35
years ago this April 25th a small group of army officers and soldiers
rose up against a totalitarian fascist regime that has ruled for half a century
and practically without spilling any blood, destabilized and took control of the
European nation of Portugal.That
coup d’etat, referred to since as the 'Carnation Revolution' handed to the
populace a new governing structure that heralded democratic principles that
still endure.
The
soldiers marked ‘zero hour’ for the commencement of hostilities, through a
previously agreed to signal: it would be the radio broadcast, over the national
radio station, of a song, ‘Grândola Vila Morena’ recorded by the widely known
rebel troubadour Jose “Zeca” Afonso.
The Vampires, is another of his
compositions. You can listen to Zeca Afonso performing these very
lyrics (in Portuguese), on YouTube (see below).
