Severa, Destiny, Fado. An identity.

26 of March of 2020


Like the word missing, Fado is something unique. Something of ours. Portuguese.
Having this form of expression of such relevance, in our culture, Fado is undoubtedly a presence in our Inspiration.

“In an alley of Mouraria

Where the joy
Of the sun doesn't come,
Maria Severa died.
Do you know who she was?
Maybe no one! " (1)

Maria Severa Onofriana (1820-1846) is the reference, the “founding myth” that marks the beginning. Born in Angels, she lived in Madragoa, It was in Mouraria that she became known. With her resilience, made the icon of the first fado singer by her lovers and the fados she sang, played and danced.
Sorrow and melancholy, so common in fado, would have been inherited from those corners. These songs refer to Mouraria and her lovers.
The best testimonial we read was that of a companion, Manuel Botas. “Sometimes she kept herself melancholy, in those moments she sang with such a feeling that she made a deep impression on us. I heard it on one occasion, at Bola's café, Guia. It was a Fado Dolente, singing the harsh lives of those who have neither home nor joy, it was felt well what she sang because her eyes were full of tears ”(2).
Fado sings, cries and talks.
The Breaking of Frontiers, which took our musical style to the four corners of the world, we owe Amália Rodrigues (1920-1999). A unique figure in Portuguese Fado, as she said “I am Fado Liberto”.

Amália's greatness was not only in her voice, but also in the way she created and re-created like no one else, without ever leaving the essence of Fado. From her tone to the way she interpreted, she made her style unique. Her repertoire was unique, evolved several composers and poets, bringing the great Portuguese literature to Fado.

“I sing fado for me
I've sung for both of us
But that’s in the past
Since this is the case, so be it
You forgot me after
Each one has its own fado
The happiest is yours, I'm sure
It's the fado of poverty
That leads us to happiness
If God wanted it
I don't envy you this achievement
Because mine is more fadista
It's Fado of Missing/ Saudade ”

It is inevitable to speak of missing. "With homesickness we don't just recover the past as a paradise; we invent it", writes Eduardo Lourenço.

It is in the symptoms of Missing/ Saudade, of Melancholy, of days without will, of hurt and of mourning that Fado appears. States that characterize us so much, as a people, as a culture.
The way Amália sings and interprets the union of the idea of Destiny and a certain sentimental pessimism, created a national feeling that all of us, incessantly, will drink whenever comfort is needed.
It is in the essence of Fado that we seek our inspiration.
Fado gives voice to the burdens we carry in a lifetime. We converted Fado in our support. Today it’s Fado who holds our spirits and gives us comfort. We created the Amália and Missing/ longing/ Saudade hangers as a form of representative and even in a parallelism, being the hook of our musical culture as well as of our history.
Identity. Heritage. Culture. This is Fado.
And Now ... Silence

 

For the Traditions,
The Inspirações team

 


(1) Lyrics by José Galhardo and Raúl Ferrão
(2) Fado Book. Ever! Yesterday, today and Tomorrow

 

 

Severa, Destiny, Fado. An identity.

26 of March of 2020


Like the word missing, Fado is something unique. Something of ours. Portuguese.
Having this form of expression of such relevance, in our culture, Fado is undoubtedly a presence in our Inspiration.

“In an alley of Mouraria

Where the joy
Of the sun doesn't come,
Maria Severa died.
Do you know who she was?
Maybe no one! " (1)

Maria Severa Onofriana (1820-1846) is the reference, the “founding myth” that marks the beginning. Born in Angels, she lived in Madragoa, It was in Mouraria that she became known. With her resilience, made the icon of the first fado singer by her lovers and the fados she sang, played and danced.
Sorrow and melancholy, so common in fado, would have been inherited from those corners. These songs refer to Mouraria and her lovers.
The best testimonial we read was that of a companion, Manuel Botas. “Sometimes she kept herself melancholy, in those moments she sang with such a feeling that she made a deep impression on us. I heard it on one occasion, at Bola's café, Guia. It was a Fado Dolente, singing the harsh lives of those who have neither home nor joy, it was felt well what she sang because her eyes were full of tears ”(2).
Fado sings, cries and talks.
The Breaking of Frontiers, which took our musical style to the four corners of the world, we owe Amália Rodrigues (1920-1999). A unique figure in Portuguese Fado, as she said “I am Fado Liberto”.

Amália's greatness was not only in her voice, but also in the way she created and re-created like no one else, without ever leaving the essence of Fado. From her tone to the way she interpreted, she made her style unique. Her repertoire was unique, evolved several composers and poets, bringing the great Portuguese literature to Fado.

“I sing fado for me
I've sung for both of us
But that’s in the past
Since this is the case, so be it
You forgot me after
Each one has its own fado
The happiest is yours, I'm sure
It's the fado of poverty
That leads us to happiness
If God wanted it
I don't envy you this achievement
Because mine is more fadista
It's Fado of Missing/ Saudade ”

It is inevitable to speak of missing. "With homesickness we don't just recover the past as a paradise; we invent it", writes Eduardo Lourenço.

It is in the symptoms of Missing/ Saudade, of Melancholy, of days without will, of hurt and of mourning that Fado appears. States that characterize us so much, as a people, as a culture.
The way Amália sings and interprets the union of the idea of Destiny and a certain sentimental pessimism, created a national feeling that all of us, incessantly, will drink whenever comfort is needed.
It is in the essence of Fado that we seek our inspiration.
Fado gives voice to the burdens we carry in a lifetime. We converted Fado in our support. Today it’s Fado who holds our spirits and gives us comfort. We created the Amália and Missing/ longing/ Saudade hangers as a form of representative and even in a parallelism, being the hook of our musical culture as well as of our history.
Identity. Heritage. Culture. This is Fado.
And Now ... Silence

 

For the Traditions,
The Inspirações team

 


(1) Lyrics by José Galhardo and Raúl Ferrão
(2) Fado Book. Ever! Yesterday, today and Tomorrow