Portuguese music
Portugal is today one of the prominent countries of the European Union and have consolidated their position as one of the premier world powers. Portugal has had since the ancient times interacted with various cultural influences and have thus inherited a very rich cultural heritage. Portuguese music is very famous mostly because of its traditional folk music trends like the regional folk songs and most importantly the ‘fado’. However, modern musical forms like reggae, pop and hip hop are also equally popular in the country.
The fado, meaning ‘fate’ in Portuguese is the indigenous musical form practiced by the urban poor populace of Lisbon where it had originated. There are conflicting notions regarding the origin of fado. While some attribute it to the Arabian influences, some others believe that they were the songs of sorrow sung by bereaving women whose husband’s sailed into the seas in the 15th century. This is also evident in the lyrics of the fado songs which are quite ruthless while depicting the deep grief and poverty of the singer while retaining utmost dignity and prestige. The fado songs are sung in the accompaniment of a Portuguese guitar. The fado has been made famous worldwide by performers like Jose Afonso and Amalia Rodrigues. |