After a month in Lagos Portugal, we both agree that this area has certainly made the short list of possible places to settle down. We are not done yet, by a long shot, there is still a lot of the world to see, but we really like it here.
When we discussed what made this area attractive one of the things that really stood out was the active music scene. This included everything from the myriad of quality street musicians, to the regular live music events and the sheer quantity of musicians and music lovers given the very small population of this area (Lagos has a permanent population of just over 10,300 people).
We lucked out and met one of the locals, a delightful non-poet and musician by the name of David Dixon. When he is not actively busking, hosting open mike nights or writing sharp little sonnets, David is a bartender at the best spot in Lagos for Mexican food, the Green Room. You can read some of David’s stuff on his Facebook page.
David turned us on to several local events including a music festival at the cultural center in Barao de Sao Joao (about 15 minute Uber ride from Lagos). At this festival we were introduced to the music of Josephine Nightingale who, with good reason, is a local legend. We saw her busking in Lagos, we saw her at the music festival and we saw her at a local club in Barao de Sa Joao. Her soulful earthy vocals and deep lyrics have made her a favorite at almost every live music venue in the Algarve region.
The style of music played by the local buskers is as varied and unique as the buskers themselves.
Suffice it to say, even if we do decide to settle someplace else, the music and people of Lagos will always bring us back here.