Fado

A question mostly directed at our Portuguese members:

On Tuedsday night, I attended a fado concert (in Germany) by Misia. I'd never heard of her. I went because some time ago, I'd heard a radio feature reporting that fado was back in fashion again in Portugal, and that a new wave of fadistas (is that the correct word?) were blowing some of the cobwebs out of the genre while remaining faithful to the best of the tradition.

The concert was excellent and still resonates in my head. Does anybody know this singer? Is she well-known in Portugal, or was I just lucky to have caught her here?

Any records/CDs?

 

Mariza:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos...5196/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_11_1/202-7777807-5548629

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos...5196/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_11_2/202-7777807-5548629

 

Amalia Rodrigues:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/202-7777807-5548629

Mafalda Arnauth:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/202-7777807-5548629

Michaelab is your man on this one.

 

I hadn't heard of Misia but looking at her site (http://www.uk.misia-online.com/) it looks like all the songs on her album "Canto" were written by Carlos Paredes who is very well known here.

I have the Mariza album "Fado em mim" (recommended by Dino above) and I like it. TBH I like a lot of Fado and have a few old Amália Rodrigues albums too. Amália was the undisputed queen of Fado but I think her death a few years ago has allowed a new younger breed of somewhat less traditional Fado artists emerge.

I don't know the history of Fado at all well and no doubt lowrider, RdS and Vermeer will correct me here but Fado had many associations with the Salazar dictatorship that only ended in 1974 and therefore it is often viewed with some cynicism by many Portuguese.

As far as I know, Fado is not as old and traditional as many people think or would have you believe . It was more or less "created" by the Salazar regime in the 30s as another tool with which to keep the masses happy. Clearly that's not the whole truth as Fado has clear Arabic and Middle Eastern influences which obviously go back to the Arabic occupation of Portugal (and Spain) some 8-900 years ago but there's no evidence of Fado as it's known today existing prior to the 1920s.

During the Salazar regime Portugal was the country of the three 'F's: Fado, Fátima and Football. In many way's it's still true, especially the Fátima and Football bit.

See here:
http://www.portcult.com/Portugal.01.INTRODUCTION.htm
..for a fairly light hearted look at the Portuguese

Michael.

 

La Ultima Porta

Ah Fado. Bizarely enough for a genre steeped in sentimentalism and Catholic fatalism Fado is hugely successful in Holland. Strange, but true.
I rather enjoy the works of all those mentioned above and would add Christina Branco (a superstar in Belgium, apparently). THere does seem to be a vaguely African feel to Fado in places, despite the music's total lack of "Native Frenzy" Some of the Mozambican music I've heard is close to Fado in spirit (although that could quite easily be the influence of Fado in Mozambique during the time of Salazar) and, of course, there is Cesaria Evoria's "Morna" music from Cabo Verde. Not to mention many kinds of Brazilian music...