All the times I've visited Portugal, and I was yet to go see a Fado show. Time to remedy that. After a fabulous Bites and Banter tour visiting the Bolhao Market with our guide Sean (from Singapore), I arranged to meet 4 of my fellow tour attendees (from the UK) whose hotel happened to be opposite mine. Small world. They just happened to have booked a show close, by so I tagged along.
What exactly is Fado? It's a Portuguese folk music style that emerged in the early 19th century, primarily in Lisbon. The word "fado" comes from the Latin fatum, meaning "fate," reflecting the focus on destiny and life's hardships. Traditionally, fado is performed by a singer, known as a fadista, accompanied by a guitarra Portuguesa (a 10- or 12-string guitar).
The place we went to was lovely - small, welcome glass of port on entry. On came the guitarist and the singer. There is certainly a lot of emotion. Songs of heartbreak and loss. The unwritten rule to not speak during the performance is easy. It feels like such a serious performance. It’s beautiful, dramatic, and somehow makes you feel nostalgic for things that never even happened to you. That’s fado: the art of being sad… professionally.
Actually, it was not as "sad" as I had expected. Towards the end it was far more upbeat and joyful. Sometimes the long lost sailors do return home from the sea and all is well in the world. I enjoyed it.
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