Application of Cante Alentejano to the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, UNESCO
“From Alentejo to the World”
The idea of submitting the Cante Alentejano to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity emerged from a civil society movement, led by the Confraria do Cante Alentejano and co-promoted by the Casa do Alentejo and the Associação Moda, but involving a larger group of personalities, such as the President of the Republic of Portugal, who will preside the Candidacy’s Honor Committee (see the full members’ list at the end of this article), and other institutions, as the National Library of Portugal.
The initiative original sponsors are the Municipality of Serpa and the Alentejo Tourism – ERT and it is funded by INALENTEJO. Furthermore, It has received immediate support from the most representative companies of the region and leading corporation nationwide: Rádio de Renascença, a major media company, is the official radio of the event.
IPI Consulting Network Portugal has been working on the preparation of the submission:
i) Preparation of the submission document, collecting information necessary to complete the form, including the safeguarding plan;
ii) Inscription of the Cante Alentejo in the Portuguese National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage and its registration as Intangible Cultural Heritage of municipal interest by all the municipalities with choral groups;
iii) Definition of the strategy and overall coordination of the application process, which includes several activities to promote the initiative, key to its success.
The application of the Cante Alentejano to the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity stresses the involvement of communities, groups and individuals in safeguarding its own intangible cultural heritage. An essential element is the definition of a Safeguard Plan to ensure that the expression in question is not at risk, is alive and all the necessary safeguards are in place to guarantee its transmission to future generations.
Honor Committee
President of the Republic of Portugal, Aníbal Cavaco Silva
Prime Minister of Portugal, Pedro Passos Coelho
D. Manuel Clement, Bishop of Oporto and President of the Episcopal Commission for Culture, heritage and media
Rui Vilar, Chairman of the Board of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
Comendador Rui Nabeiro, President of Nabeiro / Delta Cafes Group
João Rocha, Mayor of Serpa
Antonio Ceia da Silva, President of the Alentejo Regional Tourism Entity (ERT)
