FADO Music & Fado Restaurants in Lisbon, Portugal Save time and money: Get FREE or reduced admission to most of Lisbon's attractions and ride the city's metro, buses, and trams for FREE with the Lisboa Card » FADO Lisbon's soulful sound Portugal has a diverse musical culture - from the French Provençal strain in the folk music of the north of the country, to Fado, the country's national musical treasure. There are two basic styles of Fado: Lisbon and Coimbra. In Lisbon it is always sung by a solo performer, while in Coimbra it is often performed by groups of male university students. They are accompanied by two guitarists, one playing the melody on a twelve-stringed Portuguese guitar (descendant of the English guitar introduced into Portugal by the British community in Porto in the 19th century), and the other supplying the rhythm on the six-stringed viola. The intensely melancholic songs are usually about love, woes, and pains, or express sadness and longing for things that were lost or that were never accomplished, but in Coimbra, it also occasionally contains humor and political undertones. Even musical experts cannot agree on the true origin of Fado.

Although the word comes from the Latin fatum, meaning fate, some believe its drawn-out laments is a legacy of the Moorish occupation. Others say it developed from an African dance in Brazil, and according to another theory, the melancholy character of the music evolved from Portuguese seafarers who sang of home during their long absenses at sea. It emerged as a bohemian art form in Lisbon's working-class districts of Alfama and Mouraria in the late 18th century, and gradually moved up-market. It became popular with the singer Maria Severa, who died at the age of 26 and later became the subject of Portugal's first sound movie in 1931. To this day, female performers wear a black shawl in her memory and her life story has been the influence of several Fado songs, poems, novels, and plays. But it was Amalia Rodrigues in the 20th century who made Fado known beyond Portugal, performing all over Europe, Japan, South America, and even in the United States, in New York's "La Vie en Rose" in the 1950s.

She's been credited with defining the style of the music, and when she died in 1999, the government declared three days of national mourning and awarded her a state funeral. As a national icon, she is buried in Lisbon's National Pantheon . Her CD "The Art of Amalia" is one of the best introductions to Fado. For contemporary recordings, the best choices are Mariza's "Fado em Mim," "Transparente", and "Fado Curvo". Mariza is a multiple Grammy nominee and has won the Best European Act at the BBC World Music Awards. She is considered the new "Queen of Fado." In 2007 she went on a world tour that included a well-publicized concert in Los Angeles' Walt Disney Hall (with a stage designed by Frank Gehry just for her concert), and an appearance on the David Letterman Show (see the video below). When visiting Lisbon, spending a night at a "casa de Fado" or Fado restaurant is an essential experience. There are many in the Bairro Alto district, but the most authentic are found in Alfama . Apart from perhaps the Café Luso, our advice is to skip those in Bairro Alto.

They cater specifically to tourists and are therefore overpriced, with mediocre food, and filled with tour groups. But in Alfama we can recommend the Casa de Linhares and Pateo de Alfama Fado houses. Portuguese Fado Music - Top 10 Essential Starter CDs Buy from Amazon Cristina Branco is a contemporary fadista (singer of fado) who is both a powerful singer in her own right, but who has a secret weapon in her virtuoso guitarist and composer Custodio Castelo -- between the two of them (and the other excellent musicians that usually make up her small group), they consistently manage to capture something special, and this CD is no exception. Check Amazon rating » Carlos do Carmo - 'Fado Maestro'. (c) Universal Portugal Buy from Amazon Though Lisboa Fado is traditionally performed by female vocalists with male bands and Coimbra Fado is traditionally performed by male vocalists, these are not hard and fast rules, and Carlos do Carmo has long been one of the greatest exceptions.

The son of a fadista with the music in his blood, do Carmo has been one of the most popular fado performers in Lisbon since the 1960s, and he continues to perform and record today. Do Carmo is also not strictly wedded to traditional instrumentation, and includes orchestral arrangements in several tracks on this album and in his other recordings. Check Amazon rating » Ana Moura - 'Leva-Me Aos Fados'. (c) World Village Buy from Amazon An "Aos Fados" is a "fado house," a place where fadistas perform and the vinho flows freely. The narrator of the title track on this album begs you to take her to one, so she can lose herself and forget all of her amorous misadventures. Ana Moura has one of the most beautiful and expressive voices in fado -- which is saying a lot -- and Leva-Me Aos Fados beautifully captures the sensuality and mournfulness that are so wrapped together with the feeling of saudade. Check Amazon rating » Ana Sofia Varela - 'Fados de Amor e Pecado'.

(c) iPlay Buy from Amazon Better-known in Portugal than on the international scene, Ana Sofia Varela is absolutely a name worth learning. This album, whose title means "Fados of Love and Sin" is sexy, sad, and more than a little bit addictive. It can be a bit tricky to track it down, as is often the case with imported CDs, so if you find it, definitely pick it up. Check Amazon rating » Antonio Zambujo - 'Guia'. (c) World Village Buy from Amazon Antonio Zambujo is an important and wildly popular contemporary male voice in the fado field. As both a composer and a singer, he strives for a deeply-rooted sound where tradition is paramount, but with enough flexibility to allow tasteful modern elements, as well as some of the sounds of traditional rural music from his ancestral homeland of Alentejano. As fado itself is a blended genre, rising from the intermingling groups of people who found themselves congregating in and around the port of Lisbon, it seems reasonable enough that blending it a bit further is as much "in the tradition" as keeping things the same would be. Check Amazon rating » Joana Amendoeira - 'A Flor da Pele'.

(c) Le Chant du Monde Buy from Amazon Joana Amendoeira is one of the youngest members among the well-known names of fado, having been born in 1982. However, her singing somewhat betrays her youth and reveals an old soul within, one who is entirely too familiar with saudade. A Flor da Pele ("Under the Skin") features the extraordinary Custodio Castelo as composer and arranger, along with an ace small band that features some of fado's very best players. Check Amazon rating » O Melhor de Herminia Silva. (c) P.I.D. Buy from Amazon Amalia Rodrigues was certainly not the only well-admired fadista of her era; she had dozens of magnificent contemporaries who left their own marks on the genre. Herminia Silva is one of these. Beginning her career as a stage actress, Silva was known for her powerful and engaging live fado shows, and enjoyed a career that spanned several decades. Her recorded work is also elegant and timeless, and this collection is a nice showcase of her lovely voice. Check Amazon rating » Mafalda Arnauth - 'Diario'. (c) P.I.D.

Buy from Amazon Mafalda Arnauth is a contemporary fadista who writes many of her own song lyrics (a bit of a break from tradition -- fado lyrics usually come from a small classic group of poems) but who otherwise performs quite traditionally, with the standard three-piece band. She's a commanding singer with a rich, throaty voice who brings something new to the table while carrying on important elements of tradition. Check Amazon rating » Fado, music of the world and world heritage | About Fado voices Coimbra Fado Where to hear it Gallery Feedback from users A shawl, a Portuguese guitar, a voice and heartfelt emotion. This simple image could describe Fado, a recognised symbol of Portugal, and a music of the world that is genuinely Portuguese. At its heart is sentiment, lost love, longing for a departed one, everyday life and triumphs. After all, the vicissitudes of life provide endlessly inspirational topics. They say fado is fado, that it is ingrained in the Portuguese soul, with no distinctions to be made. Even so, some dare tell a professional from an amateur singer. Professionals earn a living from their voice.

