Peabody resident and musician Jose Ilidio Pereira was honored at the 41st Annual Heritage Day of Portugal at the Massachusetts State House on June 10.
Pereira, a Portuguese musician born in the Azores, has played in various Massachusetts ensembles promoting heritage music.
He was recognized by State Rep. Thomas P. Walsh for his contributions to the Peabody community.
“Jose’s many contributions to the vibrant Portuguese music scene on the North Shore have greatly enriched the local Portuguese culture,” Walsh said.
Pereira has been playing music since he was ten years old.
“Starting at an early age, I’ve played in several bands and orchestras through the years,” he said. “I just love it.”
Before moving to Massachusetts, his father was a conductor in Portugal. Violinist in his free time, he taught Pereira and his brothers to dabble with the trumpet, air guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, a bit of everything, especially instruments with a mouthpiece.
In the Azores, islands off the coast of Portugal where he was born, Pereira explained that each village had its own band.
“It’s really deep in the culture,” he said. “Even on the mainland, a big portion of them had some kind of orchestra.”
Starting in Cambridge in 1975, Pereira entered the Filarmonica de Santo Antonio with his brothers and his father as an instrumentalist; a tribute to his culture.
Six years later, in 1981, Pereira became the conductor of Banda Recreativa Portuguesa, a Massachusetts-based traditional marching band created in 1974, performing in processions all over the state.
He considers the band a constant in his life.
“The band has served to bring a lot of young kids back into the culture,” Pereira said.
When the State House called to nominate him, he wasn’t expecting it.
“It was an honor,” he said. “Portuguese culture is a rich one, especially when it comes to music.”
Today, Pereira runs J&J’s Tri-State Delivery Services, a Massachusetts-based transportation company. He is currently taking a few years off from the music scene, but plans to return – so stay tuned.
