• Travelsignposts Home
  • Country Guides
  • City Guides
  • River Cruises
  • Europe Photos
  • About Us

Portugal Travel

  • Home
  • Photos
  • Map
  • Weather
  • Site Map
  • Destinations
  • Sightseeing
  • Shopping
  • Food
  • Getting around
  • Useful facts
  • News & Events
You are here: Home / Sightseeing / Fado – The Soulful Music of Lisbon

Fado – The Soulful Music of Lisbon

By Helen Page Leave a Comment

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Fado – An Expression of Longing and Sorrow:

Fado by Jose Malhoa

Fado is to Portugal what flamenco is to Spain: a cultural symbol. But there, for the most part, is where the similarities end. While flamenco is fiery and energetic and a combination of music and dance, fado is soulful and heart-wrenching.

This native form of music arose as a confluence of several sources: from the Lundum of Brazil, the songs of the Moors, the chants of the slaves from Africa and many others lost in the mists of history. But whatever the origins, fado music has come to be identified with Lisbon, pure and simple.

No other form can quite so completely capture both the melancholy and the longing than fado. Arriving relatively late in Portugal’s history, in the early 19th century, this Portuguese music nevertheless represents both the past and present for the country’s locals and tourists alike.

Whether it is the famed Amália Rodrigues (deceased in 1999) and her Black Boat song that laments the harsh travel of the African slaves, or a modern street performer’s croon that echoes American blues ala B.B. King, fado music is everywhere in Lisbon.

Visit a small tavern in the Bairro Alto district and you will inevitably hear some of the heart-wrenching sounds of the fadista. Accompanying himself on the medieval-lute like instrument that is part of the performance, he will play a song of longing that defines the Lisboa soul.

Combine a Lisbon city by night tour with a dinner at a typical fado restaurant.  Or, have a fine meal at any of the upscale restaurants along the Rua das Gáveas and you may hear a variation on the style, more uptempo. Step into the Travessa da Queimada, a club converted from 17th century stables, and you will hear echoes of those long-gone horse caretakers. The drink and the food will warm your soul while the singer shreds it with his music.

Lisbon by Night..

Sink into the ‘saudade’ (loosely translated as longing) and be prepared for a cathartic musical journey with a female fadista. Dressed in a black shawl, her words may tell of the death of a loved one. Or, they may speak of the striving for freedom so long denied. But underneath the despair you will also hear the passion for living that imbues the Portuguese people.

From the Latin word for fate, fado speaks of the inescapable. But it also tears at the heart which yearns for the future. Few other forms of expression can so skillfully capture sadness and joy and intermingle them so well.

Stroll over to the Alfama neighbourhood and you will hear a slightly different style, one informed by the Moors who once dominated the area. Full of artists of all types, this area offers fado music more similar to that of the students of Coimbra. Wearing the traditional heavy black cape, the strings are strummed and the song begins. Before long the tears start to flow. They are not just tears of sadness, but of readiness to embrace whatever comes.

Plan ahead and you can even attend a performance by the famed group, Madredeus. They will ensure that you don’t leave without understanding, at least with the heart if not the mind, the music that is Fado.

Click here to get a free PDF of this post

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Sightseeing Tagged With: amalia rodrigues, fadistas, fado lisbon, fado music, fado portugal, fados, portuguese music

avatar

About Helen Page

Helen Page is a prolific blogger and ardent traveller; she runs Travelsignposts with her professional writer and photographer husband Tony.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

You can also find us on

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Latest Additions

  • Castelo Arraiolos – The Arraiolos Castle on the Hill
  • Arraiolos – Famous for its Embroidery and Arraiolos Carpets
  • Wine and Cheese Tasting in Arraiolos
  • Elevador de Santa Justa – An Eccentric Lisbon Elevator
  • Caldo Verde – A Portuguese Kale Soup

Plan and Book Your Trip


eNews and Updates

feedburner Sign up now to get emailed news as well as other site updates!

Get the Guerrilla Travel Photography ebook here now!
City Guides
Country Guides
River Cruises

Who is behind Travelsignposts?

Helen and Tony Page at Singapore Changi Airport

We're Helen and Tony Page, and we love travelling - lucky as we've been doing it for the last few decades!

Tony has long been a professional photographer and writer, but Helen now writes most of the posts and takes a lot of photos herself!

Travelsignposts is our main travel planning site, but we've just launched Travelsignposts China and Tony also runs the Travelsignposts Photo and Guerrilla Travel Photography web sites, as well as publishing the Take Better Digital Photos and Guerrilla Travel Photography eBooks.

Read more about Helen and Tony or contact them.

Other Countries

  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Croatia
  • Czech Republic
  • Devon & Cornwall
  • England
  • Estonia
  • Europe (General)
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Scotland
  • Spain
  • Switzerland
  • Turkey
  • Ukraine

Resources

  • Take Better Digital Photos eBook Take Better Digital Photos eBook
  • Take Better Digital Photos Free eCourse
  • Travel Signposts Photo – our main travel photography site
  • Guerrilla Travel Photography eBook Guerrilla Travel Photography eBook

Copyright © 2023 ·Lifestyle Pro Theme · Genesis Framework by StudioPress · WordPress · Log in

Get a free PDF of this post!
Just enter your email address below and we'll send it to you immediately.

Please enter your Email Address