Amateurs sing the Fado also known as vadio (vagabond), and this has different qualities, although longing is still present as a main leitmotif. Making a comeback in Lisbon’s working-class districts, fado vadio singers are never invited… they invite themselves and do not have a set repertoire. In Coimbra, fado has particular characteristics and is sung by students. In 2011, UNESCO granted Fado World Heritage status, as an urban Lisbon song symbolic of the city and the country. To learn all the details, the best is to pay a visit to the Fado Museum in Alfama, one of Lisbon’s historic districts. Housing a vast collection, gathered from hundreds of bequests, you can get acquainted with the history of Fado from the first quarter of the 19th century to modern times. The house where Amália lived, today converted into a museum, is also in Lisbon, close to Madragoa. She was the most charismatic of all fado singers who took the fado across borders to the great European halls. A singer with a striking presence on stage and a natural instinct for spectacle, we owe her the classic image of the black dress and shawl.

Choosing a fado singer is always a hard task, since fado can be sung in different ways. The traditional form continues to feature performers such as Amália Rodrigues, Hermínia Silva, Alfredo Marceneiro, Maria da Fé and Argentina Santos, household names for the intensity they devoted to fado, and Carlos do Carmo is an impressive male performer for the heartfelt emotion he puts in singing about Lisbon, his birthplace. The new generation of fado singers upholds these traditions while exploring new approaches. The list is long: Mariza, Ana Moura, Camané, António Zambujo, Cuca Roseta, Mísia, Carminho, Mafalda Arnauth, Katia Guerreiro, Mariana Bobone, Marco Rodrigues, Raquel Tavares, Hélder Moutinho, Rodrigo Costa Felix, Ricardo Ribeiro, among many others. They have brought fado up to date without detracting from the feeling. But when it comes to choosing, its best is to keep an open mind and give in to surprise. The Great Night of Fado is held every year in Lisbon and Porto. It’s a special evening when new talent is presented to the public.

The Coimbra Fado is traditionally sung by men, by the university students, dressed in their black academic gown and thick cape. Originally, it had a great instrumental closeness to Lisbon Fado, but it took on a more erudite slant in the lyrics and different vocal effects, while being performed in different spaces. It became the perfect vehicle for expressing the memories of student life, the best time of one’s youth, the sleepless nights, unrequited love and for serenading. The Queima das Fitas, the festivities to bid farewell to academic life, which take place in May, is the best time to hear it. And the Serenading Night, outside the old Cathedral, is undoubtedly a unique emotional moment. Some students have taken fado out of the confines of academia. Adriano Correia de Oliveira and José Afonso are two voices of reference, as are the guitars of Artur Paredes and Carlos Paredes. Guitars are tuned, lights are dimmed. “Silence, fado is about to be sung!” This is how the evening begins. Fado houses are the best places to hear it.

With their own special atmosphere, they are intimate places where dining in candlelight, hearing the sound of this melody which enters your soul even if you don’t understand the lyrics, is a unique, unforgettable experience. Although Lisbon is the city of Fado, with a wider offer in the working-class districts, it can be heard all over the country, particularly in Porto and Coimbra. To find somewhere where you can listen to fado, search the site and choose this option on the list of restaurants. Museu do Fado Perfect Sound Forever: Amalia Rodriques and the fado music of Portugal By Jose Luis Pinto (May 2007) "Fado" (from the Latin "fatum," destiny, what cannot be changed � "maktoub" in Arabic) is normally defined as the national music of Portugal. That is not correct: - although a very small country, Portuguese music varies dramatically from region to region. The origins of Fado are still not established, and, probably, will never be.

Various theorists state that it came from North Africa, from Brazil and from Argentina, originally sung by slaves or immigrants as a way of expressing their loneliness, their longing for their loved ones, the impossibility of returning to their very own "Itaca." But let us leave that discussion for the historians of Fado. Amália Rodrigues put it in a very poetic way: "Fado came from the sea, the vast sea in front of us. Fado came from the lament for our sailors who departed and never returned." Fado has always been an "inferior" type of music. Actually, there are probably not more than a dozen "root" Fados: all the rest is left to improvisation and to the interaction of the singer and the guitarists, and, very importantly, the response of the audience. Its composers and singers originated from the lower social classes, the ones excluded from the bourgeoisie, living on the fringes of society, such as thieves and prostitutes. Actually, nothing could be less respectable than being a Fado singer. Severa, the most famous "fadista" (fado singer) of her time (late seventeenth Century) was a prostitute.

All this would change with the advent of the Amália Rodrigues phenomenon. THE BEGINNING Amália, herself from very poor origins, transformed Fado into a respected art form and took it from the poorer districts of Lisbon not only to the finest clubs of the city but to the most prestigious theatres in the world. The reasons for this incredible achievement lay in the combination of an astounding voice, a bewitching beauty and a regal presence. The magnitude of her talent was such, that during her almost sixty year career, like a tornado, she has, involuntarily, reduced all other performers to mere examples of excruciatingly domestic mediocrity. The truth is, after her death, little has changed � all the "new" Amálias, although enjoying an exotic status in the World Music market, just do not come anywhere near the artistry of their confessed source of inspiration. Amália was born in a poor house of an old neighborhood of Lisbon in 1920, but the actual day is unknown. "It was the time of the cherries" she was told. So, it was in July.

As the date has never been agreed by her parents and grand parents, she decided to celebrate it � when money was finally available for such celebrations � twice in July, on the 1st and 22nd. As a little girl, and to help to increase the family income, Amália used to sell fruit on the docks of Lisbon. Not a very exciting job. She liked to sing in her stall and was quickly noticed by the other vendors who started asking her to sing this or that popular song. With a good musical ear, she added to her "repertoire" some Carlos Gardel tangos that she had learned from the radio. And life went on, until she was allowed by her family to sing in the Lisbon Summer festivities, when each of the neighborhoods went in for a competition with a song to be sung in a parade, with a few hundred people from that neighborhood. That used to be one of the main events in the city in those days. There, she was noticed by an owner of a "Fado" Club who invited her to perform there, as an amateur. Big discussions and rows followed within the family � that was not what they wanted to for little Amália.

She deserved to marry at least a postman and become a housewife. Much to the horror of her mother, her father decided to take her himself and remain in the Club during her performance. There she become an immediate sensation and started to earn some money � a ridiculously small amount, but more than the fruit stall used to bring home. This was until she was noticed by a gentleman who told her that, for that money, she should stay at home and he would cover that income for her. This was obviously someone who understood that she was being exploited � she was something never seen before in the "fado" milieu. She was actually bringing in an audience that normally did not visit "Fado" clubs, but had become aware that a phenomenon was being born. With the help of this gentleman, Amália moved to another, more prestigious club that, only because of her, became packed every night. Soon, tickets started being sold on the black market. Soon, her "cachet" for one night was double of what she used to earn in a month. From this moment on, Amália was a sensation in Lisbon.

THE ROAD TO THE WORLD By word of mouth (there were no records at the time), Amalia of Lisbon became famous in the whole of continental Portugal and in the islands. Her legend started to build up. The African colonies at the time started hearing about her. A Portuguese Ambassador in Spain invited her to sing at the Portuguese Embassy in Madrid. A trip to Brazil allowed her to make her first recordings. Back in Portugal, she was already a national icon. Professional composers started writing especially for "her voice" and "her style." She brought with her not only a fantastic voice. Her "legati" and "rubati," pauses and arrebatamentos, gave an entirely new shape to "Fado" and other types of songs that she was now singing as well, as she started performing in "revistas" (a musical variety with sketches and songs), an extremely popular form of entertainment in those days, the equivalent of today's TV. This is when Frederico Val�rio composed for her some of the hits that were exclusively linked to Amália's name and image. Her "fados" and other songs become instant national anthems. This collaboration proved to be very prolific and lasted for more than ten years.

