Maria Betania, 77, known for her extensive repertoire all over the world, was honored by the Portuguese Government with the Medal of Cultural Merit. According to the note of the President of the Republic, “this tribute takes place as a form of gratitude for the invaluable work he has done in promoting the Portuguese poets by reading them, performing them and making a unique contribution to their popularization, not only in Brazil but also in different parts of the world. “. The ceremony for the award of the Medal of Cultural Merit, presided over by the Minister of Culture, took place last Saturday in Oeiras after the end of the artist’s concert at the 3rd Jardins do Marquês, which includes such names as Michael Bolton, Joss Stone, Lineiker and Sarah Correia. Regarding the tribute, Minister of Culture Pedro Adão e Silva emphasized Maria Betania’s “truly brilliant idea of making poets popular artists”.