Portuguese music was in common with Spanish music, and its development also took place with it. The most common genre of songs was Portuguese fado - a composition performed with one voice and lyrical in nature.
History
From Portuguese fado means "fatum". Fatum in ancient Rome personified fate. The main feature of the genre is the acceptance of a bitter life and humility with it.
The history of this genre is still controversial. From some sources - it is of Arab origin, from others - Brazilian roots.
The most popular version says that the capital of the Portuguese fado was Lisbon. The genre originated in the second quarter of the 19th century. Fadu arose in the oldest Lisbon area - Alfama, where there was a mixture of peoples. Representatives of the Iberian Islands, and Africa (after the period of the existence of the colonies of Portugal), and South America lived in it.
The source of the genre was dances such as Fofa (from Portugal and Brazil), Lund (from Africa), as well as fandango (from Spain).
Literature with poetry, which was inseparable from music, is considered another version of the source: modinha (love lyrics with a note of sentimentalism) and quatrain (rhymed quatrain).
Stages
Conventionally, there are 4 stages of the development of the Portuguese fado song:
During this period, the romance lives in the circles of a simple and poor marginalized people. At the beginning of its journey, the Portuguese song was performed in taverns of scarce areas and only the male half.
Fadu sneaks into the upper strata and captures the hearts of aristocrats. No wonder this period is also called "aristocratic." At that time, Lisbon was limited in terms of nightlife, because some representatives of the upper strata made their way into the "sinful" rooms of the common people (the neighborhoods of Murarii and Alfama).
In this period of time there is a quantitative growth of the works of the Portuguese fado and its subsequent distribution. In the XX century, these processes took place under authoritarian-dictatorial power, which affected the possibility of speeches. Lyrics were not without censorship, and performers needed permission to perform them.
Fadu comes out of the shadow of folklore sources and goes into the professional genre. After the collapse of Salazar’s power (the Portuguese Prime Minister) and revolutionary events, the song experiences a recession, but subsequently becomes a national treasure, which is still relevant today.
Kinds
The Portuguese Fado romance, based on location, is divided into Lisbon and Coimbra subspecies.
- Lisbon is the capital of Portugal and the main port of the country.
- Coimbra - one of the Portuguese cities, which is the center of the eponymous district and the municipality of Beira Litoral.
The Coimbra subspecies was imported from Lisbon and absorbed the traditions of the Belcanto era. It is a conservative singing of students at the University of Coimbra. The tradition developed in the upper strata of society and was performed only by men.
The melody is simple and without any improvisations. The meaning lies precisely in the text, which, unlike the fado of Lisbon, tried to instill optimism and hope in people.
How is it performed?
As mentioned earlier, at the beginning of its journey, the genre of Portuguese fado was sung exclusively by men. However, then women joined the number of performers.
The composition is performed in one voice to the accompaniment of a classical or Portuguese guitar (instrumentalists called "guitarradash") sometimes in the amount of two strings. In addition to the above options, the compositions could accompany the bass type guitars.
Fado performers in music circles were called "fadish." The ability of an artist to express the mood of light sadness and nostalgia for the past (Saudadi) was considered a mandatory criterion for the status of a professional.
- Saudadi is a national trait of Portugal with Galicia and is considered a rather difficult emotion to demonstrate.
Performers with virtuosity and improvisation skills are given the highest professional status - “estilist”.
Concerts are held in fado houses, pubs, restaurants for tourists and theaters.
The form
The genre of the Portuguese fado is divided into 2 groups: kashtisu (primordial, classic) and kansan.
1. Kashtisu is reproduced in 4/4 (four quarters in one measure), has a fixed rhythmic pattern and harmonic structure. Accompaniment is a refrain (repetition of motive). Poems are written in the form of quatrain (quatrain).
2. Kansan allows you to alternate a verse with a chorus, and is also filled with a more complex harmony. It is possible to freely choose the accompaniment in a given harmonic framework.
Portuguese fado singers
The first famous singer in history is considered to be Mary Severus. Her main job was managing the tavern, but, unfortunately, this was not the only option for making money. Mary had to engage in prostitution. Despite this, she became interested in singing and playing the Portuguese guitar. One of her lovers was a rich count who was fascinated by the singer's voice.
The image of the North, described in the novel "1900" by Julio Dantas, was able to give the singer posthumous fame.
Amilia Rodrigues is considered the queen of Fado and the voice of Portugal. She is the only one who has been awarded the Order of Santiago three times, as well as the Infat don Don Enrique Knight's Award.
The singer had a charming strong voice and a pretty attractive appearance. Amilia initially gained popularity in the capital of Portugal, but then her performance of Portuguese fado music began to be glorified in other countries.