Fado - The Soulful Music of Lisbon

Fado, Portugese for "fate", is to Portugal what flamenco is to Spain: a cultural symbol for many and a way of life for some. That's pretty much where the similarities end, however. Flamenco is fiery, energetic and vigorous...a cocktail made of equal parts music and dance. Fado, on the other hand is sad and soulful...full of laments for the slings and arrows of life.

Arising over time from a mix of the chants of slaves, songs of the Moors, and the Lundu, a Brazilian dance which originated in Angola, this slow and stirring music, whose actual sources are blurred in the mists of time, is now firmly and fully identified with Lisbon.

No other musical form can quite so completely capture the pathos of the poor, the melancholy and striving of the common man, and woman, than fado. Arriving in Portugal in the early 19th century, a relatively late point in Portugal's history, it still manages to represent both past and present for locals and tourists alike.

Whether it is the famed Amália Rodrigues (1920 - 1999) and her Black Boat song lamenting the harsh conditions of the African slave ships, or the crooning of a modern street performer's echo of an American blues great such as B.B. King, fado is found everywhere in Lisbon.

In about any small back street tavern in the Bairro Alto district, you can inevitably hear some of the heart-wrenching sounds of the fadista, or singer of fado. He will accompany himself on the Guitarra Portuguesa, an instrument similar to the medieval, that is an integral part of the performance. With this specific instrument, he will play and sing a song of longing that defines the Lisboa soul.

Visit the Rua das Gáveas for a fine meal at any of the upscale restaurants in the area, and you may hear a collection of variations on the traditional style, but probably more uptempo. Step into the Travessa da Queimada, a club which has been converted from 17th century stables, and you will hear echoes of even those long-gone horse grooms and hostlers. The drink and the food will warm your soul while the singer casts a cold and yet fiery pall over it with his music.

Let yourself follow the fadista into the 'saudade' (loosely translated as 'the longing') and prepare for a cathartic musical journey. Dressed in a somtimes almost obligatory black shawl, her words may tell of the death of a loved one or speak of the striving for a freedom so long denied. Within the despair you will still be able to discern the passion for living that is so characteristic of the Portuguese people.

Fado speaks of the inescapable...of destiny. It also tears at the heart yearning for the future. Few other forms of musical or poetic expression can so skillfully capture sadness and joy and intermingle them so well.

Stroll over to the neighborhood of Alfama and you will almost certainly hear a slightly different fado style, one which has been textured by the Moors who once dominated the area. With many artists of all types, this area offers a form of fado more similar to that of the students of Coimbra. Clad in the traditional heavy black cape, the strings of the Guitarra Portuguesa are strummed and the song begins. Soon, tears start to flow. They are not just tears of sadness, but of readiness to embrace whatever comes.

With a little prior planning, you can even attend a performance by a well-known fado group, such as Madredeus. They will ensure that you don't leave without an understanding fire having been lit in your heart...if not your mind...by fado!

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