Maine fiddler Erica Brown headlines at Trafaria Bluegrass Festival – Portugal Resident

Last week, my wife was lamenting the absence of bluegrass music in our lives. When we lived in the USA, we were nourished by a steady stream of earthy, soulful, knee-slapping bluegrass. Then, five years ago, we moved to Portugal. Since moving here, we have felt the passion of Fado, the moods of Jazz, and the elegance of Classical, with a bit of Rock and Blues on the side. But no sign of our beloved Bluegrass.

My wife finally decided to do something about it. After a surprisingly brief internet search, she exclaimed, “In two weeks, there’s a Bluegrass Festival in Portugal!”

We excitedly scanned the line-up of musicians who will be performing at the Trafaria Bluegrass Festival on September 11, 12, and 13. Bingo! A band we love from Maine, USA, Erica Brown & The Bluegrass Connection, will be appearing twice during the three-day festival, alongside six other exciting bluegrass bands from around Europe.

I spoke with Erica Brown about her upcoming seven-day tour of Portugal. “This is my band’s first time playing in Portugal,” said Erica. “Our bass player Kris has been escaping Maine winters by going to Portugal in February for the last 10 years. He would always come back with beautiful photos and stories of his travels. He tried for years to convince us to join him on a trip to Portugal. Well, it finally happened in 2024 when my husband Matt (the band’s mandolin player) and I took a two-week vacation to Lisbon. It didn’t take long for us to see why he loved Portugal so much.

“Kris had met André Lentilhas (one of the organizers of Trafaria Bluegrass) on a previous trip to Portugal,” said Erica, “André hosts a monthly bluegrass jam session in Lisbon and when he found out a few of us were coming, he made sure to host the jam on a night that we could attend. We had a lot of fun playing music with everyone that night. Soon after, André inquired about us coming to perform in Portugal. We couldn’t make it happen that year because we were already booked. We were thrilled when he asked us again this year!”

Six other talented bluegrass bands are performing at the three-day festival as follows: Tennessee Studs from the Netherlands, Stonebones & Bad Spaghetti from Portugal, Rookie Riot from Sweden, The Grassmobiel from Belgium, The Arbour Hillbillies from Ireland, and The Seven Hills Pickers from Portugal.

The village of Trafaria is perched at the mouth of the Tagus River, with a wide view of Lisbon across the river. Pristine Atlantic beaches are a stroll away. There is even a ferry to Lisbon for €1.50 each way. The bluegrass musicians will perform on six different stages throughout the town. In addition to the music, various activities and musical workshops are planned. Admission to everything is free.

I took the opportunity to chat with Erica Brown about her life in music. “Music has been such a gift in my life, and I’ve always been inspired by how powerful music is. It has a way of connecting people… It’s a language we can all understand. When people come up to us and share how our music has touched them or helped them through a hard time, that’s what it’s all about.

“I began taking Franco American fiddle lessons when I was eight years old,” Erica recalled,

“My grandfather played Franco American songs on the button accordion and harmonica. Luckily, I was able to play fiddle for him a few times before he passed away. I joined the Maine French Fiddlers when I was nine. We performed around the Northeast USA, Canada and then we were a part of a French Connections tour that took us to Louisiana.

“I was thrilled to be surrounded by incredibly inspiring and encouraging musicians. They really took me under their wing. When I was 10, my family went to a bluegrass festival and that’s all it took, I was hooked on bluegrass!”

For more information about the Trafaria Bluegrass Festival, visit trafariabluegrass.pt

Facebook: trafariabluegrass

Erica Brown’s website: ericabrownonline.com