Fado is one of the greatest cultural legacies of the Portuguese people. But where, how and when did it came to be?
Today we’re off to discover the rich history of the most characteristically Portuguese musical style.
The context of its origin is rural and popular: 18th century Lisbon, during moments of fraternization and recess.
The very first lyrics were sung in environments of social inequality, it was usually improvised, and the theme was mostly everyday life in settings mostly frequented by prostitutes, sailors and, in many cases, prisoners who sang their songs from their cells in a rough and hoarse voice… As one might expect, because of the “type of people” who sang it, at the time, fado was despised by Portuguese high society.
When Teatro Revista decided to create a musical dedicated to it, sung by renowned actresses and famous fado singers, it gradually lost its marginal status.
In the 20th century, it already held considerable cultural importance, with new venues for shows that turned fado into a commercial product. Therefore, companies of fadistas emerged, such as the “Troupe Guitarra de Portugal”, which included Ercília Costa (1902-1985).
Listening fado in specific establishments would become an established cultural practice, especially in areas with a strong fado tradition, such as Bairro Alto in Lisbon, from the 1930s onwards, which is when the style was introduced in the seventh art, when Leitão de Barros made the first Portuguese film with sound.
This growth in popularity has led to the loss of one of fado’s greatest and most striking characteristics: improvisation.
In the 50’s, the Salazar regime began to capitalize on the international renown of Amália Rodrigues to strengthen its own image. To this day, Amália is a national icon, known and recognized as the “only Portuguese Diva”.
Today, fado is almost unrecognizable without its faithful companion: the Portuguese guitar, but it has had other forms such as danced and spoken fado. Armando Augusto Freire, a guitarist known for the incredible melodies he composed on its six strings, is one of the biggest names in the segment.
After the 25th of April (when Estado Novo fell) the arts became even more important in celebrating this newly acquired freedom, with the appearance of artists such as Carlos do Carmo (winner of the only Portuguese Grammy) or Paulo de Carvalho and António Variações.
These days, fado is known for its melancholic and longing tone, with several names recognized all over the world, Mariza topping the list with concerts in some of the biggest venues and Carminho making an increasingly remarkable journey, now even in Hollywood.
