In my next two Badass Women posts, I am going to focus on two singers that have not only awakened fado (Portugal’s traditional music) in Portugal, but also made it into an international sensation, especially in countries such as Brazil, Spain, and France. I have been listening to lots of fado recently in an attempt to improve my Portuguese.
The first of these artists is Amália Rodrigues, who first made fado immensely popular. She was born into a modest family in Lisbon in 1920, and was one of nine children, although only a few survived into adulthood. She started performing at the age of 15, and continued until her death at age 79. By her 20s she was already a famous singer, and recorded her first songs in Brazil in 1945. She performed all over the world, including Spain, Brazil, Italy, and even Japan.
Throughout her long life, she not only became Portugal’s most famous singer and performer, but also an actress, performing on TV and in several films, including “Sangue Toreiro” and “Fado Corrido” in the 1960s. She continued to perform well into her 70s, and only when she became ill in 1999 did she retreat from public life. When she passed, Portugal declared three days of national mourning, and she was buried at the National Pantheon in Lisbon. Her death is part of what revived the popularity of fado music in Portugal.
If you are interested in listening to some of her music, I suggest starting with “Gaivota” (”Seagull”) or “Estranha forma de vida” (”Strange Way of Life”). English translations of the lyrics for these songs can easily be found. Happy listening!