01.13.10: A Fado Fix
Listening to “Hustle Up” by Galactic today made me realize that there are so many songs I never got to play on the show during my time at WFAL. I’m really glad many of you talked me into doing a RR website after I retired the show from the airwaves. There’s so much good music out there to listen to, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned from doing the show is that sometimes you have to be adventurous in your musical selections.
Thanks to a couple of you, I’ve become a huge world music junkie, particularly Fado. The local Finders Records in BG will always be one of my favorite music stores to shop in, and one day I finally ventured into the world music section to pick up some of these songs. Fado is a primarily Portuguese genre that has some of the most beautiful guitar stylings and vocals you’ll ever hear. Fado talks of love, tears, pain, anger, and just about every human emotion you can think of. Closing your eyes, you can almost feel yourself on the streets of Lisbon, drinking wine and being with good friends.
Joao Bosco’s “O Bebado E O Equilibrista” is a beautiful representation of this genre:
A much younger representation of Fado comes from the voice of Ana Moura, the Portuguese-born singer that has linked Fado’s past with a much younger generation while still pleasing an older crowd.
The most famous of all Fado singers however, is Amália Rodrigues. Deemed, “The Queen of Fado” Rodrigues brought Fado to the forefront in world music and helped create a connection between Lisbon and her music.
“The fado is not meant to be sung; it simply happens” – Amália Rodrigues
Here’s a playlist I’ve created if you want to learn more about Fado:
1. ”O Bebado E O Equilibrista” by Joao Bosco
2. ”Bom Feeling” by Sara Tavares (technically not Fado but still worth a listen!)
3. ”Lisboa Nao Sejas Francesa” by Amália Rodrigues
4. ”Às Vezes” by Ana Moura
5. ”Fadista Louco” by António Mourão
Happy listening! Don’t forget to join us the new Radio Revolution Facebook fan page by clicking here. You’ll get all the updates whenever we post something new or have an event coming up!
