CATÓLICA-LISBON Big Band: “Music has the ability to bring people together"

The idea came from Filipe Santos, Dean of the Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics, who already knew the work of maestro Eduardo Lála. Bringing together students, teachers and collaborators in a musical project that is gaining more and more admirers.

The CATÓLICA-LISBON Big Band already has twelve members, all from the Universidade Católica, who play instruments as varied as piano, drums, guitar, and even sitar. “The idea was to make a Big Band, but not just in that traditional idea of the jazz orchestra”, as the conductor explains.

Carolina Margaridois one of the four vocalists of the band. With a degree in Political Science and International Relations from the Institute for Political Studies, she now divides her time between her Masters in Psychology in Management and Economics classes and essays.

For the student, belonging to this group is very challenging and at the same time motivating: “University is a very important stage in our lives and the band fosters bonds between colleagues from different contexts and countries”.

United by the same love of music, Alexandre Teixeira Lourenço is one of the band's guitarists. The alumnus and training teacher for executives at CLSBE confesses that his taste for music dates back to adolescence, when he even had a garage band. “The Big Band helps us to accept each other's suggestions, to relate, it's a good place to learn”, shares the musician.

Maestro Eduardo Lála, who has participated in more than 25 albums by artists such as Rui Reininho and Aurea, explains that this initiative “intends to bring together the community, in this case teachers, researchers, students and staff of CLSBE who play instruments, classical or not, and let them sing”. Even if they don't have “much experience in playing or singing, if they have the will and taste they are very welcome”.

With a relaxed dynamic, they meet every week to rehearse and prepare new songs under the baton of Eduardo Lála, at the Namouche studio, 5 minutes from Católica.

They are currently preparing, for the first time, a song in Portuguese that will be presented at the CLSBE bachelor's and master's diploma delivery ceremony, in October.

Watch here the Catolica-Lisbon Big Band christmas video: