FADO IN CHIADO - FADO LIVE SHOW

“Fado in Chiado” was born of a cultural vacuum in one of the most important, popular tourist destinations in Lisbon, which itself is one of the most visited capitals in Europe.

Now in its 16th year, “Fado in Chiado” and its online peer “Fado in Lisbon” were pioneers in offering a live traditional Fado show every evening, with performances by two musicians playing the Portuguese guitar and the viola de fado guitar, accompanying two singers - one female, the other male.

We can honestly say that while Fado has a national dimension, it is no less true that Lisbon has a special connection with this form of communication.

Fado is inseparable from the Portuguese guitar, the viola de fado, the lyrics and the voices. It is in this mix, this meeting, this dependence that the art that brings Fado to life happens.

Almost all the great Portuguese poets have had their works performed by great national voices. These bards include Camões, Fernando Pessoa, Sofia de Mello Breyner, Pedro Homem de Mello, Alexandre O’Neill, David Mourão Ferreira, Linhares Barbosa, Manuel Alegre, Natália Correia, Ary dos Santos, Jaime Santos, Jorge Fernando and many, many more.

Through the years, these poets have recounted tales of different ages, moments, spaces and “lives” in our minds, creating visions of nostalgic longing (saudade), joyful memories and timeless sensations.

The players are musicians sharing emotions through their mastery of the guitar, using their voices and establishing an intimacy that, in Fado, turns into an unparalleled sensory experience.

Many musicians have excelled at this art, including Armandinho, António Chainho, Fontes Rocha, Mário Pacheco, Joel Pina, Luis Guerreiro, Alcino Frazão, António Parreira, Carlos Gonçalves, Ricardo Rocha, Fernando Silva, Ângelo Freire, António Portugal and João Silva, to name but a few. During their careers, virtuoso musicians have played with the great voices of Fado while also performing in their own name or enjoying huge personal success with their own music.

While it often appears to the outside world that Fado is a style sung by women, many men have also carved out successful national and international careers by singing Fado or including the genre in their musical portfolio: Alfredo Marceneiro, Artur Ribeiro, António Menano, António dos Santos, António Rocha, António Mourão, Artur Ribeiro, Vicente da Câmara, Vasco Rafael, Artur Batalha, Carlos do Carmo, Camané, Carlos Ramos, Carlos Zel, Manuel de Almeida, Fernando Farinha, Marco Rodrigues, André Vaz, Max, Fernando Mauricio, Filipe Pinto, José da Câmara, Francisco José, Hélder Moutinho, Gonçalo Salgueiro, João Braga, João Ferreira Rosa, Nuno de Aguiar, Nuno da Câmara Pereira, Pedro Moutinho, Rodrigo Costa Félix, Miguel Capucho, Rodrigo, Ricardo Ribeiro, Tony de Matos, Tristão da Silva, António Zambujo, Paulo de Carvalho and many more.

Different voices, personal interpretations, distinctive postures, diverse times and personalities, but all of them sing as they tell the stories that poets have dreamed and written down.

Let’s look at the female voices associated with Fado. We can start with the legend that was “Severa”, a woman who has gone down in history as being the first to sing of love, suffering, sadness and joy, and who “spoke to us” about life through Fado.

Also, when speaking of Fado on the world stage, of the female voice, of poetic innovation and irreverence, we cannot forget the greatest of the great, the focus of all the spotlights, Amália Rodrigues.

The fame of this Portuguese artist spread throughout the world as she enjoyed an unequalled career and matchless success. Amália was, and will forever be the best Fado singer of all time. With her, Fado was ushered into the world’s most important concert halls. Amália Rodrigues stood on a par with the greatest international singers of her day: Charles Aznavour, Frank Sinatra, Julio Iglésias, Edith Piaff, Lola Flores, Juliette Greco, Rita Pavone, Cliff Richard, Gilbert Bécaud, Joe Dolan, Connie Francis and so many more.

For decades, Amália Rodrigues went on dozens of world tours, singing in the world’s major cities on all five continents, spreading the word about the best of Portuguese culture. From Madrid to Buenos Aires, Paris to Rio de Janeiro, Berlin to Rome, Tokyo to New York, so many of the world’s great cities welcomed Amália with a standing ovation.

