Travel Around Lisbon And Portugal And Exploring Its Beauty
By : Rob CarltonEverywhere you go in Lisbon, you are surrounded by music. In the streets you can hear the music from the birds, when shopping the piped in music accompanies you, so why not delve into the music which is so typical of Portugal and in particular, Lisbon with the Fado.
Discover Lisbon's Heart - Fado
Fado (meaning 'destiny') is thought to have come from the nostalgic ballads sung on long journeys or from the Lundum songs of the black slaves from Brazil. It was usually sung in brothels or not very recommendable pubs because its lyrics talked about inner forbidden passions. But thanks to Amalia Rodrigues, who has been compared to such well known singer like Ella Fitzgerald or Edith Piaf, the Fado has become internationally known.
Amalia used poems from the greatest Portuguese poets, starting from the anthology of medieval music up to now, wearing the classical dress and black shawl to add the finishing touch. The Fado, initially accompanied by the classical guitar and by the twelve string lute and sometimes by the saxophone, is an intense sound with so much feeling behind it. Who would pass up the opportunity to spend a night lit by candlelight, soaking up history through music?
And one may ask themselves, how do we know where to go to listen to the best of Fado? In Lisbon there are quite a lot of places. Go to the tourism office and get a good street map of Lisbon. Then start with The House of Fado and Guitar, a sort of mini-museum, so you can read the history and come into contact with it for the first time. It is found in one of the most typical neighborhoods called Alfama.
There, in Alfama, if you just roam about the streets after dinner, the sound will reach your ears without you even having to go look foot it. Or even better, visit the house where Amalia Rodrigues lived and discover her dresses and jewellery.
Or head to the Neighbourhood da Mouraria, old Moorish area of Lisbon and the cradle of Severa, the first mythical Fado singer. And before you go sightseeing in other parts of Portugal like Porto, Fatima, Faro or Albufeira, go into a record shop and nosey around looking for the latest Fado singer such as Camane or Misia.
After this enriching experience, start out from Lisbon, to sightsee its surrounding towns. You hit on the River Duero and the city of Porto or sometimes called Oporto. This zone and the Mino River Valley are the most fertile vineyards where the renown Oporto wine is produced. From spring until the fall, when the grapes are collected, the landscape is like a canvas painting done in all the hues of green imaginable.
A good glass of Portuguese wine and Fado music can make your trip to Lisbon a memorable one.
About the Author
Robert Carlton publishes for http://www.lisbon-and-portugal.com a free website with resources and infos on Lisbon and Portugal. He also published articles on the history of Portugal http://www.lisbon-and-portugal.com/travel/history-of-portugal.html and various other Lisbon related topics.