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Brief introduction to Fado song and Folklore dances
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FADO
Fado is the tipical portuguese song about which nothing certain has been written or said.
Lundum
200 years ago there was in Brasil a ball that was called fado, which corresponded to what was called lundum in
Portugal.
Lundum had nothing to do with Fado. Lundum was a superstitious night dance used by women in west Africa and
played with loud musical instruments and shaking indecently their buttocks. It was taken to Brasil by slaves and
became a Brazilian song. It was brought to Portugal by slaves and sailors. It was considered as a ball of the lower
classes but, in the XVIII century, Caldas Barbosa, a Brazilian mulatto poet and singer, took it to the court and this
obscene dance won popularity to the traditional aristocratic dances. It also became a song with this mulatto poet called
Caldas because he wrote poems to this music. In the lower classes it developed as a ball danced orgiastically by men
and women. But it died in the beginning of the XIX century: Fado and Fandango won.
Lundum was already considered the grandfather of Fado. Although sometimes both songs differ they also have similar
rhythms. Another descendent of Lundum is said to be Tango.
Fado
Fado means the destiny, lot, fate, fatality, fortune, predestination, doom of life and love. Thus arising from Brazil,
played, sang and danced in a decent way, it was introduced be saylors in Alfama and then everywhere in Portugal with
the court returning from Brasil in 1822. It became popular and let down lundum, fandango and other dances and
popular songs. In Coimbra, students sentimentalised it their own way. It was at the beginning restricted, circumscribed
to special quarters like Alfama, Mouraria, etc. Only between 1838 and 1840 that Fado was brought to the court by
Severa with the help of his love affair, the count of Vimioso.
Fado song was first accompanied by the Spanish guitar (like lundum) but after there was a new instrument added
which was the English guitar (which became made in Portugal in the XVIII century and descended from the
harpsichord).
With the social promotion of Fado (which was sometimes danced (Fado dançado)) the variety of style and subjects
was amplified and was not only a sad and sorrowful song: it was also happy (gay, cheerful), funny, satirist, etc. Female
voices were a great tribute to Fado. At first, these women came from the lower classes and then from the artistic
element.
The voice of the singer has to be very good. It has to express the deepness of the soul and to sing generously till
exhaustion. “The heart’s spasm expressing its pain”.
There are several kinds of Fado: “idler Fado”, “sailor Fado” (the most ancient one), “Fado batido” (the former danced
Fado), “Fado corrido” (sung from singer to singer by different singers, each at his turn), “nocturne Fado” (night Fado),
“Fado ballad”, “Fado serenata”, “Fado Bacalhau” (codfish Fado) etc.
FOLKLORE DANCES
The most popular dance is “de roda” (dance accompanied by a song, where everybody makes a circle hand in han)).
Some foreign influences were introduced in the Portuguese Folklore from many parts of the world (Africa, Brazil, India,
East, Europe), even eastern Europe like “polkas” (dance from Poland or Check Republic with a lively rhythm, famous in
the end of the XIX century. polca-mazurca is a variety of polca) and mazurkas (it’s also a dance from Poland with a
lively motion).
Portugal can be divided in four regions in what popular dances and songs are concerned:
The north has varied and lively dances also considered harsh characterized by a simple, constant and steady rhythm.
In the north, “viras” (the name means to turn, rotate and they really turn and rotate) are the most common dances. But
this dance is scattered all over the country and the tune and movement differs from region to region. It can be danced
or just sung. It has ancient roots and is exclusively minho-galician. It belongs to the group of “de roda” dances and is
accompanied by wire-guitars, small guitars, french guitars, fiddles, clarinets, triangle). The reque-reque (coming from
Africa) was added latter. The Vira are the most ancient “de roda” dances with strong Galician influences.
Another tipical dance in the north is “gótas”. They are, like “viras”, impelled and high-spirited.
In the north we also have “Chulas” (it has a slow rhythm and is the less lively in the north), malhão, modas, etc.
The center has light and sweet dances and songs like the climate but a little wavy like the soil. In Beira, lots of songs
are accompanied by clapping their hands and playing castanets with their fingers. In Ribatejo there are several dances
like “vira”, “fandango” (popular tap-dance used mainly in Ribatejo but also in Alentejo, Spain and south of France. In
Spain, castanets are used but not in Portugal
The third region is Alentejo with a slow, sad and deep (profound) song like the land and harsh dances, sometimes
lively and happy.
The fourth region is Algarve, with a merry, lively but superficial and sometimes erotic song and dance. The most
common one is “corridinho” (tipical of Algarve but also in other parts of Portugal, this dance is accompanied by
bagpipes, triangles, mouth-organs. It has a hopping and impelled rhythm with parts of prolonged tap-dance which
makes it a high-spirited dance.
MINHO
Folklore is connected to fairs and pilgimages.
Tipical costumes are used. Those of women are very rich and colourful – sometimes women were adorned with all the
gold they have at home because this was thought to be the best way to invest their money, but today it is not seen so
often. Some other costumes are used – although not so often – of very ancient roots sometimes dating back from the
pre-roman period. Clothes are often embroidered with lace-work. Sometimes there sayings written like “Love”,
“nostalgy” and others with prehistoric roots.
Songs are accompanied by several tipical musical instruments like: accordions, flutes, drums, clarinets, guitars, violins,
triangles and play castanets with their own fingers.
TRÁS-OS-MONTES E ALTO DOURO
They have a tipical dance called “Pauliteiros”. Each dancer has a peg which they skilful hit against each other,
accompanying drums and bagpipes.
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