Fado da Saudade (Carlos do Carmo)

The sun rises on the city

which enchants me

On my old Lisbon

of another era

Like a lump of longing

in my throat

I listen to a fado that fades

on departing

Like a lump of longing

in my throat

I listen to a fado that fades

on departing

‘Twas in the taverns of Alfama

Out of sorrow

That this song was born

It’s lament

The memory of those departed

Like the wind

In the eyes of a loved one

No forgiveness

The memory of those departed

Like the wind

In the eyes of a loved one

No forgiveness

When the old flame or feeling burns

I hear the roaring sea

Whilst it sings

And from Bica to Madragoa

In a moment

This anxiety returns always

Alfama is an oldest district of Lisbon. The name is derived from the Arabic word Al hamma or fountains or baths.

Madragoa and Bica are neighborhoods in Lisbon.

According to the press notes, director Carlos Saura and Carlos do Carmo saw this movie as a tribute to Lisbon and the whole country. Saudade is a type of melancholy or nostalgic longing for someone to something and considered a characteristic of fado. The lyrics are by Fernando Pinto de Amaral, one of Portugal’s greatest poets. Using poetry to fado is a tradition begun by Amalia Rodrigues.

“Kola San Jon” (Grupo Kola San Jon)

Cabo Verde in English is Cape Verde, a group of islands off the coast of Senegal in the North Atlantic (Western Africa). In the 15th century, this group of islands was colonized by the Portuguese and became a trading center for the slave trade and a re-supply stop for whaling. It only gained independence in 1975. Most Cape Verdeans can trace their background to Portuguese and African ancestors. In terms of land mass it is only slightly larger than Rhode Island.  The population is largely Roman Catholic or Protestant.  The languages spoken are Portuguese and Crioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West African languages).

St. John’s Day is the 23rd to the 24th of June and commemorates the arrival of the Portuguese in the islands of Cape Verde. The flags of both countries can be seen in this segment.

“Variaçoes em La”  (Ricardo Rocha and Jaime Santos) The title of this song means “Variations in A” but variacoes can also refer to dialects.

Rocha is the nephew of well-known guitarist Fontes Rocha and plays the Portuguese guitar. Santos plays the viola.

“Transparente” (Mariza)

We know this country as Mozambique, a southeastern African country, bordered by South Africa and Tanzania. It was a Portuguese colony for five centuries. Like Cape Verde, it didn’t gain its independence until 1975. In area, it is about twice the size of California.  About a quarter of the people are Catholic and less than 20 percent are Muslim and another 20 percent are Zionist Christian. About 30 percent of the population speak Portuguese as a second language.

Singer Mariza has just completed a North American tour that included Los Angeles (in March) and San Diego (April). She was born in 1973 in Mozambique to a half Portuguese father and a black African mother. She lived in Portugal in Lisbon, Mouraria and Alfama and the family later moved to Brazil. “Transparente” is dedicated to Mariza’s African grandmother. Rui Veloso composed the song.

“Menina Voçe que Tem” (Toni Garrido)

Modinhas is a Portuguese love song popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. Lundu or lundum, was originally a dance of the African slaves in Brazil that was later adopted by the upper classes. It usually consists of a flirtatious couple dancing with guitar accompaniment.

The song title means girl (menina) you who have.

Toni Garrido is famous in Brazil as the lead singer of Banda Bel and the first Brazilian reggae band, Cidade Negra.

Porto is the Portuguese name for Oporto, Portugal’s second largest city. Port wine is named for the city, actually coming from across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia. The country derives its name from the Latin name for Porto, Portus Cale. During the time of the Roman empire, it was a commercial port, used for trade between Lisbon and Braga. It fell to a Muslim invasion in 711. Perhaps this accounts for the Roman style robes by the female dancers. Choreography is by Patrick de Bana.

“Quadras” (Camané)

Quadras are a type of capoeira music. They are four verse songs sung solo.

