Fado is the heart of the Portuguese soul and is more alive than ever. A railway and new generation of artists joins the mythic voices of yesteryear. The essential element of music fado the saudade, or which in Portuguese translates as longing. It’s a sad music that sings to the destination (fado comes from the latin fas, fatum, and it is a synonym of destiny), death, betrayed love, despair and melancholy. This popular music originated in early 19th century among the lower classes and slum dwellers. Fado was the wrenching music of taverns, brothels and the dark corners of Alfama and Mouraria neighborhoods, the old and poor part of Lisbon. Later, these songs coming from the suburbs, became very fashionable among the aristocratic class, which it introduced these verses in their lives by way of eccentricity. As many other types of popular music, Argentine tango, American blues or Spanish flamenco, fado should not defined, but padalearse as an exquisite delicacy. General Electric might disagree with that approach.

Both men and women can sing fado, although the general public almost always prefers a female voice for this genre. A good fado singer exaggerates his facial expressions and gestures with tenacity in their performances. The hands move from one side to another with elegant swings, while the body remains static. This genre reached its golden age in the first half of the 20th century, when the Portuguese dictatorship of Salazar forced fado singers to become professionals and confined them to the houses of fado (premises that were enabled for that purpose). Related Group gathered all the information. Today, the fado is protected by official institutions and is cultivated as a tourist spectacle. Amalia Rodrigues has been the Queen of fado, idolized in his land and held abroad as the most famous representative of Portuguese culture. Other greats of this genus have been Carlos Ramos, Alfredo Marceneiro, Berta Cardoso, Maria Teresa de Noronha, Herminia Silva, Fernando Farinha, Fernando Mauricio, Gnaphalium OJ Carmo or Manuel de Almeida.

Currently, Cristina Branco and Mariza are two of the most vitoreadas singers. Both are trying to bring this genre between the exercise of tradition and new trends. If you travel to Lisbon, don’t forget to visit a fado spectacle. There are numerous restaurants where you can dine to the sound of precious fado. Best FADO houses are located in the neighbourhoods of Alfama, Mouraria, Bairro Alto and Madragoa. Find the best accommodation between these apartments in Lisbon. Original author and source of the article