Jared and I have been on the go, trying to do as much as we can before we leave! I have so much to fill you in on. First of all, lets talk music! Everyone knows that music is totally important to both me and Jared – he has played bass since he was a kid, and I have sang since I came out of the womb – so it is only fitting that we went to some concerts while in Lisbon.
Fado. Fado is a type of music that originated in Lisbon, specifically, around the turn of the century – so, late 1800s. It was started in low-income areas, with sailors and prostitutes mainly. The music was rich in “saudade” which has no English translation, but it is close to “a type of sadness or longing”, and relied heavily on the Portuguese guitar. Fado is a beautiful music that takes you on a journey. The guitar as well as the voice makes your heart swell and break as easily as blinking! I fell in love with it when I went to the Museum of Fado and spent the day in Alfalma, the area of Lisbon where it all started. Singers would perform in a café late at night. There would be no stage, no lighting, and no official performance – so to speak; just a crowded, smoky café with a guitar player at one table and a singer standing amongst the tables.
There is a theater in town called “Fado in Chiado” which is mainly for tourist who want to experience Fado, but do not know where to go for authentic settings. Chiado is one of the tourist areas in Lisbon and is right in the middle of town. So, Jared and I went. First, let me say, it was awesome!!! When we turned in our ticket, I was given a red rose and Jared was given a magnet of a Portuguese guitar and both totally made our night! As we sat in out seats, fog machines were pumping out smoke to make it seem like a smoky café and the lighting was very dim. There were only 4 performers, 2 guitar players and 2 singers, but it was a fabulous performance! The most famous Fado singer was Amalia, and she is considered the voice of Portugal! (And of course we bought her best hits CD!)
The other concert Jared and I went to was the Cranberries! I think it is totally fitting that we got to see them on this trip because I cannot talk about my life without hearing the Cranberries in the background! They are the soundtrack to my middle school, high school and crazy-just-after-high school days! I saw the lead singer, Deloris OReirdan at the Gravity Lounge in C’ville 2 years ago, and I cannot take a road trip without singing my heart out to at least one of their CDs! They are the only band that I own all of their CDs! I love them. It was so awesome that I could see them on this trip – its like, a sign, you know?! Like, verification that we are doing what we are supposed to do and that we are on the right path! Or, maybe we were just really lucky – who knows! Anyway, they played at the coolest venue. An old bull-fighting ring! It was awesome! They were amazing! Deloris sounded great and her man was shredding on his guitar like no other! The audience was great too! Everyone was singing along and dancing! It was super fun!
Yay for music in Portugal!
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