Portuguese+fado,folk+music

__Portuguese Fado/Folk Music__
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Portugal, a country which is known internationally for many of its traditional music of the fado and folklore has become popular among the growing population today. Portuguese music has changed drastically throughout the last half of the twentieth century. Within Portugal, traditional folk music remains very popular among people of all ages. Although folk and fado have been around for many years, these genres of music have been modernized in many ways to appeal to multi-generations of people. The north-eastern region of Portugal called Trás-os-Montes, has undergone the most drastic differences. There is also music from the southern part of Portugal called the Baixo Alentejo, which is a region know for its polyphonic singing groups.

__Fado Music__
The word fado is represented as “faith” in the Portuguese language. Fado essentially started in the central region of Portugal named Lisbon, as the music for the urban poor. Music classified as fado typically diverted to sadness, lyrically harsh, loneliness and poverty, however at the same time remaining distinguishable.Is it said that the fado music was born back in the 19th century, when there were immigrants coming from Brazil to their commonplace. There music stance was originally called the fofa and lundum dances. At the time these music’s were rough and crude by the middle-class society at that time but shortly after became the foundation for the fado music in Portugal. The Portuguese fado incorporated couplets and ballads, which were taken, form the Portuguese literature. The quatrain couplets and the modinha ballads were almost primary part of the early fado. None the less, fado had appeared by 1836 when Maria Severa sang a fado so delightfully that she ruined the Comte de Vimisio. However, there has been reference to fado that had appeared in 1829 in Brazil, but modern fado has appeared since 1910, when it was first reordered. Coimbra had developed a very different, distinctive fado scene during the late 19th century. In this region of Portugal, it is known for being more refined and magnificent. This specific sound has been described as the “song of whose who retain and cherish their illusions, not of those who have irretrievably lost them" by Rodney Gallop in 1936. There are a lot of student fado’s that are still present and performed at the University of Coimbra, which still maintain tradition since it was pioneered by Augusto Hilario in the 1890’s. Amália Rodrigues started a career singing the fado in 1939 and this was the start of an internationally popular genre. Amália Rodrigues was not only a singer but an actress as well, made a career in numerous stylistic innovations which have made her one of the most prominent fadista of all time. Here is a clip from one of Amalia Rodrigues concerts:

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__Folk Music__
There have been events that have helped keep the folk music alive. The worldwide roots revivial of the 1960’s and 70’s has had a major impact. The Trás-os-Montes' musical heritage is related to a type of Greek music called the Galicia. This genre of music entitle cappella vocals, gaita-de-foles (traditional bagpipes), and a very unique musical scale have kept this tradition alive. Gaita-de-foles is usually accompanied by the caixa and bomba. Here is a live video of the Portuguese folk dance that was done in Portugal:

media type="youtube" key="hIaw-BpmTF8" Nelly Furtado is a modern day artist that included folk music on her first album. Here is a clip from a song that was written by Nelly (Portugese/Canadian) that was the theme song for the Euro Cup 2004 and is inpart sung in Portuguese.

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__Refrences__
Cronshaw, Andrew and Paul Vernon. "Traditional Riches, Fate and Revolution". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), //World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East//, pp 225-236. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books. ISBN 1-85828-636-0