From that period on, Amália embarked on an unstoppable world career � normally dressed in black, all this Portuguese sacerdotess needed was no more than her two guitarists (four, in later years) and a curtain behind her to captivate vast audiences from Brazil to Japan, from Africa to Canada. Invited to sing a Brazilian song in a French film ("Les amants du Taje") in the mid fifties, she caused a furor when the film was released in France. As a result, she was engaged by "L'Olympia" in Paris to be "la vedette am�ricaine" (the one to perform before the real star - on this occasion, the infamous Josephine Baker). Amália's impact was of such magnitude that Bruno Coquatrix, L'Olympia manager, signed a new contract where she was to be the sole "vedette." During her career, she returned innumerous times to this theatre to the point that it became her "fetiche" stage. L'Olympia was the real beginning of her prestigious international career. The gates opened by L'Olympia meant more money, luxurious hotels and the cream of the crop of reputable theatres around the world.

Inevitably, Amália started to move in a more refined social strata. As an intelligent woman, she quickly absorbed new manners, acquired new tastes and she learned other languages � and other types of music (while in Spain, Orson Welles once asked who was the greatest flamenco singer of that time- he was told that such singer lived in Portugal and was called Amália). Carnegie Hall, Hollywood Bowl, Théatre des Champs Eliseés, Tokyo Sankey, Canecão do Rio, Terme di Caracalla, Sistina, Heroticu Atticus, Il Lirico di Milano, Tel Aviv, The Beirute Cathedral, and so on, and so on. Like a vagabond queen, she rarely stayed in Lisbon, where she would only attend galas and would make appearances for charity shows � her prices could no longer be afforded by Portuguese managers. In 1962, she met the second person to have an enormous impact on her career. Alain Oulmain, from a French Jewish family of publishers in Paris, but born in Lisbon, who was a rich intellectual, composer of great culture and sensitivity.

He understood that Amália was just entering the apogee of her creativity and vocal capabilities, let alone her physical appeal, at 42. This partnership would change "Fado" forever. Oulmain introduced her to a much more sophisticated form of music and adapted it to the highest caliber of Portuguese poetry, both modern and ancient. It was just what she needed at that stage. Her voice was in a manner of speaking, "trapped" within the limits of the traditional "Fado" and its lyrics. Now, she could navigate greater seas and let all her energy and creativity flow unrestrained. This was the start of the most important decade of Amália's work. It reached its pinnacle in 1970 - 1972 and the last reluctant factiont � the pretentious intellectuals of the middle/upper class - finally accepted that they need not be ashamed for admiring a "Fado" singer. Never before had the sound of the Portuguese language sound as universal as when sang by Amália. Her voice brought to the streets and to the peasants all the poetry that, so far, had been the exclusive property of the cultivated elites.

THE LATER YEARS By now, the legend of Amália was in full swing. Like any serious legend, the most incredible stories made the headlines of the press and entertained the cafe society of the nation: there was a tunnel which linked her palatial home to the Head Quarters of the dictator Salazar so that she could sing exclusively for him; on the other hand, she was a communist collaborator; two of the most important bankers of the Country were her lovers; some believed she was a lesbian; she had inherited all the jewelry of the exiled King Humberto of Italy and given them to poor widows of Nazaré. All those stories, plus the news of her successes around the world, kept her in the headlines almost daily. Her two week tour of Russia, at the peak of the cold war, sounded like a John Le Carré script, involving secret negotiations (in Paris) in order to obtains the necessary entry visas in to Russia for her and her entourage. At the height of her divahood, she simply would not comment on anything. Her private life remained, cleverly, in the shadows. She was married twice. First, it was a guitarist, Francisco, who told her that she should chose him or her career.

Her second husband, C�sar Seabra, she met and married in Rio de Janeiro. Probably because Seabra accepted to be Mr Amália Rodrigues and was rarely seen on the show business scene, their union lasted until his death in the mid nineties. She was never a mother and this was a delicate subject and she dealt with it in a in a concise way � "it just never happened." She had a huge gay and lesbian following and that added to unfounded rumors about her sexuality. She enjoyed the adoration of notorious (as well as anonymous) lesbians from the artistic circles of Lisbon. The gay male community, from intellectuals to drag queens, all constituted a permanent devoted crowd of admirers. All of that absolutely delighted her. And Amália went on singing, singing, and singing. In April 1974, a revolution finally overthrew the fascist regime led by Salazar for more than 40 years. Amália, herself politically very conservative, was a target of the leftists who took over. She suddenly became the embodiment of all the horrors of fascism, the horrific system that needed to be erased form the surface of Portugal.

For a period of time, during the first year of new liberties, she became "persona non grata." Her house, until then the number one place where people of power, intellect and artistry of Lisbon met, became a deserted place. Worst of all, and very symbolic to her, her vocal capabilities were on the decline, her singing starting to vacillate. This led her into a period of depression. The only thing that kept her going was the continued travel and recognition of international audiences. In fact, her prestige had never been greater. Homages, decorations, prizes continued uninterrupted. But she remained depressed until, around 1976, after the revolutionary dust had settled, the government paid her a tribute, in her comeback at the Lisbon "Coliseum." Regal as a queen and with her incredible charisma, she received the longest ovation in the history of the "Coliseum." The long, pitch black night had ended and Amália was restored to her full glory. THE FINAL YEARS Amália kept singing until 1995, around the world and, at this time, more often in Portugal.

Only an artist with such charisma could go on performing to full capacity theatres for another twenty years with a voice so visibly deteriorating. Nevertheless, what remained of her sumptuous voice, now with regions of intense and mysterious shadow, lost nothing of its sincerity and bewitching capabilities. During this period, in her live performances, sometimes the audience had hints of what had been the great Amália with a fully resplendent voice. New generations that had never seen her live but had her recordings went to her concerts to pay tribute. In 1991, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of her career, the President of the Portuguese Republic held a huge celebration for her. From a monumental exhibition of her memorabilia, of stage outfits, photos, videos, awards, to a special night at the "Coliseum" where she received the highest award/decoration available in the country, before an audience of politicians, artists and ordinary people. She cried and the audience cried with her. The following years saw her receive endless awards, tributes, and homages around the world, "La Légion d'Honneur", received from the French President, being one of the most important ones. Her prestige had never been greater.

And so Amália become a sort of "Mother of the Nation." Every year, on the 22nd of July, the people of Lisbon came in hundreds to her street, in front of her three story house to sing her songs and as well as "Happy Birthday." She would come onto the balcony, "surprised," arms wide open, thanking and thanking again, until late in the evening. On her 70th birthday, the Town Hall of Lisbon invited the population to gather in the beautiful square fully illuminated in the centre of the city, for a surprise party in her honor. Not quite sure of what was going on, she arrived in an open limo, greeted by thousands showering her with flowers. The Mayor of Lisbon took her to the balcony of the beautiful Town Hall, so she could salute the adoring crowd (like in the days of fascism, she did not realize that she was being used again, this time by the democrats). From that day on, she received a huge "corbeille" of flowers at her home, sent by the Town Hall of Lisbon. On her 75th birthday, the ritual was repeated in front of her house.

This time, the socialist President Mário Soares himself joined the cheering crowds. From the balcony, she invited him in. A horde of politicians followed as well as several TV crews. The celebration lasted until the early hours. After her final stage appearance in 1995, when Lisbon was the European Capital of Culture, Amália realized she could no longer deliver a performance. Her voice was too weak, her energy depleted. She had to ask for a chair in order to continue with the recital. She most certainly guessed that her public felt her pain. The final ovation was greater than ever before as everybody knew, at that moment, that it was her final curtain call. Her last trip was to Paris, to attend a tribute paid by the "Cinematèque Française." After that, she went into reclusion at her home. When the weather was warmer, she would spend a week or so in her big estate on a cliff, three hours away from Lisbon, facing the immense sea that had once been a source of inspiration. But the torture of not being able to sing would soon put an end to her life.

On October 6, 1999, she was found dead by her secretary in her house in Lisbon. The electoral campaign at its peak had to be interrupted and three days of mourning were declared by the Government. Her funeral drew a crowd not seen since the 1st day of the April 1974 revolution and she was awarded honors that before had only been given to Heads of State. She lay in state for two days in one of the most important churches of Lisbon, so people could pay her their last respects. Her remains are currently interred at the National Pantheon (a special law had to be passed in order to allow her to be there which until then had only been open to male figures of Portuguese history). Her house in Lisbon is today a museum. In this "inner sanctum," endless awards, tributes, medals, letters as well as her jewelry and some of her most legendary outfits are on display. Her voice resounds continuously in the whole house to remind visitors why she is truly immortal and is part of the DNA of any music lover.

AMALIA'S RECORDINGS Although her immense catalogue of albums constitute an invaluable heritage of her art, only those who have been at one of her concerts know the magic of this exceptional artist. Only those who saw her live know the magic of Amália. When the lights went down, a deep silence would descend on to the theatre. As the curtain rose her guitarists would play for about ten minutes some variations on classic Portuguese guitar, only to create the right atmosphere and anticipation for her appearance, as she slowly came from the back of the stage to the forefront to thank the audience for the storm of applause. Then, she would be free to improvise with her guitarists, singing differently the same song every night, depending on her moods, and depending on the response of the audience she would change and adapt her repertoire. The guitarist would naturally follow her, such was the chemistry between them. Sometimes, she would switch lyrics from one song to another and vice versa. Quite often she would divert from the original structure of a song to navigate or fly freely, inventing a new song, only to return in fantastic harmony to the original melody. In these moments, the public would go absolutely wild. This is not the Amália of the studio recordings.

For an artist whose career spanned over 50 years of continuous activity, inevitably, her voice changed through various stages and tones. Her younger voice was incredibly rich but probably a bit too strident. It was like she did not have full control of its range and volume. Amálias's very first recording happened in Rio de Janeiro in 1945, for the Continental label. At the time, she already had a series of "hits" in Portugal, but she was prevented from recording by her manager, for fear that if records became available, people would not go and see her perform. From this period, there is an absolute classic � "Ai Mouraria" (she would revisit this song several times, both in studio and live). For the next 10 years, still with a very young voice, she recorded enormous hits especially created for her by Frederico Val�rio who was her most important composer for the first part of her career. Val�rio was the first composer to understand her voice and her sensitivity. In the mid fifties, Amália's voice started maturing and she herself started feeling that she needed to expand into other musical territories.

Under the Columbia label, she recorded some Brazilian (samba-can�ão), Spanish (flamenco) and Mexican (rancheras) classics in addition to new Portuguese "hits" like "Coimbra," "Casa Portuguesa" and "Lisboa não sejas Francesa." In 1957, her first live album, recorded at L'Olympia appeared on the market. It was a testimony of her conquering of the Parisians. What did not happen as yet, was the nerve-wrecking test of being accepted by the Left Bank artistic and demanding audiences of the "Bobino." Her success was enormous and a year later another live recording came out, Amália no Bobino. At this show, there were two memorable performances: "Lua, Luar" and "Calunga." These two songs were a hint of what was about to come in terms of her voice. The sixties were undoubtedly the most important years of the whole of Amália's career. In these years, she cemented her reputation as one of the most fascinating singers in the world (in those days, the concept of "world music" was far from being born). Three factors contributed to that.

Her voice reached an immaculate maturity and her creativity was just waiting to be released completely. Also, she met Alain Oulmain who, understanding that she was at her pinnacle, would allow her to embark in a completely new era and style of fado. Amália was at the apogee of her beauty. In 1962, for a few nights in Lisbon, Amália would get together with her guitarists, some cakes and tea and started rehearsing the new Fados composed by Oulmain, with lyrics from the greatest Portuguese poets. With this LP, with no name, but generally known as O busto (�Bust'), with only a statue of her face on the cover, Fado underwent its biggest revolution. Among its ten tracks, all of them of exceptional quality, are at least two unforgettable songs in Fado history � "Abandono" and "Povo que lavas no rio." It is literally impossible to listen to any of these two Fados without feeling a shiver going through one's body. In 1963, Amália had a huge volume of songs coming from all types of composers and lyrics sent to her by greater and minor poets.

She traveled to London and (yes, in Abbey Road), she recorded in one single day another historic LP, Amália For Your Delight On this LP, her greatness is all shown in the track "Eu queria cantar-te um fado." In 1965, another collaboration with Alain Oulmain resulted in the LP Fado Português, yet another classical. Although she included some Spanish songs and revisited an earlier classic ("Ai Mouraria"), the two masterpieces here are: "Fado Português" and "Gaivota." In that same year, maestro Norrie Paramor, fascinated by her voice, invited her to record a series of American standards. The album, to be named American Songs (unfortunately re-titled Amália on Broadway for its European distribution) delivered superb versions of "Summertime," "Who Will Buy" and "The Nearness of You." Still, Amália could enter other worlds of Portuguese music. She loved the folk songs from the rural areas, the type of music she was used to hearing her family members sing.

From the very rich folk repertoire of the poor provinces, she recorded, with orchestra, what was to become another classic � Amália canta Portugal which includes two songs of thrilling beauty: "Don Solidon" and "Lá vai Serpa, lá vai Moura." These songs were added to her fado repertoire, for her historic seasons in the America, at the Hollywood Bowl and at the Carnegie Hall, accompanied by the orchestra of Andre Kostlanetz. For the remainder of the Sixties, she recorded several albums, some in French, where she recreates famous songs of Gilbert B�caud, Charles Aznavour and Adamo. Some of the French songs were composed especially for her. In 1968, American sax tenor virtuoso Don Byas visited Lisbon and invited her to revisit some of her classics in a duet with him on the sax, on top of the traditional Portuguese guitar. This resulted in a fabulous album (appropriately titled Amália Rodrigues with Don Byas), as her voice was at the absolute pinnacle of range, power and colour. The Seventies marked the irrevocable decline of the vocal capabilities of Amália.

Nevertheless, in 1970 she recorded Com que voz, her last substantial collaboration with Alain Oulmain, a high caliber work of art, winning awards in several countries, with a top prize in Italy where she received the honours of "La critica discografica italiana." Her voice was still magical, but showing its 50 year-old age. Three or four tracks are recreations of early recordings. It is interesting to see how she used her aging voice to deliver even deeper performances. To adapt the guitars to this voice, the guitarists created, a completely new sound- this was another achievement that opened new roads to the new generations of guitarists. As a result of the true Amália mania in Italy, three albums came out. One live recording Amália in Teatro at the Sistina in Rome and A una terra che amo and Amália in Italia, which were studio recordings where she sang classics of the Neapolitan folclore. Amália in Teatro serves as a fantastic testimony of the incredible chemistry between Amália and her public, all singing together at the end.

