Classical fado developed in 19th century Lisbon among the poor and marginalized. It gained prestige in the 1920s-30s when performed in "Casas de Fado" houses. Fado music features sadness, loneliness, and betrayal, performed by a singer and guitars. Amália Rodrigues was the most famous fadista of all time. Coimbra's fado, connected to the university, has a strong emotional feeling and is performed in traditional student clothing with guitars. Painter Damião Porto is inspired by fado and depicts it in his modern artistic style.

1. FADO
CLASSICAL FADO: Typically Portuguese music, from a far origin; it
developed in the middle of 19th century, it was mostly interpreted in the
poorest places of Lisbon, being generally associated with the marginalized
people and the lower social classes.
However, this kind of music got its nobility, prestige and general
acceptance in the 1920s-30s and was located at that time in specialized
houses called “Casas de Fado” of touristic interest. As “Tango” from
Argentina, Fado chose as its main topics the sadness, nostalgia, loneliness,
poverty and treason. It is usually interpreted by a single man or woman
(fadista) and several different guitars. Amália Rodrigues (1920-1999) was
the most famous of all times; she conquered fame all over the world.
Other famous interprets are, for example, Alfredo Marceneiro, Camané
and Mízia.
Amália Rodrigues

2. COIMBRA’S FADO: It is an unmistakable variant of the classic Fado. It is
connected to the very old Coimbra’s University and to its students that
sing with a traditional black costume called “Capa e Batina”. It as a melody
with a strong emotional feeling, nostalgia, intense voices and it is
attended by several guitars.
We may consider as main interpreters: Menano, Edmundo Bettencourt
and Luís Góis.
COIMBRA’S FADO Coimbra-University
Fado in the paintings of Damião Porto:
Damião Porto is our teacher of drawing, he graduated in painting at the
Fine Arts School of Porto University and has a master in Visual Arts

3. Teaching. He took part in several individual and collective exhibitions. He
is represented in several institutions and was rewarded in different
painting meetings.
He is in love with Fado, so he chose this kind of music as a topic for his
work, showing the magic of these genuinely Portuguese songs.
You may appreciate the musicality of Fado and the modern pictorial
speech of our teacher.
Damião Porto