It is well known that Portugal is famous for its unique musical style in music – Fado. Many restaurants even use Fado performers to attract customers. Today we will not only talk about Fado, but also about other styles of Portuguese music that you have probably never heard of!
Characteristic vocabulary
Before we move on to specific information about music, let’s look at what words in Portuguese we will need to talk about it. For example, a person who performs music and/or songs, we can call them:
- cantor/a (singer),
- músico (musician),
- artista (artist),
- performer (performer),
- solista (soloist)
We will also need “creative verbs“, for example:
- cantar (to sing),
- gravar (to record),
- tocar (to play),
- executar (to perform),
- compor (to compose),
- escrever (to write)
Speaking of places, we can associate the following words with this topic:
- palco (stage),
- festival (festival),
- concerto (concert),
- estádio (stadium)
Morna
Morna is a traditional music genre, typical of Cape Verde and quite popular in Portugal. This style of music has roots in Portuguese ballads, African music, and Brazilian folklore. Morna is a melancholic genre with deep lyrics, often acting as an expression of grief and longing.
Os músicos de Morna tocam instrumentos como guitarra, piano, violino e instrumentos de percussão. (Morn musicians play instruments such as guitar, piano, violin and percussion.)
The main feature of morna is its slow tempo, deep lyrical texts, and melancholic mood. The song lyrics often reflect themes of love, loss, and longing.
As artistas populares de música no estilo Morna são Cesária Évora, Teresa Salgueiro e Suzana Lubrainsi. (Any morna singer is a true artist who moves the audience with their soft and melodious voice.)
Pimba
Pimba is a popular musical style in Portugal, characterized by bright melodies, simple lyrics, and catchy rhythms. This genre of music is often performed by women and embodies the cheerful and lively national character of the Portuguese.
Os músicos Pimba são conhecidos por cantar sobre temas do quotidiano e amor. (Pimba musicians are known for singing about everyday themes and love.)
Songs often contain humoristic elements and jokes, making them light and enjoyable for listeners.
O solista de Pimba costuma estar acompanhado de uma banda alegre e dinâmica. (The Pimba soloist is usually accompanied by a cheerful and dynamic band.)
Pimba is often performed at festivals, parties, and concerts across the country, attracting thousands of people and creating an atmosphere of joy and celebration.
Os cantores de Pimba costumam dar concertos esgotados em todo o país. (Pimba singers often have sold-out concerts nationwide.)
Here is a small list of Pimba performers in Portugal: Quim Barreiros, Ágata, Ruth Marlene, Ana Malhoa, Nel Monteiro, José Malhoa and Lucas and Matheu.
Cante Alentejano
Cante Alentejano is performed collectively, usually by a group of men who sing in choir. This style of music is characterized by a slow and deep sound that conveys the dignity and wisdom of simple rural people. The black suit, wide-brimmed hat, and male bass create an incredible atmosphere.
O performer de Cante Alentejano leva energia e emoção a cada palco que pisa. (The performer of Cante Alentejano brings energy and emotion to every stage he steps on.)
Executar canções de Cante Alentejano num concerto transporta o público para outras épocas. (Performing Cante Alentejano songs in a concert transports the audience to other times.)
The themes addressed in Cante Alentejano lyrics are usually related to labor, agriculture, life in the village, love, and relationships.
Compor novas músicas dentro do estilo do Cante Alentejano requer sensibilidade e conhecimento musical. (Composing new songs in the style of Cante Alentejano requires sensitivity and musical knowledge.)
The instrumental aspect of Cante Alentejano is usually minimal and may only include a guitar or mandolin, but most of the time the music is performed without musical accompaniment. In 2014, Cante Alentejano was recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
Fado
And for readers who have just started learning Portuguese and are interested in Portugal, we will mention the most popular music style – Fado. The Portuguese themselves are divided into two camps: some adore this style, others absolutely do not.
The youth considers this style very depressing, although the modern approach creates good songs in the Fado style.
Anyway, fado is part of Portuguese culture and is one of the topics we talk about in our conversational Portuguese classes online and offline.
O fado é acompanhado por músicos que tocam instrumentos como a guitarra portuguesa. (O fado is accompanied by musicians playing instruments such as the Portuguese guitar.)
Fado is usually performed by both women and men, who sing about love, sorrow, longing, and Portuguese life circumstances. The most famous Fado performers in Portugal are Amália Rodrigues and Mariza. They have become legends of this genre thanks to their unique voices and emotional performances that touch the hearts of listeners.
O solista que canta o fado chama-se fadista. (The soloist who performs Fado is called a fadista.)
If Amália is the Fado of the past, then Mariza is the Fado of the present. Mariza makes the melancholic genre “palatable” for the modern generation.
Memorable performers
Even in regular musical styles, Portuguese performers stand out. For example, if we look through a contest like Eurovision, we can highlight the winner of 2017 – Salvador Sobral, who touched the hearts of the audience with his strange and tender performance of the song “Amar Pelos Dois”. Also in 2019, the Portuguese singer Conan Osiris surprised with his strange and unusual performance. He combined Eastern motifs, an alien theme, turning his pop-style songs into something completely unique and new.
You don’t know how to react to his art: seriously or with humor. Truly touching without jokes is the performer Maro, who in 2022 sang about her grandfather and the loss of him. Again, this is a regular Pop style, but her delivery is special. The rough voice with a husky tone like a unique musical instrument reminds you about her feelings.
Conclusion
Portugal is a small country, but even in musical styles it has distinguished itself. By listening to the texts of Portuguese songs, one can roughly understand how the Portuguese think deep down, what images come to their minds, what associations and comparisons arise for them.
Of course, an ordinary Portuguese person does not behave like a poet, but he understands what his compatriots sing about, and this is very enlightening for a foreigner. In general, we have given you some advice on which performers are worth listening to, and getting the opportunity to glimpse into the Portuguese soul.