Portugal: the remeder 12
17.06.2026
12. Day 12: on authenticity
Authenticity remains an ambiguous concept. What does it mean to be authentic? It's a dangerous adjective that can justify certain attitudes and ideologies, such as the nationalisms that grew in the 19th century and spread aberrantly in the last century, expanding like embers from a still-smoldering fire.
But this term seems more associated with identity, another vagueness that is lost in the origin of time.
The imprecision and the great obstacle imposed by language (which is based on conventions) makes it difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Who is not authentic even when they appear not to be? As we have already mentioned, language is a convention for understanding each other, but it is not exempt from interpretations and subjectivities inherent in judgments, values, and preconceptions.
Therefore, it’s necessary to establish boundaries, so as not to get lost in the dense forest.
For me, authenticity represents, on the one hand, what is expected of someone and, on the other, what is not feigned or artificial.
The first point is a point of debate. Am I more authentic composing film scores than electronic music? It’s a matter of expectations and personal preferences. For an eclectic artist, it’s more difficult to cultivate a loyal following. However, it’s the same person with the same tools, potential, and influences. If you can’t recognize me in both genres, believe me, you have a problem. I’ve drawn from many sources, and I can understand that some genres might represent me more than others, but if you analyze them closely, you’ll find a personal stamp, an identifying signature, in all of them.
The problem is when an artist has strayed so far from their natural habitat that they’ve lost their essence. It’s unlikely I’ll make rap or music too far removed from my interests. And not because I find rap insignificant, simply because it’s not part of my repertoire.
The second issue is less debatable. Trying to appear friendly and agreeable when it’s inappropriate, and due to external pressures that feel threatened, is a clear indication of a lack of authenticity of the second type.
Publicly stating that certain platforms, like Spotify, are draining or stifling creativity, manipulating and misappropriating your rights. And even throwing obstacles in your path, isn’t on the minds of many artists, even if they agree with what’s been said here.
That’s why economic dependence is a burden, a heavy weight for creators. Of everything published today, only a small percentage is truly creative and authentic; it responds to market demands.
All these reflections have blossomed here in Izeda, where the ideal circumstances for thought exist. Being here still seems like an illusion to me, far removed from the noise and chaos of the world. In that poorly constructed world of Reinoso, there’s a space for utopia; it’s the tent in the desert, the remote island at the end of the world, the life preserver in the ocean, and without it, life would be a Greek tragedy, an endless pit, Dante's Inferno. There, too, is authenticity. Knowing what you want, tuning to the right pitch, resonating on sympathetic chords. Being, in short, essence.