Fado singing is a type of folk singing unique to Portugal, and especially the city of Lisbon. The sound is just incredible. You can go to this little place that you would never think of going into (it's just in an alley along with the rest of the buildings) and hear some of the best music you ever have in your life. You can be served a little meal and sit and listen.
There are rules to the Fado house. You cannot eat, talk, or make a sound whilst the performance is going on. There are a couple of performers, and they will go up one at a time, about fifteen minutes apart. Each performance would only take a relatively short time, and then you can eat and talk. But when the next performance comes out, it's like you could hear a pin drop.
And the singing is incredible. There's usually one singer surrounded by several guitars.
In order for you to really understand how amazing this is, I'm going to give you an example of a Fado singer that has come so far! She is widely recognized and her voice is INCREDIBLE. It is almost an unearthly sound. Her name is Ana Moura.
Ana Moura:
And here's a youtube video of her singing:
Aconteceu (only listen)
And for those of you Portuguese listeners out there, here is an interview...I believe about her new record:
Interview/Some listening
Of course...I don't speak Portuguese...so I can't know exactly what they're saying. XD
Ana sang with the Rolling Stones at their concert in Lisbon! She sang the song "No Expectations" as a duo with Mick Jaggar. I believe there are youtube videos of that too...just search "Ana Moura"!
Enjoy!
