I can’t thank Terry Costa enough for the opportunity to be an artist in residence for the 10th Edition of the Cordas World Music Festival, on Pico Island, one of the 9 islands of the Azores. Cordas means “strings” in Portuguese, so this was a stringed instrument gathering. In honor of the 10th edition, there were 10 days of music offered by musicians of all types, and I was honored to be a part of it.
My performance began at around 19:00 at the Biblioteca de Madalena (Library). As usual, I sat on the floor and was both physically and emotionally humbled by the audience seated in chairs in front of me. I was surrounded by posters explaining the history of the various ‘violas’ indigenous to the Azores, amongst them a poster honoring Miguel De Braga Pimentel, the great teacher of the Viola da Terra. The Legislative Assembly of the Azores had declared that Oct 2, 2025 was the Day of Viola Da Terra.
Given the time allowed, I offered a short rendering of Megh, hopefully enough to have shed some light on the magic of the humidity typically found in the Azores and the capacities of the sarod itself. To the best of my knowledge, this was the first time that a Sarod concert has ever been played at Cordas or on the Azores. I am honored to had this opportunity.
The Portugal News Article about the Biblioteca da Madalena Performance on Oct 2, 2025
Filamentos Article about the Biblioteca da Madalena Performance on Oct 2, 2025
World Music Central Article about Wyetta’s Performance on Oct 2, 2025
Next Session: Cordas World Music Festival – Museu do Vinho (Pico, Island, Azores, Portugal) October 9, 2025
