“Ai, Mouraria!” Music, Tourism, and Urban Renewal in a Historic Lisbon Neighbourhood

This article explores the intersection between music and two distinct but interrelated urban phenomena—urban regeneration and touristification—as they have transformed the physical and sensory environment of one of Lisbon’s emblematic historic neighbourhoods, the Mouraria. I focus on the role of music in the urban regeneration and marketing of this neighbourhood. In particular I examine the restitution of the sonority of fado to the Mouraria’s public and semi-public spaces, as a case study that illustrates the ambiguous role that heritage plays in urban redevelopment both as a tourist attraction and as a means to foster a local sense of community and belonging.Cet article explore l’intersection entre la musique et deux phénomènes urbains distincts mais liés entre eux — la revitalisation urbaine et la mise en tourisme — qui ont transformé l’environnement physique et sensoriel de l’un des quartiers historiques emblématiques de Lisbonne, la Mouraria. Je me concentre sur le rôle de la musique dans la revitalisation urbaine et dans la mise en marché de ce quartier. J’examine en particulier la restitution de la sonorité du fado dans les espaces publics et semi publics de la Mouraria, en tant qu’étude de cas illustrant le rôle ambigu que joue le patrimoine dans le redéveloppement urbain, à la fois en tant qu’attraction touristique et comme moyen de nourrir un sentiment local de communauté et d’appartenance

De barrio maldito a destino cool. Música y rehabilitación urbana en un barrio lisboeta

Famous for its association with the stigmas of poverty, crime, immigration, drug-trafficking and prostitution with posters, the Mouraria district, located in the center of the Portuguese capital, between the years 2011 and 2014 was the subject of an ambitious urban revitalization project promoted by the city hall of Lisbon. In the image and likeness of other processes of this type, intervention in the Mouraria sought to “open” the neighborhood to the city and create conditions to attract private investment, new habitants and, above all, visitors and tourists. The creation of a new positive urban image of the neighborhood became central to the success of the project and, in this sense, the music has played a key role. This article discusses how the different actors involved in this process resort to musical connections present and past of the neighborhood to transform the sound of public space urban both at the level of the representation of his own materiality.(Complete article in spanish language).Célebre por su asociación a los estigmas de la pobreza, la delincuencia, la inmigración, el tráfico de drogas y la prostitución callejera, el barrio de la Mouraria, situado en el centro de la capital portuguesa, entre los años 2011 y 2014 fue objeto de un ambicioso proyecto de revitalización urbana promovido por el Ayuntamiento de Lisboa. A imagen y semejanza de otros procesos de este tipo, la intervención en la Mouraria buscaba “abrir” el barrio a la ciudad y crear las condiciones para atraer inversión privada, nuevos habitantes y, sobre todo, visitantes y turistas. La creación de una nueva imagen urbana positiva del barrio se tornó central para el éxito del proyecto y, en este sentido, la música ha jugado un papel fundamental

Hopes ans uncertainties in the nightlife industry of post-covid 19 Europe

UIDB/04647/2020 UIDP/04647/2020 PTDC/ART-PER/32417/2017 SFRH/BD/121842/2016 CEECIND/01171/2017From the 1990s until the pre-COVID-19 outbreak, commercial nightlife has become central to the urban branding, and tourism marketing strategies of many European cities. However, the night-time leisure industry has stalled in Europe as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the unprecedented lock-down and physical distancing measures imposed by several national governments. This short paper aims to picture the uncertain scenario that the nightlife industry of Europe, and Portugal, might have to face in post-pandemic times. Desde a década de 1990 até ao primeiro surto de COVID-19, a vida noturna tornou-se central no branding urbano e nas estratégias de promoção do turismo de inúmeras cidades europeias. No entanto, a indústria do lazer nocturno estagnou na Europa como consequência da pandemia de COVID-19 e das medidas de confinamento e distanciamento físico sem precedentes impostas por vários governos nacionais. Este breve artigo pretende explorar o cenário incerto que a indústria da vida noturna na Europa, e em Portugal, enfrenta nos próximos tempos pós-pandemia.publishersversionpublishe

Boas-vindas e apresentação do simpósio

O objetivo deste simpósio é mostrar alguns resultados preliminares do projeto de investigação Sounds of Tourism e também apresentar as linhas atuais de pesquisa. Lançado em Outubro de 2018 e financiado pela Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), Sounds of Tourism explora o impacto do turismo nos ambientes sonoros do centro histórico da cidade de Lisboa, com uma atenção especial na forma como os fluxos turísticos estão a mudar a forma como sentimos e habitamos a cidade. Três anos após o seu início, e com uma pandemia global no meio que afetou particularmente as dinâmicas turísticas da cidade, é tempo de fazer um balanço. Este seminário reúne membros da equipa de investigação para uma série de apresentações em formato de mesa redonda que visam criar um espaço coletivo de reflexão crítica com base no trabalho realizado no âmbito deste projeto

“Ai, Mouraria!” Music, Tourism, and Urban Renewal in a Historic Lisbon Neighbourhood

This article explores the intersection between music and two distinct but interrelated urban phenomena—urban regeneration and touristification—as they have transformed the physical and sensory environment of one of Lisbon’s emblematic historic neighbourhoods, the Mouraria. I focus on the role of music in the urban regeneration and marketing of this neighbourhood. In particular I examine the restitution of the sonority of fado to the Mouraria’s public and semi-public spaces, as a case study that illustrates the ambiguous role that heritage plays in urban redevelopment both as a tourist attraction and as a means to foster a local sense of community and belonging.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (SFRH/BDP/70411/2010)Peer reviewe

Gentrification and culture

This opinion article in The Guardian poses a timely question for those studying gentrification processes: Do these processes or urban transformation "create" culture or they  are just supplanting existing ones?  As more traditional shops are being replaced by international retail outlets in the centre of Lisbon, as traditional forms of nightlife are being supplanted by what we would call "socially sanitized urban nightscapes", we need to get a better understanding the impact of gentrifying pr..

Habemus flyer!

We have a new flyer that introduces the group and the research project. Keep tuned for upcoming news