History Project Logo

Kelly’s Corner 128 - Fado: The Saddest Music in the World.

Kelly’s Corner 128 - Fado: The Saddest Music in the World.
Jan Kelly writes a weekly column for Provincetown Magazine. The first fados were sung in Brazil in 1829. The genre arrived at Portugal and was first performed in Lisbon in 1836. The taverns and brothels of the Alfama and Mouraria districts were the welcoming landing spots for the new music. Daily and nightly, any who wanted to perform were encouraged by the inhabitants. The style was quickly set. Harsh and mournful words, sung with the proud stance of a story teller, erect and only the hands moving, explaining the singers plight.
Text
Provincetown Magazine
Download

Comments (0)

NOTICE: It appears you do not have Javascript enabled in your Web browser. To access some of the features on the site (including email links) you must enable Javascript and refresh the page.