Amália performed and recorded in languages other than Portuguese. She appeared on the main TV channels of the day, including TVE, RAI, FRANCE 2, TV GLOBO, CANAL 13, BBC, TV Galiza, TV Newark USA, NBC, CBS and others.

Amália received many tributes from Portugal and around the world from a number of sources, including:

• 16 July 1958 she was made a Dame of the Order of San'tiago da Espada. A distinction awarded by Marcelo Caetano at the Brussels International Fair.
• In 1970 she was made a Dame (Chevalier) of France’s Order of Arts and Letters.
• 16 February 1971 she was made an Officer of the Order of San'tiago da Espada.
• Also in 1971 she received the Lebanese National Order of the Cedar.
• 9 April 1981 she was made a Grand Officer of the Order of Prince Henry.
• In 1985 she was promoted to the rank of Commander (Commandeur) of the Order of Arts and Letters by France’s Minister of Culture, Jack Lang
• 4 January 1990 she was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of San'tiago da Espada by Mário Soares in a ceremony at Coliseu dos Recreios.
• In 1990 she was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
• In 1991 she was made a Dame (Chevalier) of the Legion of Honour, by the President of France, François Mitterrand
• 27 July 1998 she was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry.

Speaking of female Fado singers, there are many more who have built and continue to build successful careers. These include Mariza, Berta Cardoso, Ana Moura, Anita Guerreiro, Ada de Castro, Ana Sofia Varela, Alexandra, Aldina Duarte, Argentina Santos, Beatriz da Conceição, Celeste Rodrigues, Carminho, Cidália Moreira, Cristina Branco, Cuca Roseta, Deolinda Rodrigues, Dulce Pontes, Ercília Costa, Fernanda Maria, Fábia Rebordão, Fernanda Baptista, Fernanda Peres, Florência, Gisela João, Helena Tavares, Rute Soares, Hermínia Silvia, Lenita Gentil, Mafalda Arnouth, Joana Amendoeira, Lucília do Carmo, Katia Guerreiro, Maria Albertina, Maria Amélia Proença, Maria Armanda, Maria Ana Bobone, Maria Clara, Maria da Fé, Maria da Nazaré, Maria de Lurdes Resende, Maria Teresa de Noronha, Maria Valejo, Mísia, Natércia Maria, Teresa Siqueira, Raquel Tavares, Teresa Tapadas, Sandra Correia, Teresa Tarouca, Yolanda Soares, Anabela, Ana Pinhal and so many more.

It is in this historical, cultural, social and human milieu that Fado belongs within the framework of Portuguese culture and world music. It is also with the idea of continuing to show Lisbon visitors who come to Chiado and discover the sights of the city of seven hills that “Fado in Chiado” presents the sounds and shared emotions of those who sing of a people’s soul and proclaim the emotions of a nation that likes to feel saudade!

According to historians, this Lusitanian style first appeared in poorer neighbourhoods in the mid-19th century, when it was often used to pass on local news. Fado singers recounted the news in words that reflected daily life in the different neighbourhoods. It gradually outgrew its boundaries and by the turn of the century was being performed in taverns and inns frequented by members of different social classes. There it became the “national song” because it often expressed the best and worst about how the Portuguese people were feeling at the time. It is also said that Fado is a meeting of cultures, with its African and Arab influences.

Soundtracks of Portuguese films often include Fado as a major feature, even enabling some artists to advance their careers. Examples of this are “Os amantes do Tejo”, “A Severa”, “Sol e Toiros”, “Fado: Historia de uma Cantadeira”, “Cantiga da Rua” and “O Costa do Castelo”.

New ways of promoting culture appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. Fado was one of the main beneficiaries, especially with the appearance of revues featuring big-name Fado artists, which led to some huge, historic successes. It was also around this time that new professional Fado artists emerged to take Fado to the rest of the country. There were great Fado performances at Parque Mayer, both in the traditional and the “fado song” style, as it was called, when the singers were accompanied by small orchestras.

Portugal and Fado are both reflections of the same identity, that of a 900-year-old country in which the sea is the mirror of a people who have conquered and been conquered by different cultures and ways of life. A people who sing of their destiny to the soulful sound of a guitar and in the voices of those who, through their souls, express what the past has held and what the future inspires!