Camane is considered one of the foremost fado singers. In 1979, he won the prestigious “Grande Noite do Fado.” Since then he has performed throughout Europe and released well-accepted records. He is married to another fadista, Aldina Duarte. He is the son of two fadistas and the brother of fadistas.

“Fado da Severa” (Catarina Moura)

Maria Severa Ofriana (1820-1846) is also known simply as A Severa. Born in Lisbon, she was the daughter of a tavern owner and reputed to have been a prostitute. She was known for singing fado in tavers and considered the first famous fado singer. She had many lovers, including the 13th Count of Vimioso. She died of TB and was buried in a common grave.

“Rua do Capelao” (Cuca Roseta)

“A Severa” was the name of the 1931 movie about Maria Severa’s life and the first Portuguese movie with sound. Cuca is a pop/rock singer who also sings fado. Mario Pacheco plays the guitar.

“Rua do Capelao” means “Street of the Chaplain.”

“Marceneiro” (NBC/SP & Wilson)

Marceneiro means woodworker in English and refers to the profession of Alfredo Rodrigues Duarte (1891-1982) who as a Portuguese fado singer. The choreography to his images is by Pedro Gomes.

NBC, SP & Wilson are hip hop artists.

“Um Homem na Cidade” (Carlos do Carmo)

The title means “Man in the City” and the words are by Ary dos Santos a poet of the Carnations Revolution. Lisboa in the Portuguese name of Lisbon.

Lucilia do Carmo (1920-1999) is the mother of Carlos do Carmo.

“Foi na Travessa da Palha” (Lila Downs) was one of Lucilia do Carmo’s hits. Downs in a Mexican singer who was on the soundtrack of “Frida.” The song’s title means “In the Straw Lane.” As you can guess from the dancers who portray a love triangle, it is narrated by a woman whose lover is unfaithful and she sings to win her lover.

“Vida Vivida” (Argentina Santos)

Argentina Santos was born in 1926. Do the math. She is almost 90. She cooks and sings in her restaurant in Alfama according to the press notes.

“Fado Batido” (Brigada Victor Jara) Brigada Victor Jara is a Portuguese folk band that was formed in 1975 by young people involved in the literacy campaign after the Carnation Revolution of 1974 in Portugal. The band takes its name from Victor Jara, a political activist and folk singer who was killed after the US-backed Chilean Coup of 1973 led by General Augusto Pinochet.

Batido means beaten.

“Flor di Nha Esperanca” (Lura)

Morna is a type of dance and music genre from Cape Verde. Lura was born in Lisbon in 1975 to Cape Verdian parents and is a singer and song writer who bases her music on Cape Verdian music traditions of morna, funaná and batuque.

“Sopra Demais o Vento” (Camane)

Alfacinha means lettuce but refers to the citizens of Lisbon.

Amalia Rodrigues is considered the Queen of Fado (Rainha do Fado). She debuted in 1939 and retired in 1990. Not only was she a singer, but she was also a composer. When she died in 1999 at age 79, a national period of mourning was declared. The selection used here by Saura is from a rehearsal.Born lin Lisbon in 1920

Caetano Veloso sings Rodrigues’ “Extraña Forma de Vida (A Strange Way of Life).”

Mariza and Miguel Poveda perform “Meu Fado Meu.” Poveda is a flamenco singer born in Barcelona in 1973.  This matching of Mariza and Poveda provides a dialogue between flamenco and fado.

The ending is a romanticized version of a fado sing off with veterans Don Vicente da Cámara and María de Nazaré, as well young and already acclaimed performers Carminho – 19 when the scene was shot – and Ana Sofia Varela. Other performers include Ricardo Ribeiro and Pedro Moutinho, Camané’s brother and  musicians young Pedro Castro (owner of Lisbon’s most famous

House of Fados) on Portuguese guitar; at the viola, Jaime Santos, shown earlier in the film playing with Cuca; and on the bass, Professor Joel Pina, an 88-year-old musician who had collaborated with Amalia Rodrigues.

For a related article, see my review. This guide was compiled using press notes, my high school Spanish and Babblefish.