There is no 25th of April without José Afonso. And however much itchy it makes certain members of parliament connected to big capital or nostalgic for fascist rickets, it is also undeniable that, without the vibrant work of the legendary singer-songwriter, contemporary Portuguese identity itself would be a very different animal: in 1987, 30,000 people accompanied his funeral procession in Setúbal; in 2013, over half a million sang “Grândola” in Praça do Comércio against austerity policies. Now that we are celebrating the 49th anniversary of 25th April, we have the opportunity to watch his varied repertoire being interpreted at the ZDB Aquarium by the most influential bard of our generation, B Fachada. On the occasions he has done so, the composer of Rapazes e Raposas and Criôlo has opted for a purified approach where what matters are the most basic elements of Zeca’s compositions. The conclusion is always clean wheat, amparo flour: much more than literal militancy or escapist utopia, Zeca’s music is poetry in free flight, however much itchy it may be for many people. AR