Thanks for the 'Fado'documentary,
I finally managed to catch it and it was superb!
I didn't know much about Fado,specifically,before seeing the program,but the essence of the music reminded me of 3 other types of music I have head and enjoyed:
1)The olde English Medieval type,using the lute/lyre.
2)The gypsy(Romany) music of France and Spain.
and 3) The ululating sounds of the Middle/Near East and North Africa.So, I was pretty chuffed to hear later,in the description of the history of the music,how the movements of the poor working people/travelers,demographics etc,throughout history had carried the music,especially across the oceans and seas,from and TO these places.From the Moors to Napoleonic France and all sorts inbetween.
I loved the passionate,"melancholy" feeling behind the songs,yet it was a strong passion and longing,that seemed to say,'it doesn't matter what you do to me,or mine,we will survive,because we are patient AND have hope'!
It reminded me of travelling through the Mediterranean and Middle East and seeing all the different wonderful peoples that lived and worked from the sea(especially the wonderful lyrics about the Fisherwomen,with sea-gulls and seaweed in their hair)and were respectfully in tune with nature,because they knew that it was their life-blood.And they would never take TOO much,just what they needed!
You could feel the luscious climate too,in the music! The sea-breezes and warm air-currents,blowing from the oceans OR the dry deserts,carrying salt or sand OR BOTH,LOL!
The smell of the harbours and fish.Starting work early when it is cooler,taking rest,shade and food during the midday sun,and finishing the work as the sun sets! Then wine and balcony/street music wafting on the warm air from houses and cafes.People in the neighbourhoods talking on the balconies or on the steps of houses.Children playing and laughing!
I loved the way they described the music as a way of passing down stories and legends of their culture,history and struggles,whether monetary,political or romantic.
Even the string instruments,Spanish and Portugese guitars,fiddles,lutes,violins all spoke of feelings that are often hard to put into words.The Portugese Guitar,reminded me of the heart,with it's tinkling,innocent,optimistic sound.It reminded me of glass chandeliers tinkling in the breeze.
Then the deeper tone of the Spanish Guitar almost like the bass voice of the soul.Deeper and a little more sad,as if yearning for something lost or not quite able to reach!
The violins(at the concerts)were lovely too,like the sound of hope rising again with the sun!
Mariza's vocals were beautiful too.Deep from the soul and heart,more than lyrics contrived from the mind only. The words in the songs were the media,or the 'press',telling the story of the day,and the plight of the people.
The ululation sounds,made me think of Bedouin tribes(North Africa etc) and Romany cultures,who live and work the climate and follow the land.Efficient but not manic(too darn hot!).
Then they mentioned how Fado had moved along,historically,from Western/Eastern Europe,North Africa etc and it all the images made sense.The historial movements of the people!
I wasn't even surprised to see how the music was threatened with censorship,then abused by propoganda,by the governments during the Fascist regimes.Fado being the language of the heart and soul of the hard-working poor,patient and often humorous,fatalistic people,it is bound to be a medium of the truth and pain inside the people,expressing their turmoils(blues).Just like today,where the voice of the people is often surpressed,as much as possible,by a biased State media!
Heck,the music cafes,down those narrow shady streets,must have stirred up as much passion as ANY union meeting LOL! No dictatorship likes that kind of under-ground power,strength and resistence that Fado represented.
The whole essence of Fado was beaufifully shown,along with the interviews and local geography. It also made me think of Greek and Turkish coastal areas/villages and cultures.LOL! The wonderful taste of STRONG Arabic coffee-bean,with the smell,and the sound,of the ocean in the background with people sitting,talking and laughing together!!!
If that's "FADO", then it's good fate!
Peace,Salaam,Shalom(and whatever it is in Portugese!Lol!)

p.s. My version of 'the fisherwoman',because I can't remember the exact words:
..her hair was plaited in a fishing-net,
a basket of fish on her head,
her breath smelled of the ocean
and seaweed covered the bed!

p.p.s. Thanks again for the program LinkTV!!

Fado (which translates to "fate") has been called the "Blues of Portugal;" it is a distillation of the nation's soul into music, where saudade (regret) and stoicism coexist with passion. But sometimes I think it is too easy to label something "the blues of_______" For me, the blues is pretty specific stuff. What qualities do you think a genre must possess to merit that comparison?

Michal Shapiro
Associate Director of Music Programming