Mano A Mano - Trilogia das Sombras (2023)

The artist Lourdes Castro's way of looking at life and art served as an inspiration to guitarists André and Bruno Santos for the book-album they are publishing this week, with the participation of the theologian and poet Tolentino de Mendonça.

“Trilogia das Sombras” is the result of a 'seed' planted in 2019, in a concert that the two guitarists, and brothers, as Mano a Mano, performed at Teatro Municipal Baltazar Dias, in Funchal, the two recalled in an interview with the Lusa agency .

“We challenged some architect friends of ours to design the scenography, Ponto Atelier, who, inspired by the [book] 'Grande Herbário de Sombras'", by Lourdes Castro, "used a series of plants behind the canvas as a backdrop”, Andre recalled.

It was at that time that the two began to “get to know the work a little better” by the artist, their fellow countryman, and were “willing to go deeper", to “work through Lourdes’ work”, and let themselves be “inspired ”.

When Lourdes Castro died, in January last year, aged 91, they decided it was time to move forward with the idea. “Even because we were already late,” she said.

They then began to “go deeper into the work” and “listen and watch conversations and interviews”, to get to know “not only the work, but also the person”.

The ten themes that make up “Trilogia das Sombras” were inspired by the work, “but also by the life" of Lourdes Castro, from what the two were “getting to know through other people”, said Bruno.

The documentary “By the shadows”, by Catarina Mourão, from which an excerpt was taken, in which the voice of Lourdes Castro can be heard, used in the theme “Murmúrios do mar embalam os pebbles”, and José Tolentino de Mendonça, who met the artist and “there's a lot written about her”, were crucial.