Silence fado is going to be sang

Abstract

In this article I will try to explain how the strange consistency of a genre that all the Portuguese people recognize as theirs, which the whole world recognizes as Portuguese, is shaped – the social framework of fado, its most striking characteristics, lyrics, musical base and instruments used, traditional fado and improvisation. And the silence too… I am not a musicologist or a historian. I am a singer (cantadeira) who talks about fado as if it were a friend. This text was the basis for a presentation at the seminar “Processos composicionais na música brasileira – a musicalidade no lundum e no fado, na chula e no samba” (5ª Mostra de Música Leão do Norte, Sesc Santo Amaro – Recife, October 2014).

I will provide some examples of music throughout the text. I am accompanied by António Queiroz, Nuno Siqueira (Portuguese guitar) and Rui Silveira (guitar) in a “rehearsal mode”. I warmly thank both of them. I also thank Rodrigo Lacerda for his support recording the videos.