Associação Saudades da Terra Quebequente
| Founding Date: | January, 1997 |
| Telephone: | 514-237-3994 |
| Social Media: | https://www.facebook.com/quebequente |
Audio Version:
In December of 1996, the Azorean island of Sao Miguel was hit by a devastating flood that left many without shelter and the basic necessities of life. A month later, half-an-ocean away, a movement of solidarity to support these victims had turned into a permanent social and cultural organization that intended to represent Sao Miguel’s village of Ribeira Quente. From these humbling beginnings, Saudades da Terra Quebequente quickly turned into a community staple for the Luso-Canadians of Montreal, regardless of their origin.
The current president, Roberto Carvalho, although not officially a founding member, has always been involved with the organization. After he arrived in Montreal from Ribeira Quente, in 1991, he quickly took part in the community’s gatherings and, for some time, was a volunteer with the local Associação dos Pais. However, it was with Saudades da Terra Quebequente that he left his biggest mark in the Portuguese community of Montreal.
“This all started with the floods [in Sao Miguel], in 1996, when many people lost their homes. We formed a group to raise funds and to buy clothes and all else that was needed. Then, in 1997, the association was registered with the government. The association represents Ribeira Quente, in Sao Miguel, but most of our members are from outside that village, to be honest with you,” Roberto Carvalho started by telling us during a telephone conversation in January of 2022.
In an attempt to keep with the traditions of Ribeira Quente, the association’s Board decided to organize events that would resemble those from the old village. According to Carvalho, the village has two major celebrations each year: Festa do Chicharro (the feast of the horse mackerel) and the festivities of Saint Paul, its patron saint. “In the beginning, we were a bit apprehensive about the festa do chicharro because we weren’t sure how people would respond. It became very popular and it has even crossed borders. One time, we had around nine hundred people attending. Can you imagine what it is like to prepare fish for 900 people? As soon as one party was over, people were already booking for the year after and, many times, we had to turn people away because we had no more room,” Carvalho proudly stated.
Beyond delivering its own social and cultural events, Saudades da Terra Quebequente also collaborates with other community organizations. In 2007, it started taking a crucial role in the celebrations of the Senhor Santo Cristo Festivities in Montreal, held at Santa Cruz church, a step that has propelled the association to new heights. “When we took over the Senhor Santo Cristo Festivities, the event was not doing well. While I respect the philharmonic bands and the folk groups, we felt that we needed a renowned headliner [to attract more people]. In the first year, we organized a fundraiser and raised eighteen or nineteen thousand dollars. We also had the support of two major companies. That first year, Jorge Ferreira performed on Saturday following the philharmonic bands and the folk groups. We had over five thousand people attending that Saturday night. On Sunday, Maria do Nordeste performed after the procession. It was a huge success. We raised over forty thousand dollars when, before, the event was bringing in about two or three thousand. We brought in a different mentality and we were able to attract more people,” Roberto Carvalho said.
Saudades da Terra Quebequente became a truly versatile organization by not only delivering festive events but also by implementing relevant social and cultural initiatives. Entertainment is such an example. Over the years, renowned musicians such as Jorge Ferreira, Starlight, Ze Amaro, Jorge Guerreiro and As Bombocas have performed here. The association also makes a genuine effort to recognize personalities who volunteer their time to contribute significantly to the preservation and propagation of the Portuguese culture. “Sometimes it’s people from our village. Once, we recognized members from our local media because they take time out of their lives to cover our events. Here, we not only honour doctors but we also honour those who are often forgotten by our governments. We honour those people here because if it weren’t for the associations, our culture would not be maintained,” he said.
Although the social and cultural components are the association’s priorities, sport also once had its place here. For about fifteen years, Saudades da Terra Quebequente boasted a men’s soccer team that competed in the local leagues. Although it never earned a major trophy, it always placed on the top half of the table and even won a couple of tournaments. After its withdrawal from competitive soccer, it began to play friendly games against other teams in the city, but it also traveled to Toronto and to the United States of America.
While most associations struggle to improve their membership across the country, Roberto Carvalho told us that this is not the case with Saudades da Terra Quebequente. In fact, quite the opposite. “There are many young people who attend our events. We try to offer what they like and listen to the things they want. We let them speak, express their opinions. If you look at photos from our parties, you’ll see a lot of young people. They even wait tables and are always asking about the next event so they can help serve again,” he said to then complement, proudly: “All of them speak Portuguese. That is a richness that we have here in Quebec. Ninety percent of the youth from the Portuguese community speak Portuguese. My children were born here and they speak Portuguese. My wife was born here and she speaks Portuguese. They are very proud of that.”
The Covid-19 pandemic affected all community organizations across the country. Although Saudades da Terra Quebequente is no exception, the impact has not been substantial. For one, the fact that the association does not rent or own a permanent space means that there was no financial loss. However, the members of the Board are itching to resume activities now that restrictions are lifted. “The last event was in February of 2020. We want to organize something, perhaps outdoors, to celebrate our 25th anniversary,” Carvalho stated.
Even though the organization is thriving, Roberto Carvalho is not blind to the changing landscape of our Portuguese communities in Canada. He believes that our cultural groups such as the philharmonic bands and the ranchos are the main means of maintaining our culture alive, but he fears that they are not getting enough support from those who should take an interest in preserving our culture in Canada. “When the ranchos and the filarmónicas cease to exist, so will our culture. We can always count on the support of our people but the politicians only remember the associations when they need them. They come to ‘sell their fish’, people applaud, but then they leave and forget. It makes me sad. We need to continue to push our children to get involved because, without them, this will all die off,” he said.
Saudades da Terra Quebequente celebrates, in 2022, twenty-five years of volunteer public service. Like most of the Portuguese community associations in Canada, it will continue to strive for years to come but, just as Roberto Carvalho suggested, the question is: for how much longer?
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