ANA BAIÃO — CANTE

Cante presents a decade-long photographic journey into one of Portugal’s most treasured cultural traditions. Since 2015, photojournalist Ana Baião has documented the people, rituals and landscapes that keep the Cante Alentejano alive, creating one of the most extensive photographic records ever produced on this unique form of collective singing.

Recognised by UNESCO in 2014 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Cante Alentejano is performed in chorus, without musical instruments, and has its roots in the rural communities of Portugal’s Alentejo region. More than a musical tradition, it is an expression of identity, memory and community, passed from generation to generation.

Photographed across the Alentejo and the Lisbon metropolitan area, Baião’s images reveal rehearsals, religious celebrations, village festivals and everyday encounters. Her work goes beyond documentary photography, offering an intimate portrait of the women and men whose voices continue to preserve this living heritage.

Through powerful black and white photographs, Cante invites visitors to experience the dignity, resilience and humanity of a culture where singing is inseparable from the land, from memory and from a profound sense of belonging.