From 1971, there is a live recording in Japan, at Sankey Hall- it's as thrilling as the Italian show, with the traditional restrained Japanese audience going wild. From this same period, there is also a live recording at the Canecão in Rio de Janeiro � Amália no Canecão, where she opted for a lighter repertoire, cleverly adapted to her voice at the time. In the Eighties, still full of artistic sensibility but with her voice betraying her, Amália still managed to make two important albums: Cantigas numa l�ngua antiga and Lágrima. It was high poetry still but Oulmain, lacking that source of inspiration that was a superb voice, was not working for her as regularly as before. Her main guitarist composed her last successes heard on these two albums. In the nineties, what was to be the last album of original fados came out (Fado Português), supported, again, by lyrics of the best poets. It was excellent work for the very last remains of a great voice. Later on in the late Nineties, old recordings from 1960's were to be discovered in a storage room of her recording company.

These were tracks eliminated from some earlier albums. Segredo still shows Amália at her very best. Three years before her death in 1999, Amália entered the studio to check the state of her voice. She was hoping for an impossible miracle. She returned home and never attempted to sing again. AMALIA IN THE CINEMA Inevitably, as a result of her huge popularity, Amália had several invitations to participate in films. As far as art cinema goes, these were of very dubious quality. But because she was there and she sang, they turned into great public successes. Her first appearance on screen was in Capas Negras (�Black capes') in 1947, a tearjerker immensely popular at the time. In the following 20 years, she would be present in a dozen films, most of the time acting, sometimes just singing. There were none of importance. Among those films, the one that would have a crucial impact on her career was Les amants du Tage, a mediocre French film by Henry Verneiul where she co-starred with Jean Gabin.

In the film she sings "Barco Negro," an original Brazilian song that she transformed into a deep lament. This song propelled her name all over France and resulted in her first appearance at the Olympia in Paris. In 1966, she ended her cinematic career with a pretentious Franco-Portuguese production which met with little success, Les îles enchantées. Many years later, in the mid 1980's, she made a guest appearance in Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire: she can be seen as an anonymous woman taking a tram in Lisbon. AMALIA ON DVD Most of the live images available of Amália's concerts are of poor quality. In the early years, or at her apogee, filming those events was a very rare practice. Most of the professional DVD's available are of the times when her voice was in decline. Even on Youtube, what is available now is mostly just barely acceptable, to put it mildly. However, the DVD The Art of Amália provides a fairly good portrait of her as an artist. This DVD came out for the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of her career.

In Portugal, the complete 5 hour version (shown over 5 nights on TV) was released. For the international market, it was reduced to 90 minutes for commercial reasons. As a result of the perseverance of Luso-American director Bruno de Almeida's work, the original material collected resulted in over 150 hours of documentary from several TV's from all over the world. It is still the best document available about Amália. Amália in Japan was shot in the mid 1980's, when she was no longer at her prime, far from her live album recorded in Osaka some fifteen years earlier. But this is still an important document capturing her magic interaction with the audience. Amália in New York was recorded in the early 1990's. Her voice had already deteriorated but, again, this is a great testimony of her charisma. Before a cosmopolitan audience (she addresses the public in various languages as she hears them asking for this or that song) she, now over 70, still delivers an emotionally charged two hour performance. AMALIA ON THE NET Amalia- Portuguese site YouTube has plenty of clips, some very good, mainly the ones from the Sixties.

It is interesting to know that the most precious documents of Amália's career and life are private documents which are the property of admirers. At least two people in Paris, another two in Rio, three in Italy, half a dozen in Lisbon are known to have the best archives of Amália Rodrigues memorabilia, from photographs, to pirate recordings, both in concerts and in studio, as well as old films of her private life and her tours. Maybe one day, this heritage will become available to the ordinary public. Check out the rest of PERFECT SOUND FOREVER PACEfado - Home HOME July 29, 30 & 31, 2016 Ana Laíns is one of the brightest stars in Portugal’s centuries-old tradition of fado singing. She brings a bell-like clarity to this genre of minor-key laments about the hardships of life at sea, the pressures of urban poverty, and, above all, the heartbreak of romance. Like all the legendary fadistas (female fado singers), Lains aims for the experience of saudade, the feeling that one has been overcome by fate and carried away like a stick caught in the water’s current.

Often described as the soul of the Portuguese people, fado is arguably the world’s oldest urban folk music, having emerged from the bustling cafes and side streets of old Lisbon in the early 19th century. A true fadista embodies the soulfulness of this musical tradition, delivering lyrics with barely controlled raw emotion. “People think of it as a sad music, full of sentiment, sang by nostalgic women,” Laíns says. “And that is true, but there is more to it than that. It was first sung by sailors and other men in the 19th century. Most of the times, traditional fado has no melody, and it is part of a good fado singer’s job, to improvise and create his or her own style.” Laíns grew up in the rural Portuguese region of Ribatejo, but at the age of 19 she moved to Lisbon to become a professional singer. There she honed her skills in the traditional fado houses—small, darkened taverns where locals listen to fado over wine. She had her breakthrough when she won Lisbon’s “Grande Noite de Fado” (“Grand Night of the Fado”), the country’s top fado competition.

This led to her 2006 debut album, Sentidos, which expanded the scope of fado to include international influences. “Fado—like jazz, flamenco or tango—cannot stand still, because time doesn’t stop,” Laíns explains. “I want to keep … singing in my language of Portuguese, because I feel blessed to have been born in such an amazing country.” The festival performances of Ana Lains are presented in collaboration with the Saab Family and the Portuguese / American Cultural Exchange. Fado, the soul of Portugal, comes to the US! Fado is a form of Portuguese urban folk music that grew out of the streets and taverns of Lisbon in the 19th Century. It is characterized by mournful melodies and lyrics, often about the sea, neighborhoods, or the life of the poor. Known for its dramatic performance practices and passionate aficionados, Fado is infused with sentiments of resignation, nostalgia and deep melancholy. For almost two hundred years, it has represented the saudade, the longing of the people of Portugal - the sailor returning from the colonies, the impoverished flower girl in the mercado, the wealthy Lord in love with an untamable gypsy fadista.

Fado means fate, and to the people of Portugal, the music is as powerful as destiny itself. Portuguese/American Cultural Exchange, Inc. FolkWorld #47: Music of Portugal Music of Portugal In 2012, Guimarães - Cidade Berço, the birthplace and cradle of the Portuguese nationality - is going to be European Capital of Culture, jointly with Maribor, Slovenia. [47] Portugal is internationally known in the music scene for its traditions of fado , but the country has seen a recent expansion in musical styles, with modern acts from rock to hip hop becoming popular. If Amália is still the most recognizable Portuguese name in music, today the biggest exportations are bands like Moonspell (metal), Madredeus (fado and folk inspired), Buraka Som Sistema (electro/kuduro/breakbeat), Da Weasel , Sandro G (hip hop), Blasted Mechanism (experimental electro-rock) or Wraygunn (rock, blues), and artists like Mariza (fado). The musicality of the Portuguese language has also inspired non-native speakers to use it in their recordings, for example Mil i Maria.

