TRUE ARTISTS, Part 4: Amalia

"Fado cannot be explained, it must be felt and experienced."
What is fado? The "soul music" of Portugal. Fado means fate and destiny and its songs are filled with despair, mourning, unrequited love, death. Yes, there are many which are cheery and positive, but most of fado, in my view, is centered on lamentation--a longing for something or someone you cannot have. I've long maintained that, in addition to Portuguese and African influences, fado is largely informed by what was formerly called Arabia. The Moors ruled Portugal for a few hundred years and left an imprint on the culture. Whatever the roots, I love fado, good fado, and the embodiment of this musical genre is Amalia Rodrigues, or simply, Amalia. From 1939 to 1999, the year of her death, there was only one "Rainha do Fado" ("Queen of Fado") and that was Amalia. Her catalogue of masterpiece recordings is unequalled by any artist and her collaboration with the leading Portuguese composers is nothing less than historic, including Alain Oulman of France, who took Amalia to a new height by putting music to the poems of Camoes for her. She was also an exceptionally talented songwriter. As a child, I saw Amalia perform live in the U.S. at least twice, but it is her landmark concert at Town Hall in 1990 that was simply overwhelming for me. There she was, 70 years old and not at her best voice, but she took the stage in her black gown, with a group of guitarists behind her. For the next 90 minutes or so, she ran through 50 years of Portuguese history via fado. A second highlight for me was seeing, three times, a musical in Lisbon based on her life which I hope will eventually make it to the States. While there, I visited her tomb at the National Pantheon, where she lies alongside the great historical figures of Portugal. Following are some videos, few of which do her justice. The inheritor of Amalia's crown is MARIZA, whom I wrote about on March 8. Like Amalia before her, MARIZA is bringing fado to the world.

This is Amalia.

"Estranha Forma de Vida"


"Gaivota" (Camoes/Alain Oulman)


Porter Tubb