Portuguese fado

By Choe Chong-dae

I myself am fascinated by Portugal in many ways. My interest in fado, a traditional Portuguese music genre began with my column “Origin of Portuguese And Korean Cultural Contact” on Dec. 23, 1992 in The Korea Times. As a result, a Portuguese colleague gave me a fado album. Fado gained popularity in Korea after the MBC TV drama series titled “Love and Ambition” was broadcast in 1987 featuring a fado intermezzo titled “Barco Negro” (Black Boat), sung by Amalia Rodrigues. The drama portrayed a sad romance of an ambitious young man and his girlfriend.

Originated in the early 19th century (but thought to have much earlier origins), fado is a distinctive and evocative style of traditional Portuguese song which is a reflection on profound sorrow and pain as well as happiness. Since the Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries, a number of Portuguese people embarked by sea to explore new routes. Sailors who spent long periods on the sea expressed their homesickness and loneliness with a mix of seafaring themes and mourning through fado. Their families they left behind in Portugal, too, sang of their longing for those who departed. Fado generally focuses on the vicissitudes of the suffering and hardworking of the masses. Its romantic ballads evoke a sense of what the Portuguese call “saudade,” melancholy and nostalgia, a yearning for something lost. “Saudade” is associated with the Korean mood called “han” that is expressed in Arirang and other romantic songs. “Han” has a component of regret. It is a unique Korean sentiment reflecting deep, internalized suffering.

"Arirang" is a traditional Korean folk song that plumbs the grief-stricken depths of collective Korean emotions. The essence of Arirang's message is to enliven our hearts deeply, evoking sentiments of joy, anger, sorrow, hardship, nostalgia and wistful pleasure. Irrespective of gender, age, social background and ideology, all people in the world experience feelings of joy, sorrow, loneliness, happiness, love and hate that are part of saudade and han.

Remarkably, pansori, the epic chant of Korea, and fado, the traditional music genre of Portugal, and flamenco, the energetic music and dance of Spain, were assigned to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity between 2008 and 2011. All three have very distinctive repertoires.

Portugal's artistic achievements are immortalized by her legendary singer Amalia Rodrigues (1920-99) who is widely regarded as the “queen of fado.” Thanks to her soulful and extraordinarily beautiful voice, fado has attracted international attention, enriching music lovers everywhere. In recognition of her outstanding singing, stage presence and philanthropy, Rodrigues was awarded many honors. She was even given a state funeral in Portugal. She was the first woman to be buried at the National Pantheon in Lisbon, alongside other Portuguese notables.

Her legacy is kept alive today by contemporary singers like Ana Moura and Mariza who sing pieces from her unique repertoire on stage or in the studio. The distinctive spirit of fado will be cherished forever.

Drinking a glass of Porto wine in a tavern during my last visit to Lisbon, a soulful fado tune drifted over the River Tejo. I felt close to the Portuguese explorers who contributed to Portugal's Golden Age of Discovery.

I hope to be able to listen to authentic fado sung by Portuguese artists in Korea again. We await the celebration of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Portugal later this year.

Choe Chong-dae is a guest columnist of The Korea Times. He is president of Dae-kwang International Co., and director of the Korean-Swedish Association. He can be reached at choecd@naver.com