Regional folk music remains popular too, having been updated and modernized in many cases, especially the northeastern region of Trás-os-Montes . Dance , Rock , pop , kuduro , zouk , kizomba , Heavy metal , house and Hip Hop are among the most popular musical styles in Portugal; however, the recent arrival of revivalist folk bands, such as Deolinda , led to a newfound interest in this type of music. History Main article: Music history of Portugal Portuguese music was influenced by music from Ancient Rome 's musical tradition brought into the Iberian Peninsula by the Romans and the rich artistic Europen tradition. Its genres range from classical to popular music. Portugal's music history includes musical history from the medieval Gregorian chants through Carlos Seixas ' symphonies era to the composers of the modern era. Musical history of Portugal can be divided in different ways. Portuguese music encompasses musical production of the Middle Ages , Renaissance , Baroque , Classical , Romantic and Modern eras. Folk music Fado (fate in Portuguese ) arose in Lisbon as the music of the urban poor.

Fado songs are typically lyrically harsh, with the singer resigned to sadness, poverty and loneliness, but remaining dignified and firmly controlled. Starting in 1939 with the career of Amália Rodrigues , fado was an internationally popular genre. A singer and film actress, Rodrigues made numerous stylistic innovations that have made her probably the most influential fadista of all time. A new generation of young musicians have contributed to the social and political revival of fado music, adapting and blending it with new trends. Contemporary fado musicians like Mariza , Mísia and Camané have introduced the music to a new public. The sensuality of Misia and other female fadistas (fado singers) like Maria Ana Bobone, Cuca Roseta, Cristina Branco , Ana Moura , Katia Guerreiro , and Mariza has walked the fine line between carrying on the tradition of Amália Rodrigues and trying to bring in a new audience. Mísia and Carlos do Carmo are also well known fado singers. Ricardo Ribeiro and Miguel Capucho are one of the best male fado singers of the new generation.

Traditional music Regional folk music Recent events have helped keep Portuguese regional folk (rancho folclórico) traditions alive, most especially including the worldwide roots revival of the 1960s and 70s. Famous artists and bands included in the past Tonicha , Paco Bandeira , Paulo de Carvalho , José Cid , Linda de Suza , Duo Ouro Negro, Roberto Leal and Ornatos Violeta . Nowadays some of the most popular acts are Aurea , Amor Electro, The Legendary Tigerman , Madredeus , GNR , Xutos & Pontapés , The Gift , David Fonseca , Buraka Som Sistema , Mil i Maria and Boss AC. Pimba music Pimba music is the Portuguese version of the euro Schlager or the Balkan Turbo-Folk . Its name cames from a 90s hit Pimba Pimba. Some of its biggest names are Emanuel, Ágata, Ruth Marlene and Quim Barreiros . This genre mixes traditional sounds with accordion , Latin beats and funny or religious (mainly kitch) lyrics.

Political music (Música de Intervenção) During the reign of the fascist regime music was widely used by the left-wing resistance as a way to say what could not be said, singing about freedom, equality and democracy, mainly through metaphors and symbols. Many composers and singers became famous and persecuted by the political police, some of them being arrested or exiled, such as Zeca Afonso , Paulo de Carvalho , José Mário Branco, Sérgio Godinho , Adriano Correia de Oliveira , Manuel Freire , Fausto , Vitorino , Júlio Pereira and some others. José Afonso began performing in the 1950s; he was a popular roots-based musician that led the Portuguese roots revival . With artists like Sérgio Godinho and Luís Cília, Afonso helped form nova canção music, which, after the 1974 revolution, gained socially-aware lyrics and became canto livre . The biggest name in canto livre was Brigada Víctor Jara , a group that seriously studied and were influenced by Portuguese regional music. After the Carnation Revolution , that same music was used to support left-wing parties.

Political ideas and causes, like the agrarian reform, socialism, equality, democratic elections, free education and many other were a constant presence in these songs lyrics, often written by well-known poets like José Barata-Moura , Manuel Alegre or Ary dos Santos . Romantic The highest exponents of this kind of music in Portugal are Tony Carreira and Marco Paulo (both, and even other performers, have a certain level of overlap with the Pimba genre, even partial or just in certain songs). The poet-singer-songwriter Fausto Bordolo Dias, a significant contributor to the modern romantic genre, can be compared to Leonard Cohen. Latin This is a relatively new sound in Portugal. Despite being an Iberian country, Portugal never had clear influences from the Caribbean beats. This style came to the country in the 90s, following a Spanish and world trend. Examples of Latin music singers in Portuguese are Ana Malhoa and Mil i Maria. Modern acts With immigration from the former colonies, Portugal received many African communities with their different traditional sounds. Some singers were born in Lisbon but still, were singing African influenced music. Two examples are Lura and Sara Tavares , who sing a mixture that includes sounds from Cape Verde .

Fado Fado ( Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈfaðu] , "destiny, fate") is a music genre which can be traced to the 1820s in Portugal , but probably with much earlier origins. Fado historian and scholar, Rui Vieira Nery, states that "the only reliable information on the history of Fado was orally transmitted and goes back to the 1820s and 1830s at best. But even that information was frequently modified within the generational transmission process that made it reach us today." In popular belief, fado is a form of music characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor. However, in reality fado is simply a form of song which can be about anything, but must follow a certain structure. The music is usually linked to the Portuguese word saudade which symbolizes the feeling of loss (a permanent, irreparable loss and its consequent life lasting damage). Amália Rodrigues , Carlos do Carmo , Mariza , Mafalda Arnauth , and Cristina Branco are amongst the most famous individuals associated with the genre.

On November 27, 2011, Fado was inscribed in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists . Etymology The word Fado comes from the latin word fatum, from which the English word fate also originates. The word is linked to the music genre itself and, although both meanings are approximately the same in the two languages, Portuguese speakers seldom utilize the word fado referring to destiny or fate. History Fado only appeared after 1830 in Lisbon. It was introduced in the port districts like Alfama, Mouraria and Bairro Alto. There are many theories about the origin of Fado. Some trace its origins or influences to "cantigas de amigo" (friends songs) from the Middle Ages, or Moorish songs, or also to African-Brazilian rhythms.

Since there was very much contact between Portugal and its colonies, particularly Brazil (between 1804 and 1822 the Portuguese court resided in Rio de Janeiro since the king had fled from Portugal after Napoleon's invasion), it is not strange that Portuguese fado has some roots in Afro-Brazilian slave dances and also Spanish and Portuguese songs; like Fandango , Semba , Lundu and Modinha and on the other (notice that these roots are similar to those of the Samba ). As a consequence, fado was initially very rhythmical and danceable. Fado performers in the middle of the 19th century were mainly from urban working class and sailors, who not only sang, but also danced and beat the fado. During the second half of the 19th century, the African rhythms would become less important, and the performers became merely singers. Fado was thus generally sung by one person called a fadista, and normally accompanied by the portuguese guitar and the classical guitar . The 19th century's most renowned fadista was Maria Severa .

More recently Amália Rodrigues , known as the "Rainha do Fado" ("Queen of Fado") was most influential in popularizing fado worldwide. Fado performances today may be accompanied by a string quartet or a full orchestra. Varieties of fado There are two main varieties of fado, namely those of the cities of Lisbon and Coimbra . The Lisbon style is the more popular, while Coimbra's is the more classic style. Modern fado is popular in Portugal, and has produced many renowned musicians . According to tradition, to applaud fado in Lisbon you clap your hands, while in Coimbra one coughs as if clearing one's throat. Coimbra fado This fado is closely linked to the academic traditions of the University of Coimbra and is exclusively sung by men; both the singers and musicians wear the academic outfit (traje académico): dark robe, cape and leggings. It is sung at night, almost in the dark, in city squares or streets. The most typical venues are the stair steps of the Santa Cruz Monastery and the Old Cathedral of Coimbra .

