The Lisbon fado and its study in the context of the history of Portugal

Abstract

Fado, sometimes called Portuguese urban romance, is a cultural phenomenon whose meaning goes far beyond this definition and generally beyond the framework of musical culture at all. It has become an important part of the traditional culture of Portugal, an iconic element of the image of the country, having gone through several phases of evolution in its relatively short (slightly less than two centuries) history. Having arisen and being at the initial stage an element of the folklore of the urban lower classes of Lisbon, fado later underwent cultural appropriation by the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie, who saw in it the features of the national spirit and the expression of the mentality of the Portuguese. In particular, it was associated with such properties of the national character, which are generalised in the concept of «saudade» – melancholic or tragic longing for the distant, unattainable, often gone into the past. On the other hand, fado was condemned and stigmatised as a low genre associated with marginal strata, as well as with the backwardness and decline of the country. In the first half of the 20th century, the professionalisation and prestige of the fado is increasing, it penetrates the theatre scene, grows popular with the general public, becomes famous abroad. To a large extent, this is due to the innovations of a new generation of authors and performers, in particular, Alfredo Marceneiro, Hermínia Silva and Amália Rodrigues, sometimes defined as the «fado triangle». The significance of fado for Portuguese and world culture was marked by its inclusion in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2011.