Fado & Saudade

I was introduced to the Portuguese musical tradition of Fado a couple of years ago via my good friend Brian Keigher, aka the inimitable DJ Warp, who runs the programming for Chicago's annual World Music Festival. Brian got me some tickets to see Mariza in concert, in a nice intimate venue, and I was totally blown away by the emotional potency and the longing coloring every note... It's some of the saddest, most melancholy music to be found anywhere, and at the heart of it is an expression of what the Portuguese call Saudade... I've written about Saudade before, while traipsing through Brazil, and it remains one of the most beautiful words I've ever come across in any language. Below is the definition provided by WordIq.com:

"Saudade: a Portuguese word considered untranslatable. In Portuguese, this word serves to describe the feeling of missing someone (or something) you´re fond of. For instance, the sentence "Eu sinto muitas saudades tuas" (I feel too much "saudade" of you) directly translates into "I miss you too much". Some specialists say that such word has come to life during the Discoveries, giving meaning to the sadness felt by those who departed in journeys to the unknown sea. Those who stayed behind - mostly wives and children - deeply suffered with their absence, and such state has almost become a "portuguese way of life": the constant feeling of absence, the sadness of something that's missing. Few other languages in the world have a word with such meaning, making Saudade a indistinguishable mark of the Portuguese culture.

Have a listen to Mariza singing in the two videos below... She has an incredible stage presence & a voice that reaches into the deeper recesses...

For good measure, here is a track called "Tanta Saudade" from Brazilian artists Seu Jorge & Ana Carolinha, covering the same emotional ground in a different way... It's not Fado, but it's working with similar sentiments... (fyi-the live album by Seu Jorge & Ana Carolinha is well worth buying, it's musicianship at its finest...)