It is also customary to organize serenades where songs are performed before the window of the woman to be courted. The most sung themes include: student love, love for the city and bohemian life, and the ironic and critical reference to the discipline and conservative nature of the professors and their courses. Noted singers of this style are Augusto Hilário, António Menano, and Edmundo Bettencourt. The Coimbra fado is accompanied by either a Portuguese guitar or by a classical guitar . The tuning and sound coloring of the Portuguese guitar in Coimbra are quite different from that of Lisbon. Regarding the Portuguese guitar, Artur Paredes revolutionized the tuning and the accompaniment style to the Coimbra fado, adding his name to the most progressive and innovative singers. Artur Paredes was the father of Carlos Paredes , who followed and expanded on his work, making the Portuguese guitar an instrument known around the world. In the 1950s, a new movement led the singers of Coimbra to adopt the ballad and folklore. They began interpreting lines of the great poets, both classical and contemporary, as a form of resistance to the Salazar dictatorship.

In this movement names such as Adriano Correia de Oliveira and José Afonso (Zeca Afonso) had a leading role in the revolution taking place in popular Portuguese music. Richard Elliott, Fado and the Place of Longing (FW#46) Some of the most famous fados of Coimbra include: Fado Hilário, Saudades de Coimbra (“Do Choupal até à Lapa”), Balada da Despedida (“Coimbra tem mais encanto, na hora da despedida” - the first phrases are often more recognizable than the song titles), O meu menino é d’oiro, and Samaritana. The "judge-singer" Fernando Machado Soares is an important figure, being the author of some of those famous fados. Curiously, it is not a Coimbra fado but a popular song which is the most known title referring to this city: Coimbra é uma lição, which had success with titles such as April in Portugal. Fado in North America Several singers of the traditional Portuguese fado have appeared in Canada and the United States .

One of these, Ramana Vieira , regularly performs in the San Francisco Bay Area without a traditional fado ensemble. Ramana received her formal voice training at San Francisco's American Conservatory Theater and considers herself to be "The New Voice of Portuguese World Music." Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License . Date: February 2012. Photo Credits: (1) Europe (by FolkWorld); (2) Portuguese Colours (unknown); (3)-(4) Deolinda , (5) Gaiteiros de Lisboa , (6) Galandum Galundaina , (8) Uxu kalhus , (from website); (7) Dazkarieh , (10) Stockholm Lisboa Project (by Walkin' Tom); (9) OqueStrada (by Tom Kamphans); (11) Richard Elliott, Fado and the Place of Longing (by Ashgate Publishing ). FolkWorld - Home of European Music Layout & Idea of FolkWorld © The Mollis - Editors of FolkWorld 1000+ images about Fado Music | Portugal on Pinterest | Videos, Rio de janeiro and Musicals Forward ¡Oporto y sus colores!

- via Los Viajes de La Bcn Que Me Gusta 21.06.2015 | Los colores de su río, los colores de su puesta de sol, los colores de sus calles e iglesias llenas de azulejos… todo ello con un cierto aire nostálgico que se entremezcla con los elementos propios del Barroco, arte que encuentra su auge en esta ciudad y que apreciamos en cada uno de sus rincones e iglesias y el trato de sus gentes, dispuestas a ayudarte en todo momento. #porto #portugal #viajes #turismo #travel… 3 The Music Of Portugal: Traditional Riches, Fate & Revolution – World Music Network – Guide To World Music The Rough Guide to Fado Want to learn more about Fado? Check out World Music Network's handpicked compilation album. Compiled by expert Diogo Varela Silva, this Rough Guide guides you through the very best Fado, old and new.

Fado was born in the bustling side-streets and alleys of old Lisbon in the early nineteenth century, and today the tradition is very much alive and kicking in the city. In steamy bars, where the music is always on offer and the drama is frequently high-pitched, strong-voiced singers and skilled guitarists tell their tales of woe and longing. Fado Origins There are many theories of fado’s origins, including links with Portugal’s maritime history, the the hardships of the criminal and working classes of nineteenth century Lisbon and the Moorish occupation of Portugal in the first millennium. However, many argue that fado contains influences from Portugal’s African and South American colonial empire, with traces of traditional dance music such as the fofa and lundum, and also a strong hint of Portugal’s poetic and literary legacy. Early Fado: Maria Severa The most popular (though somewhat mythologized) story concerning early fado concerns Maria Severa, a prostitute who had an affair with a well known count. After the affair ended, due to the disapproval of his family, it is said she began to sing the fado to express her heartache, before dying in her mid-twenties.

Fado of this sort can still be heard in certain parts of Lisbon, but the locations are increasingly hard to find. More often than not these sessions take place away from the usual tourist restaurants and tend to be in the late afternoon/early evening. They do, however, offer a great insight into the function of fado for the average Portuguese person, rather than serving as mere entertainment. Saudade and Fadistas There is a Portuguese word, saudade, which has no direct translation in English - the nearest description is a ‘melancholic yearning’. It is this saudade which lies at the heart of fado. In the more traditional fado sessions especially, a singer who does not sing with this feeling will often be brought to a halt before the end of his or her performance. Coimbra Fado There is another side to the fado story - the fado of Coimbra (a northern Portuguese city) which shares the origins and keeps the basic form, but is recognised by both devotees and critics alike as essentially divorced from the more raw style of Lisbon fado.

It has been called a more refined strain of fado, due to its popularity among students and academics, but this empty phrase does not accurately reflect the majesty and emotional summits which a good singer can reach. Rodney Gallop, writing in 1936, succinctly defined the difference: “It is the song of those who retain and cherish their illusuions, not of those who have irretrievably lost them.” Fado Stars Fado is not just about star performers, but the music has produced a number of key singers, and none more so than Amália Rodrigues. Born into poverty in 1920 in the Alfama neighbourhood of Lisbon and discovered singing while selling oranges in the street, by the end of her life she had starred in numerous films, toured the world, made countless recordings and changed the way fado was performed. While her later recordings were more innovative and included orchestral accompaniment, her earlier work is intense, heartfelt, and deeply traditional.

New Song and Modern Fusions In the second half of the twentieth century, and particularly in the years following the fall of the Portuguese dictatorship in 1974, fado combined with other influences such as folk, rock, Latin American music to form a style of ‘new song’. José Afonso The giant of twentieth-century Portuguese Portuguese popular and roots music was José Afonso. During the years to and through the 1974 he was the leading figure in the reinstitution of the ballad - in the sense of a set of artistic, poetic, usually contemporary lyrics set to music. His evolving musical framework drew on regional traditional musics and fado and proved to be a much-needed rallying point for both the development of new music but also for the newly democratised state. It helped songwriters move from protesting under oppression to exploring the needs and possibilities of the new democracy. Roots Groups In the 1970’s, groups began to form which devoted their attention once again to the traditional regional music, or to the construction of new musics with folk roots. This is often seen as an important aspect of self-rediscovery in the new democracy, rather than the quest for ruralism at the heart of other folk-revivals.

