Songwriting and ‛Service’ Gatefold Sleeve: An Italian Edition of Cantigas do Maio
Abstract
José Afonso’s popularity abroad, especially in the 1970s, is closely linked to Portuguese revolutionary events. It was in this context that the Italian edition of the LP Cantigas do Maio was published under the title Portogallo 25 Aprile – Grândola Vila Morena (Vedette Records, 1975). While the song selection and recordings are nearly identical to the Portuguese edition (Discos Orfeu, 1971), the gatefold contains translations and paratexts worthy of study. This article aims to analyze the linguistic and sociolinguistic aspects of these apparatuses in light of two other Italian publications of Zeca’s work (República e Per le cooperative agricole portoghesi). It highlights the concrete connections between the singer-songwriter and his concept of formative and civil song and the Italian political context of the mid-1970s, particularly the extra-parliamentary context.
Submitted: June 6, 2025 | Accepted: Sept. 8, 2025 | Published Dec. 11, 2025 | Language: it
Keywords Portuguese Revolution • Divulgazione musicale • Traduzione della canzone • Canzone d’autore • Rivoluzione portoghese • Musical dissemination • Song’s translation • José Afonso • Canzone d'autore
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Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/Ri/2037-6588/2025/25/005