Pedro Abrunhosa in front of more than 400 students in Belém greets Portuguese teachers

"The teachers, whom I salute here, have done a remarkable job to keep this country standing and with the dignity with which it must continue", declared Pedro Abrunhosa, during a session of the program "Musicians at the Palace of Belem”.

These words, at the time of negotiations between the government and the teachers' unions, which lead strikes and demonstrations, provoked a round of applause.

Pedro Abrunhosa was speaking on a stage set up in the former Royal Arena, later adapted to the Coach Museum, next to Belém Palace, Lisbon, now converted into a concert hall, with rows of arms raised holding mobile phones to film the musician.

Between questions and answers, Abrunhosa sang and played her own songs on the piano, such as "For my mother's arms", "I can't go on anymore" and "May love save you on this dark night", which he composed two days after the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine in February last year.

Throughout the session, the musician encouraged young people to do what they are passionate about, not to give up, and defended that "inspiration does not exist", retorting: "In the artistic process, what counts , my friends, it's work, it's work”.

Regarding teaching, he felt that "in Portugal and beyond, all over the world, it is done for results, it is results-oriented, in the sense that it is often not important to learn, but to do things well”, adding: “Learning and doing things well are different things”.

In the audience were students, grades 7-12, secondary schools, professionals and colleges from Lisbon, Oeiras, Vila Verde and Celorico de Basto. The Head of State, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, watched everything, sitting discreetly at the back of the room and only getting up at the end.

The President of the Republic took the stage to greet his "very good friend" Pedro Abrunhosa, whom he described as "a speaker" and "a rebel" who has captivated generations of young people for 30 years and who "never gets old not " .

"Whenever there are changes, in Portugal or in the world, Pedro is there, always," he said.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa approved of the musician's encouragement to young people to follow what excites them, noting however that "sometimes it is not possible, because there are no economic, social, personal, environmental conditions" for it .

“But do the most similar to what you are passionate about and throughout your life be like that,” he advised.

Then, the Head of State asked everyone to applaud Pedro Abrunhosa "for having remained in love for a long, very long time" and the meeting ended with the usual group photos.

The "Musicians at the Palace of Belém" program will bring together until May 31 composers, conductors, singers, pianists, guitarists and other instrumentalists of various musical genres with students from the 3rd cycle of basic education and secondary education.

Since taking office as head of state in 2016, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has promoted other initiatives of a similar format, which have brought writers, scientists, journalists, sportsmen and visual artists to Belém Palace.

IEL // JPS