fado
A Portuguese music genre characterized by mournful melodies, poetic lyrics, and the concept of saudade — a deep emotional longing — typically accompanied by Portuguese guitar.
In Depth
Fado (from Latin "fatum," meaning fate or destiny) emerged in the working-class neighborhoods of Lisbon in the early 19th century, possibly blending Portuguese, Brazilian, and African musical influences. It is traditionally performed by a solo vocalist (fadista) accompanied by a Portuguese guitarra (a pear-shaped twelve-string instrument) and a classical guitar. The emotional core of fado is saudade — an untranslatable Portuguese word encompassing nostalgia, longing, melancholy, and the pain of absence.
Amália Rodrigues was fado's greatest ambassador, bringing it to international audiences from the 1940s through the 1990s. After a period of political association with Salazar's dictatorship that tarnished its image among progressives, fado was revitalized by a new generation led by Mariza, Ana Moura, and Cristina Branco. UNESCO inscribed fado on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2011. Carlos do Carmo's "Uma Flor de Verde Pinho" is considered one of the genre's greatest recordings.
The central concept of fado — saudade — is so culturally specific that it has no direct translation in any other language, though it roughly encompasses longing, nostalgia, and the presence of absence.