditional Portuguese music scene. Despite the historical practice of such singing in rural communities, it was marginalized on folklore stages and associated with aesthetics dismissed by the public. Facing these challenges, the group employed strategies like reappropriating musical traditions, staging performances, conducting workshops, and challenging gender norms. Through their feminist artivism, they transcended stereotypes and paved the way for other similar groups. Their impact is evident in the increasing presence of urban polyphonic singing groups of women in Portugal, fostered by cultural heritage initiatives.
Source:
(2024) Segue-me à Capela: Inclusion and Resilience Strategies in Traditional Portuguese Music, Popular Music and Society, DOI: 10.1080/03007766.2024.2320586