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  Fado



  Fado is a type of folk music which most likely originated in the 1820s in Portugal . It is characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about   the sea or the life of the poor. The music is usually linked to the Portuguese word saudade (a word with no accurate equivalent in English;   being a type of longing, it conveys a complex mixture of sadness, pain, nostalgia, happiness and love), and its origins are probably from a   mixture of African slave rhythms with traditional music of Portuguese sailors, with Arabic influence. Some theories say it was derived from   Brazilian music styles like Lundum and Modinha .

  There are two varieties of Fado: Lisbon and Coimbra. The Lisbon style is the popular, while the Coimbra's is the refined style; both are seen   as ethnic music for sophisticated audience.

  The first great fado singer that is still known was Maria Severa , living in the first half of the 19th century. Her type of fado is today called "   Lisbon 's fado".

  In the 1920s and 1930s , a series of fado de Coimbra (a highly stylized version born in Coimbra ) recordings were very popular. Guitarists   Carlos Paredes and his father Artur Paredes , were the masters and the great pioneers of this genre and the Portuguese guitar .

  Amália Rodrigues introduced the most well-known variety of fado. After her disappearance, a new wave of performers added stylistic changes   and brought more international popularity to the traditional Portuguese music. There are also some successful experiences with fado, namely   mixing it with electronic music . Mariza , Mísia and Ana Moura brought with them a new look to the traditional song, occasionally reviving 19th   century fado. While Dulce Pontes mixed it with popular and traditional Portuguese music. Madredeus and Cristina Branco added with new   instruments and themes - all that they kept from the original Fado is its looks and the concept of "saudade". All varieties of Fado are   sorrowful; although some can also be joyful songs.