[prisna-wp-translate]
[prisna-wp-translate]
Fado is a style of music symbolising Portugal all over the world. It captures the soul and heart of the Portuguese people and the music is influenced heavily by Portugal’s diverse history. The scholars don’t even quite know if the music perhaps existed before Portugal as a country did. But maybe it does not matter as it has followed the Portuguese people through good and bad times.
Despite capturing Portugal’s soul, the fado is not national music but more of the folklore music of, in particular, Lisbon, Porto and the university town of Coimbra. Other towns and areas have their own folklore music.Â
One theory of the origin of fado is that it came from the Moors, who lived near Lisbon and who stayed on even after the Christian take-over. It would make sense that the melancholy and sadness of the songs could have their base in the rhythm of the songs of the Moors. However, there is another theory stating that the fado came to Portugal inspired by Lundum, the music of Brazilian slaves. This theory would have the music arriving in Portugal with the sailors returning from trips overseas in the early to mid 1900-century. It is thought that it took a while before the music started to evolve from Lundum into the fado. Supporting this belief is the fact that the first songs of this kind did not only refer to the sea but also to the land far beyond, where the slaves lived. In the song “the Black Boat†the lyrics talk about the “senzala†which is the place where the slaves were kept. 
But the theories don’t stop there. Another one claims that the origin of the music goes all the way back to the middle ages, to the times of the minstrels and the jesters. Anyway, fado seems to have first appeared in Lisbon and Porto, and was later taken to Coimbra by the University students and having there acquired different characteristics.
It is thought that the word fado comes from the Latin word for fate and that is often reflected in the lyrics. In Lisbon and Porto, often the songs are melancholic and sad, they deal with love and loss. The music gives a glimpse into the Portuguese soul. The Portuguese believe in destiny, the fate that they cannot escape, heart over reason that leads to passion and despair. Both men and women can sing fado. 
The male singer often wears a black suit and sings about love, his city, his miseries in life, society, and the scrupulous politicians. An important ingredient in every song is “saudadeâ€. That word means longing, longing for lost ones, longing for old, better times and of course the longing for love. The female singer wears black, often a dress and usually with a black shawl over her shoulders. Her voice would be mournful and her singing focusses on love and death, the death of loved ones and death from lost love. 
In the old part of Lisbon and Porto, you can find fado houses or taverns. They are small, old, and are often without heating. These places are often decorated with symbols of the fado like the black shawl and the Portuguese guitar. By tradition, the audience should applaud by clapping their hands. However, in Coimbra, the audience applauds the performance by making a little sound like the sound when you clear your throat. The sad fado songs of Lisbon is what most people think about when they think about fado. However, there is, in fact, another style which is a happier one.
In Coimbra, we find a different motivation behind the fado and that is reflected both in the sound and lyrics. Little by little, young people came from Lisbon and Porto and brought their guitars and songs with them to Coimbra. The new music style was appreciated by the younger crowd. They adored the way to express their love and longing. In Coimbra, the fado evolved into a style for expressing the students’ feelings for one another. And sometimes they sing about a loved one they had to leave behind when going to university. Nowadays, fado is the official goodbye music at the university. 
Traditionally, students in Portugal wear black suits and heavy capes and that has become the official fado attire in Coimbra. Perhaps it may seem a little gloomy to serenade a loved one while dressed in all black, but the truth is that it is very suitable. The serenades are romantic and beautiful and happen always at night time. The guitars, voices and the black capes create a very romantic atmosphere all through the narrow alleyways of the university town. 
The most famous fado singer was Maria Servera who was a tall, beautiful prostitute. She who was born in 1820 in Lisbon. She used to sing and play the Portuguese guitar in her mother’s bar. The modern fado was developed by Amâlia Rodrigues (1920-1999). She sang to larger orchestras and put music to famous poets’ words. When she died, there was a national day of mourning.   Â