While the ranchos folclóricos were sometimes seen as leftover from the dictatorship, these new groups were closer to the spirit of nova canção. Today’s leading traditional-roots groups include Brigada Victor Jara (one of the early post-revolution groups), Vai de Roda and Realejo. All have moved on to a more detailed exploration of sounds and the possibilities for development than that which prevailed in the first wave. Other groups and artists remain closer to the spirit of fado, such as the group Madredeus, or bring modern elements to fado, such as Mariza and Dulce Pontes. Amalia Rodrigues facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Amalia Rodrigues COPYRIGHT 2004 The Gale Group Inc. Amália Rodrigues Portuguese vocalist Amália Rodrigues (1920-1999), performing and recording in the Lisbon-based fado style, became a legendary figure in the national mu sical life of her country and a much-loved ambassa dor of Portuguese culture abroad. Rodrigues had an unusually long career, making her debut in 1939 and singing until the last few years of her life.

She achieved considerable exposure in the United States in the 1950s but declined opportunities for wider success. Her smoky, passionate singing epitomized fado in its combination of intense emotion, sadness, and nostalgia, merging to create the uniquely Portuguese sentiment known by the untranslatable word saudade. When Rodrigues died in 1999 she was mourned as an icon of Portuguese life. Born During Cherry Blossom Season Amália da Piedade Rodrigues was born in Lisbon and raised in the industrial Alcântara neighborhood. Her family did not know the exact date of her birth. Rodrigues herself said that she was born on July 1; her birth certificate reads July 23, but a poor family in a still largely underdeveloped Portugal might have taken several weeks to receive that document, and her grandfather's recollection that she was born during cherry blossom season suggests the earlier date. Rodrigues's father was a cobbler and part-time musician who found little success in either field, and Amália was turned over to her grandparents to be raised in Lisbon while most of her family returned to their village of Fundão.

A shy, asthmatic child, Rodrigues liked to stay in her room and sing tangos by Argentine vocalist Carlos Gardel, but her grandfather noticed that people passing on the street would often stop to listen. One of ten children, several of whom did not reach adulthood, Rodrigues grew up in poverty. She enrolled in elementary school at age nine, and once, when she had to buy a second schoolbook for a class, her grandmother asked her why she needed another book, as the first one she had was still in good condition. Leaving school at 12, Rodrigues worked as a seamstress and clothes cleaner to help support her family. When she was 14 her parents and siblings returned to Lisbon, and she went to live with them. She worked in a factory and in her mother's fruit stand. “We never complained about life,” she recalled, according to the Portuguese biography site Vidas Lusofonas. “Sure, we knew there were people who were different from us; otherwise there would be no revolutions.

But I never heard anybody talk about that.” Rodrigues and her younger sister Celeste occupied what little spare time they had by going to the movies; Rodrigues was fascinated by the 1937 Greta Garbo film Camille, and even went so far as to drink vinegar and stand in cold drafts so that she would contract tuberculosis like the Garbo character in the film. As a teenager Rodrigues dreamed of a career as a performer. The reigning style of the day was fado, a gloomy, fatalistic vocal genre that, like Spanish flamenco music, carried influences from Arabic and gypsy music. In 1938 Rodrigues, representing the Alcantãra neighborhood, entered and won a “Queen of the Fado” contest. Making inroads into Lisbon's fado scene, she fell in love with guitarist Francisco Cruz and attempted suicide after he at first rejected her. In 1939 she made her debut at a Lisbon fado club, the Retiro da Severa. That year she married Cruz, but the marriage ended in divorce in the early 1940s.

By that time Rodrigues had become a common sight in Lisbon nightspots, singing other popular styles such as tango, Brazilian samba, and waltzes in addition to fado. She was a talented onstage dancer as well. She appeared in a revue called Ora vai tu, playing the role of a traditional fado singer who wore a black funeral shawl, and she adopted that clothing as her trademark. Later, when Rodrigues visited America, Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper suggested that she give up the black shawl for a white dress with plunging neckline and a flower in her hair, but Rodrigues patiently explained the traditional roots of her dark look. Made Recordings in Brazil Rodrigues's exposure to international audiences began when she appeared in Madrid, Spain, in 1943. A six-week tour of Brazil in 1944 was extended to three months by popular demand, and the following year she made her first recordings in that country. Recordings from the early part of Rodrigues's career were sparse, however, for her manager, José de Melo, kept her out of the studio in order to boost demand for her live performances.

After the end of World War II, Rodrigues's popularity continued to grow both at home and abroad. She appeared in the 1947 film Capas Negras (Black Capes), which set box office records in Portugal, and she gave concerts in both London and Paris in 1949. Rodrigues appeared at the Argentina Opera House in Rome, Italy, in 1950, on a bill with musicians who otherwise came exclusively from the operatic field; despite intense stage fright (from which she suffered for her entire career), her appearance was a triumph. Rodrigues's status as an international star was confirmed when she arrived in New York in 1952 and appeared at the nightclub La Vie en Rose. In 1953 she appeared on the Eddie Fisher Show, becoming the first Portuguese singer to perform on American television. She had a major international hit in 1955 with “Colimbra,” recorded live at the Olympia Theater in Paris and known in English as “April in Portugal.” Rodrigues was offered the chance to record two LPs in the United States, but declined.

“If I were to make an album with American songs, I'd have to keep rehearsing and working,” she was quoted as saying on the Vidas Lusofonas site. “I like to sing without having to think that I am singing. That's the only way I know how to sing. And if I had to worry about the English lyrics, I'd lose my spontaneity.” Indeed, Rodrigues on stage was a compelling performer, with her head thrown back, seemingly overcome with emotion. Rodrigues broadened the reach of fado, singing songs with texts composed by leading Portuguese poets, but she never lost the despairing essence of fado (which means “fate” in Portuguese). “I have so much sadness in me, I am a pessimist, a nihilist, everything fado demands in a singer, I have in me,” she was quoted as saying by Jon Pareles in the New York Times. “When I am on my own, alone, tragedy comes, and solitude.” Rodrigues married engineer César Seabra in Rio de Janeiro in 1961, and they remained married until Seabra's death in 1997.

In 1966 she returned to New York for a concert at Lincoln Center, accompanied by a large orchestra conducted by Andre Kostelanetz. The sole break in Rodrigues's run of popularity came after the so-called Carnation Revolution of 1974, when Portugal threw off decades of authoritarian rule. For younger Portuguese who helped to bring down the right-wing Estado Novo (New State) government, Rodrigues represented the old order in which women were repressed. Rodrigues herself proclaimed that she was apolitical, however, and she had often performed texts by left-wing Portuguese poets and given tacit support to reform forces. By the late 1970s her popularity was as strong as ever. Later in her life, Rodrigues achieved legendary status. For the first time, she began to write and perform songs of her own. She performed at New York's Carnegie Hall in 1977. In the mid-1980s Rodrigues, a lifelong smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer; while in New York in 1984 she contemplated suicide, but renounced the idea and continued performing. All of her concerts in her later years were sellouts.

Rodrigues appeared in 1990 at the San Carlos Theatre in Lisbon, giving the first fado concert ever held there; her final world tour that year included a stop at Town Hall in New York. Her last vocal performance came in 1994 when the city of Lisbon was designated a capital of culture by the European Union. She released the last of her roughly 170 albums, For the First Time, in 1995. Amália Rodrigues died at her Lisbon home on October 6, 1999. Three days of national mourning followed her death, with large crowds waving white handkerchiefs filling Lisbon's Estrela Square. She was buried at the Prazeres Cemetery in a coffin draped in a Portuguese flag. Rodrigues had lived long enough to see fado decline in popularity and then be revived by younger singers such as Misia, Dulce Pontes, and Madredeus, all of whom acknowledged their debt to Rodrigues. Numerous CD reissues and online downloads of the music of Rodrigues remained available. Books

Question: The style of singing known as Fado comes from which European country?
Answer: PORTUGAL