Fado Português: Passion & Emotion Overcoming Language Barriers

"Fado cannot be explained, it is felt, you won't be able to explain it, but you will want to hear it again."

--Fado Português website

Fado is a type of Portuguese music which extends back at least to the 1820s in Lisbon, although it might be even older. It's often said that the music is sad, and deals with themes of fate, loss, and heartache. Others state it be deal with happy topics, and can be about overcoming adversity. Whatever the topic, it's intended to be emotive, and the singer may also use hand and body gestures, as well as facial expressions, to enhance the emotive experience. The singer is commonly accompanied by a guitar (10 or 12 string) and a viola (also known as a Portuguese guitar), a six-string guitar. 

When I was planning my visit to Portugal, I wasn't going to Lisbon, but I knew there were Fado establishments in the Porto area. I had never attended a Fado performance before, and I wanted to remedy that. After doing some research on Fado venues, I finally decided to make reservations at Fado Português, which is located in Vila Nova de Gaia. That proved to be an excellent choice, and I was thoroughly impressed with the experience. If you've never experienced Fado, you definitely need to do so, and in the Porto area, I highly recommend Fado Português. 

Fado Português, which opened in 2021, is a showcase for Sandra Correia, a professional Fado singer for over 30 years. Over the years, Sandra has performed in many concerts and shows throughout the world, and has released three albums, bringing Fado to millions of people. Besides Sandra, Fado Português also presents a variety of other Fado singers such as Sandra Cristina and Jorge César.

Fado Português has two main dining areas, and performances can occur in both rooms. We sat in the small, back room, which makes for an intimate venue, and which also has a view of the Douro River. The restaurant opens at 8pm, with the first performance starting around 9pm. You can make a reservation, until 10:30pm, for the Fado performance and there's a 30 Euro minimum per person. After 10:30pm, there's a straight 10 Euro charge per person. You can order off the menu, or for 45 Euros per person, you can order a multi-course dinner. We opted for the multi-course dinner, and it was delicious and a good value. I highly recommend that you make reservations as it's a small and popular venue. 

An inspirational decoration in the back dining room.

A picture of Sandra Correia. 

Our multi-course dinner included two Starters (chosen from a list), a Main Course (chosen from a list), a bottle of wine for a couple, a Dessert Tasting, coffee, and a glass of a 10 Year Old Port.  

A pleasant and easy drinking Portuguese red wine.

Tender and flavorful Clams. 

Succulent Prawns with garlic.

Our main course was the Steak Fado Português, with a tender steak, fried potatoes, rice and some veggies. For dessert, we had a sampler of three different tasty treats and a lovely glass of aged Port. Overall, I was very pleased with the tasty food and drink, and recommend you opt for the multi-course dinner. 

During the course of the evening, there were three Fado performances. The first occurred after the Starters and the second occurred after the Main Course. The final performance took place after dessert. During each performance, service stopped, the lights were dimmed and Fado etiquette indicates you should remain silent during the performance. The two guitarists were very talented, complementing well the Fado performers. 

All of the songs were sung in Portuguese, a language I don't speak, except for a small number of words and phrases. Despite that language barrier, I still greatly appreciated Fado, although granted I would probably appreciate it even more if I understand all of the words. What's most impressive though is that each singer is so emotive, and you deeply feel the song and the emotions it evoked. Their performances touched my heart and soul, even though I couldn't understand the words. 

The best music in the world touches your soul, and the lyrics are secondary to the emotional impact of the singer. Instrumental music is another excellent example where the emotions evoked by the music is primary. The quote with which I started this post is true, that "Fado cannot be explained, it is felt,.." And the talented Fado singers made you feel their heart-felt emotions.  

Sandra Cristina was the first Fado performer. She possessed a powerful and moving voice, mesmerizing you with the passion within her tone and movements. 

Jorge César was the second Fado performer, offering a different and deeper tone, yet also so expressive and emotional. 

During the final performance, the wondrous Sandra Correia sang, and the other two performers would join in later during the performance as well. Sandra possessed a powerful and soulful voice, and I felt it deep within my core. You would have to be a stone statue not to have been deeply touched by her passion. What an awesome finale, and it made me want to learn much more about Fado. You don't have to know how to speak Portuguese to enjoy Fado, all you have to do is open yourself up to the passion and emotions of the singers. 

There's an excellent interview with Sandra HERE, which is well worth reading, to learn more about Sandra and her ideas and philosophy on Fado.  

While in Porto, seek out the passion you'll find at Fado Português!