Portugal is the home of some of the most passionate and beautiful music in the world – the fado. The exact origin of fado is unknown (slave music, seafarers’ laments, Moorish songs?), although it can be traced to the early 1800s. The word fado actually means “fate,” so, as you might be able to imagine, the style is often slow and sorrowful, and the lyrics are usually about love, pain, nostalgia, the sea, and longing (saudade) for Portugal. Traditionally, fado can be sung by men or women, usually solo, but sometimes also in duets, accompanied by one or two guitarists.
Although beginning in the 1930s the dictatorship of António de Oliveira Salazar forced fado singers to become professional and perform in vaudeville-type shows, traditionally they were sung in taverns, brothel houses, or street corners. Now that the dictatorship is over, I wouldn’t advise visiting a brothel, and you can’t hear fado on the street either, so I suggest going to a bar in Bairro Alto, an old neighborhood and the center of night life in the city.
A Tasca do Chico - The owner standing to sing
There are countless bars and restaurants advertising Fado dinners, but they seem a bit “dinner theater”-ish/touristic. I suggest skipping the dinner and going straight to a bar, particularly A Tasca do Chico (Chico’s Tavern). On Wednesday nights, amateurs are invited to sing their favorite fado for the packed audience from 10 pm to around 2 in the morning. Some are average singers and some are brilliant, but everyone who sings fado sings with passion. Even if you can’t understand the lyrics, you can definitely feel their meaning.
A Tasco da Chico - A woman performs "Carmencita" to a full house
I’m only mildly embarrassed to admit that I actually shed tears while one short, middle-aged woman with lots of make up and a traditional fado shawl sang a song about Carmencita, “the most beautiful gypsy in the caravan” who had no heart. Unfortunately, my camera refused to record the performance, but maybe it was better that way. I couldn’t take my eyes or ears off performance as I was forced to lose myself in the performance and experience it with all my sense and no distractions. You can watch the original, slightly faster version of the song here.
A Tasca do Chico - Newspaper clippings and album covers on the wall
A Tasca do Chico is all about the intimate, homey atmosphere. Album covers, strange cartoons, and photos of guests decorate the walls while local and international football club scarves adorn the ceilings. And you never know who might stand up to sing – even one of the most famous fado singers of today, Mariza, has been known to drop by for a few songs. Other times, the owner might come up for a couple of rounds and the audience might even join in for choruses of classic songs. Their voices fill every corner of the bar so you can’t miss a note, and your skin just can’t help turning to gooseflesh.
A Tasca do Chico - Football scarves decorate the ceiling
If you want to be able to sit down and enjoy the performances, the atmosphere, and some tapas and drinks beforehand, call or drop by for reservations the day before, as the place becomes quite packed (people peer through the windows and doors to watch the performances).
A Tasca do Chico - Fado fans peeking through the window from outside
A Tasca do Chico
Rua do Diário de Notícias, 39
Lisbon, Portugal
+351 21 343 10 40
I love the fado. I remember one of the best known fadista, Amalia Rodrigues, who sang in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s. She was known as the “queen of the fado”. She made me cry. I assume ther must be a lot of CDs with her music.
I can’t wait to go to Portugal.
She is still the “Queen of fado” and she is one of the few that deserved a place in the National Patheon. There is a recent project with some Portuguese pop artists that sing her songs. Might be worth checking out. The project is called Amália Hoje and here is a sample video.
Yup, the link I posted in the section about “Carmencita” is the version actually sung my Amalia Rodrigues. If you click on it, you can also see lots of old videos of her on YouTube in the related videos section…even some of her performing in Romania!
Thank you for the video. I’ve been watching her for the last half lour and I cannot stop.
I just watched her now and I remembered the song from the time she was in Romania. Beauuuutiful!
Andreea speaks the truth… Mariza has been a Tasca do Chico! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GoM0m9LmWA&feature=related