Lisbon, August 18: Fado at Povo

August 20, 2019
by Michael Scandling
comments 34
Performance Photography / Photo Log / Photography / Portugal

IMG_8743_DxO11FC1Blog

August 18, 2019; Lisbon, Portugal. A quick break from the photo workshop in Switzerland for a jump to the next part of our trip: Portugal to visit family.

Sunday night’s dinner was at Povo, a restaurant and Fado house in old Lisbon. The food was excellent traditional Portuguese fare but the main event was Fado.

Fado is a traditional music genre native to Portugal. It is most commonly thought of a music of sadness, loss, and longing — but that would be as much of an oversimplification as saying that blues is always sad. It can be said, and has been said, that Fado is a mystery. (Scroll down for the English translation.)

It can also be said that Fado is expressive.

Sunday night’s singer, Sofia Saragoça, with accompanists playing Portuguese guitar and classical guitar, lived up to the traditions of longing, mystery, and expression. Sofia is apparently a product of Povo’s artist in resident program, the best of whom are invited back to sing on weekends. She is excellent — an old soul singing well beyond her years. We had front-table seats. We were entranced.

IMG_8783_DxO11FC1Blog

Next, back to Switzerland…

(Canon G7X II. RAW processing in DxO Pro, Editing in Adobe Photoshop.)

The Author

California based fine-art photographer featuring abstract, impressionist, and minimalist seascapes — near and distant — and floral-based images. Fine-art photography can be seen at www.amagaphoto.com All original images on this blog are copyright 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 Michael Scandling. All rights reserved. No images on this site may be copied, duplicated, reused, published, or re-purposed in any way without express permission from the copyright owner, Michael Scandling.

34 Comments

  5. Steve Schwartzman says

    You may be aware that the Portuguese word povo means ‘people.’
    I spent much of the summer of 1966 in Lisbon. I later went to a concert with probably the most famous fado singer of that era, Amália Rodrigues, in Newark, New Jersey, were many Portuguese had settled.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  9. Nuno França - Photography says

    Great post, Michael! It´s so nice to hear that you visited Portugal!
    I’m really happy that you loved Fado. It’s so important for portuguese people, it’s part of our History.

    Try to search about Mariza or Ana Moura. 🙂

    Thanks for sharing.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  10. Robert Parker says

    I’ve never visited Portugal, and have only heard fado once, but found it very appealing, even if melancholy. Your pictures definitely convey some of this singer’s expressiveness.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment