Day 297: Fado

Day 297: Fado, originally uploaded by susanvg.

On a rainy night we left the dark and gloom behind and stepped into a Portuguese restaurant. It was Fado night, an evening of Portuguese dining followed by a concert of local Fado performers. The meal, a leisurely affair was delightful.

Fado is normally performed accompanied by a Portuguese guitar, pictured here and a classical guitar. The Portuguese guitar has 12 steel strings and is plucked using the nails giving it quite a bright sound. Fado songs are quite melancholy, speaking of the sorrows of life - love, loss, difficulties. As such, the music is quite intense. The music is hauntingly beautiful and touches the soul.

You can learn more about fado here.