The veteran performer marks his return with a special show in Lagoa this September alongside a 14-piece band and international guests
Carvoeiro’s much-loved musician Beto Kalulu is preparing to mark his recovery from a serious fall with a major comeback concert in Lagoa this September.
The veteran singer and percussionist, instantly recognisable for his trademark afro and energetic stage presence, has become one of the Algarve’s best-known performers. On September 26, he will return to the stage at the recently reopened Centro de Congressos de Lagoa.
Titled Uma Vida Numa Noite (A Life in One Night), the concert will celebrate a career spanning more than five decades. The performance will feature favourites such as Praia do Carvoeiro alongside more recent songs, including Tu Queres é Amor, which explores themes ranging from war to faith. It also marks Beto’s return to performing after an accident that required facial surgery.
The accident happened at the end of April. Recalling the incident, the 77-year-old musician said: “I got up early to record a track in Lisbon when I slipped on a rug in my room and hit my face violently on an open drawer of my bedside table.”
Beto immediately realised the injury was serious. “I felt horrible pain, throbbing pain. I called out for my son Tomé, who was in the studio apartment near my house, and he called 112,” he said. He was first taken to Portimão Hospital, where he underwent two CAT scans, before being transferred to Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon for facial surgery.
His long-time producer, pianist and close friend Enzo d’Aversa played an important role in his recovery. After Beto was discharged from hospital, Enzo welcomed him into his home and looked after him until he was fit enough to return to the Algarve.
By the end of May, Beto was back home and preparing for a busy programme of performances that will allow him to celebrate his recovery with the audiences who have supported him throughout his career.
His first appearance will be this Tuesday, August 4, at 9pm in Carvoeiro’s beachside square, where he will perform with the Beto Kalulu Band as part of Lagoa council’s A Cultura Sai à Rua programme.
He will also perform on August 14 at Festa do Pontal, the PSD’s annual Algarve summer gathering in Quarteira. It will be Beto’s sixth appearance at the event, following an invitation from the party on behalf of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, who sent the musician his best wishes during his hospital stay.
The highlight of the celebrations will be the September 26 concert, where Beto will be accompanied by a 14-piece band at the Centro de Congressos de Lagoa. Musicians and performers from several countries are also expected to join the tribute.
The 90-minute performance will be filmed and recorded, preserving what promises to be one of the defining moments of the musician’s long career. Further details will be announced in due course.
Article originally published by Michael Bruxo on The Resident
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