Fado - A portrait of Lisbon

Artist: VARIOUS

Title: FADO, A PORTRAIT OF LISBON
Format: CD Jewel Case (12 pages booklet)
Languages: Portuguese and English
Genre: World Music / Fado / Portugal
Cat.#: SM017-CD
EAN: 5606562620257

Fado, a portrait of Lisbon is an album that portrays the typical neighbourhoods of the old Lisbon in its most genuine musical genre - fado. A journey of sound through Lisbon’s typical neighbourhoods extended until the edge of Tagus River.

Who said that fado is sad? This anthology addresses the more popular side of fado in a cheerful and faster rhythm that lead us to the imaginary of Santos Populares – the festive season of Lisbon traditionally perfumed by basil where one can taste the typical grilled sardines.

20 songs interpreted by many of the great fado singers of the twentieth century accompanied with singular mastery by the Portuguese guitar and fado

guitar. This is a Lisbon’s soundtrack featuring some live recordings made in the typical fado houses during the 50’s and 60’s, including fados corridos

(traditional fados in a faster rhythm), marchas (Lisbon’s typical, festive and popular songs) and other Lisbon’s songs, in desgarradas (sang at two or more voices) or just in one single voice.

FADO, A PORTRAIT OF LISBON

Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in Europe with more than 3000 years since its foundation; it is located at the mouth of the Tagus River - the largest of the Iberian Peninsula.

Since the early days the Portuguese capital has been a strategic and privileged point for trade and replenishment of ships between the North Sea and the Mediterranean, being as well the nearest continental European port to America. The geographical context of the seven hills city along the centuries aloud as well the cultural exchange among people from all over.

The typical neighbourhoods are an important historical heritage of the city, located in the hills of Lisbon with a stunning view over the Tagus River are of great interest for the millions of tourists who pays it a visit every year.

It was about 200 years ago in the old quarters of Alfama, Bairro Alto, Mouraria and Madragoa that fado was born and developed as port music within the humbler social classes of these neighbourhoods.

In the mid-nineteenth century fado expands to the entire Portuguese territory and become the most typical Portuguese song.
In the twentieth century fado continues to evolve, in the late 20 's male and female fado singers become professional and the fadista figure born, with

the fadistas (fado singers) appears the typical fado houses that in its majority are still today located in the oldest Lisbon’s neighbourhoods. The typical fado houses promoted cultural interaction, among other arts. It was in these houses that many of the great fado singers of the twentieth century made their debut and become major artists.

In the mid - '30s it has been formed several fado groups whose comprised big names of the time being. These groups have made extensive tours throughout the whole country and also began to perform regularly abroad.

In the 1950s and 1960s fado got definitely internationalized with Amália Rodrigues who debuted professionally in the typical fado house O Retiro da

Severa in 1939. Amália took fado worldwide and opened doors for all the fado singers that followed.

Carlos Ramos - Sempre que Lisboa canta

Hermínia Silva - Fado da Senhora da Saúde

Amália Rodrigues - Madrugada

Alfredo Marceneiro e Fernanda Maria - Bairros de Lisboa

Valentina Félix - Barcos do Tejo

Maria José da Guia - Uma casa portuguesa

Celeste Rodrigues - O fado mora em Lisboa

Maria Teresa de Noronha - Recordação

Tristão da Silva - Lisboa no Outono

Natércia da Conceição - Lisboa à noite

Maria da Fé, Lina Maria Alves, Alberto Costa, Mariana Silva, Celeste Rodrigues e Argentina Santos - Desgarrada

Isabel de Oliveira - Zé Maria

José Moreira - Ai Lisboa Lisboa

Fernanda Maria - Coisas de Lisboa

Berta Cardoso - Tia Macheta

César Morgado - Fado das Queixas

Argentina Santos - Passeio fadista

Lina Maria Alves - Tempos de ontem

Adelina Ferreira - Lisboa Antiga

Carlos Ramos - Lisboa é sempre Lisboa