"Fado" emerged in the mid-nineteenth century and is one of the main business cards in Portugal. Two of the most sounding names of this typical Portuguese style of music are Amália Rodrigues and Mariza.

 

ORIGINS

There are four theories about its origin:

• Arabic

• Brazilian

• Voice of sailors

• People’s voice

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 Fado exists as a way of expressing the concerns and state of mind of the population.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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LISBON FADO VS COIMBRA FADO

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LISBON (Appears arround 1822’s):

• It is sung typically in the oldest part of town

• It has as fundamental characteristics the singing the sadness and feeling of past sorrows lived but could also tell a joyful and fun story.

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COIMBRA  (Appears from the 1870s - 1890s)

• It has a style more linked to romanticism and love for the city

• It is very connected to the academic traditions of the Coimbra University

• It is exclusively sung by men

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MAIN TYPES OF FADO

• Fado Castiço – typical lisbon neighborhoods

• Fado Corrido – characterized by being cheerful, stray and dancing

• Fado à capela – fado without accompaniment

• Rapsódia de Fados – mixing of various fados

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FADO HOUSES

In Portugal there are many fado houses, that is, places where the good ones go to eat or just for fun and at the same time can hear several artists singing the "fado". Below are several examples of fado houses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TIMELINE

• 1830’s – Maria Severa a tavern singer in the Alfama district and the first famous fadista (singer of fado). To the accompaniment of guitars, Severa sang of real-life woes in the harmonically predictable, notably improvisational, and strikingly mournful manner that came to characterize the Lisbon style

• 1920’s and 30’s – Edmundo de Bettancourt and Lucos Junot – they are a “Coimbra Fadistas” and were instrumental in expanding the music’s listenership

• Late 1930’s – Amália Rodrigues, one of the best artists of all time. Renowned for her passionate performances, Amália pushed the Lisbon style in new directions, incorporating Spanish and Mexican rhythms and tapping contemporary poets for her lyrics

• Toward the middle of the century – fado took a “folkloric” turn, becoming a self-conscious representative of Portuguese culture. This new role, combined with the growth of the sound-recording industry, contributed both to the professionalization of fado

• 1970’s – José Alfonso pioneered a fado-based fusion music in which he combined fado with rock music, as well as with various folk music traditions. A type of political protest music that was popular throughout Latin America at the time

• Late 20th century – brought an ebb in fado’s popularity

• Early 21st century - Many artists, including Carlos do Carmo, Cristina Branco, and Mariza (the best fado artist currently, has won numerous awards in his career), had begun to expand the traditional guitar accompaniment to include piano, violin, accordion, and other instruments, while other fadistas followed in the footsteps of Alfonso, exploring new ways to blend fado with other popular genres.

 

TOP 5 FADO ARTISTS

Amália Rodrigues

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Mariza

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Camané

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Ana Moura

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Cuca Roseta

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