A charitable Christmas collaboration

Christmas is the time of the year when we all try to be extra thoughtful and consider those who may be struggling or in need. That’s why SoundBunker, the new music and creative studio that has just opened in Almancil, is excited to collaborate with children and young people of Mud@ki Charity, founded by Liliana Pereira, in order to help raise funds for their cause.

The children from Rise Creative Arts, a creative school founded by Raquelle Gracie and Natalie Katzler with students ages 6 to 12, are participating in this collaboration with the Mud@ki Charity, in order to raise funds. The goal of the Mud@ki E9G project is to encourage the social inclusion of children and young people aged 6 to 25 and their families residents in Almancil from vulnerable social contexts by providing them with healthy leisure activities.

According to Raquelle Gracie, singer, songwriter, mentor and co-founder of SoundBunker, this is a fantastic opportunity for the Rise Creative Arts children to start gaining studio experience and to be featured on a single so that they can see themselves on YouTube and hear their voices on Spotify while also being aware that they are contributing to a worthy cause. "It is great that we know that we are doing something for our local community," Raquelle shared. Additionally, it offers the children from Mud@ki a chance to try something different and perhaps open doors to a new passion.

The Christmas song “Make a Wish”, is an original by Raquelle and one of her songwriting partners, Jonny Musgrave. With the aim of raising funds for the people of Mud@ki, the idea is for the record to reach as many as possible. As emphasised by Raquelle, “You don’t make very much money from streaming, so we will do a live show on the 7 December at a party in Vale de Lobo, and that is where we are hoping to get some donations”.

SoundBunker

SoundBunker opened its doors in early October and provides a place for anyone interested in recording music or podcasts. Additionally, a room can be rented for photography sessions, creative workshops, or other purposes. Raquelle's goal is to create a community, so it is important to create a music scene that welcomes original musicians and their original music. As she explained, "This is a place for everyone. We have artists who are well-established and others who have just started” adding that “We want to put the Algarve on the map”.

After studying Journalism for five years in the UK and Malta, Sara Durães moved back to Portugal to pursue her passion for writing and connecting with people. A ‘wanderluster’, Sara loves the beach, long walks, and sports. 

Sara J. Durães