FOR THOSE WHO LIKE TO LISTEN TO THE YEARNING SOUND OF FADO, THERE IS A NEW LOCALE IN LAGOA
Lagoa de Fado is the brainchild of Ondina Santos and Carlos Tapadinhas. Ondina worked as an art teacher and is known for her poetry books and music CDs for children, as well as for her voice. Carlos studied business management in Coimbra, where he discovered the Portuguese guitar, but the 45-year-old only started accompanying Fado singers
five years ago. “It’s never too late to dis-cover Fado,” he says cheerfully. They have
been performing together for several years in various venues. During their performances they were repeatedly approached by guests, who felt disturbed by the clattering of dishes, waiters rushing past or louder diners. That set them thinking about given small-scale, intimate Fado concerts, away from the hustle and bustle. “In addition to the concerts we also wanted to tell our guests about the history of Fado, as well as offering a stage to other Fado singers and aficionados,” explains multi-talented Ondina, who not only her show-cases her voice, but also her acting abilities at Lagoa de Fado. The one-hour “History of Fado” show tells, as the name suggests, the story of the Portuguese music style, which was declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, in 2011. It reveals the roots of Fado, its development, its composers, its most-sung subject matter, as well as the first famous singer and esteemed Fado Divas, who followed her and took Fado out into the wider world. Ondina not only sings the respective fadistas’ most popular songs, but also imitates their voices and gestures. In a room with 30 seats, decorated with paintings by local artists, including Patico and Clara Andrade, she sings with the same melancholy as Maria Severa, a prostitute from Lisbon, who is considered Portugal’s first well-known Fado singer. Using actress and singer Hermínia Silva, who was popular in the 1930s and 40s, as an example, Ondina shows that Fado can also be very cheerful. She also reinterprets the the dramatic gestures of Fado queen Amália Rodrigues, who died in 1999 and who contributed undeniably to the
international fame of Fado. A talent to have contributed to the worldwide fame of Fado in more recent times is Mariza, who is undoubtedly the most famous representative of contemporary Fado. Between each interpretation, Ondina disappears behind a screen, changing clothes and wig, while guests listen to the sounds of Carlos Tapadinhas’ Portuguese guitar. There are translations into English wherever necessary. Those who aren’t shy and feel like having a go at Fado themselves after the concert can do so at “Fado Vadio”, where spectators provide the vocals. “Just like Fado, which orginally was sung in taverns and on the streets of Lisbon’s slums,” Ondina explains. Everyone, who would like to express their feelings, can sing. “Not everyone can really sing,” Ondina says, smiling, “you will hear one or the other note out of tune, but often you also get goose bumps, when all of a sudden an inconspicuous-looking lady expresses her feelings with a mournful, pervasive voice.” A cook, a lawyer, a street sweeper and a businessman might share the stage, as virtually every Portuguese person considers themselves to be a Fado talent and in fact many of Portugal’s most celebrated fadistas have been discovered in Lisbon’s taverns at such “Fado Vadio” nights.
Every Wednesday there are also themed Fado concerts. “Sometimes it’s all about love and passion, sometimes about yearning, wine or bullfights or about certain fadistas and authors,” says Ondina. On every third Sunday of the month the stage belongs to known fadistas and new Fado talents from the region.
This month Ondina and Carlos will also perform at the Centro de Congressos do Arade, in Parchal. The Fado concert on July 08 features singers Isa Brito, César Matoso, Sérgio Gonçalves and ten-year-old Luana Velasques. Carlos Tapadinhas (Portuguese guitar), João Aroube (guitar) and Tó Correia (bass), will accompany the fadistas.


LAGOA DE FADO
Rua Município de São Domingos, Lote 2, R/C Esq, Lagoa (behind the Health Centre)
Reservation needed (24 hours in advance)
919 887 265 / 966 720 909 | [email protected]
Every Wednesday
Themed Fado concerts, 4.00 pm – 5.00 pm
Every Thursday
The history of Fado, 2.30 pm – 3.30 pm, 4.00 pm – 5.00 pm Every second Saturday
Fado Vadio, 4.00 pm – 6.00 pm
3rd Sunday of the month
Lagoa de Fado invites …, 4.00 pm – 6.00 pm
Concerts will depend on the number of reservations. For groups of 10 people and above,
concert dates can be booked on request.
08/07 Fado night
Centro de Congressos do Arade, 7.30 pm, €15 (€12 when bought in advance)
Tickets at the GaleRio art gallery
(in the Centro de Congressos do Arade) Mob. 968 067 607 | [email protected]
TEXT & PHOTOS ANABELA GASPAR
