Allow me to introduce you to the lovely Anabela Silva, a musician living in Portugal. Anabela has been singing since she was a child and she chatted with me about Portuguese Fado music – a traditional genre of music that has been around for several centuries.

It is said that Fado emerged as a song when Portuguese sailors and explorers went out to the sea in the late 1800s and left their families behind. The music that emerged from that moment in history is called Fado. Today Portuguese Fado is characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor, and infused with a sentiment of resignation, fate and melancholia. That’s why most of Fado songs are somewhat without translation. In a way we can say that Portuguese Fado music has similarities to the blues in that it too is a very soulful music.

Anabela is only 24 years old but has already made quite a name for herself singing not just Fado music but also other kinds of music. She comes from a very musically inclined family often singing with her brothers. She says her very first song was a Fado song she sang in a contest when she was only six years old! Talk about a gifted child.

Anabela and I chatted about the importance of Fado in Portuguese culture and its importance in her own songs and music. Fado music brings out the vulnerability of the signer – their inner feelings and emotions as they sing about the nostalgia and longing in their own lives. In fact, Annabella shared the proper etiquette of listening to traditional Fado music. Many times, singers don’t have amplification, so they don’t use a mike. This creates a very intimate atmosphere. The singer is really exposed and is sharing their inner most feelings. They often wear black and sing with their eyes closed. That’s why there is so much respect when you are listening to Fado. You don’t get up until the end of the concert or you don’t talk. You don’t make any noise out of respect for the fellow singer for singing so openly and being so vulnerable about their life.Anabela also treated us to one of her favorite Fado songs – the one she sang when she was a child for her grandfather who loved Fado music.

I know you are going to enjoy getting to know Anabela and learn about Portuguese Fado music on this episode of CulturallyOurs.

Related Reading