Jackie Steves Blogs Europe - A Fado Finale On Our Last Night in Lisbon

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A Fado Finale On Our Last Night in Lisbon

Last night we walked to Bairro Alto, the area west of downtown Lisbon, with the fashion district and the best nightlife. My dad had emailed his friend, Gabriel, who owns a restaurant where they put on fado performances. So when we arrived at the restaurant, he had been expecting us (along with a French woman who could have either been his wife or his mother, I couldn't tell) and gave us the warmest of greetings.

He showed us into his cozy little restaurant, where the walls were decorated with paintings and sketches of fado singers. As soon as we sat down, Gabriel brought us a bottle of vinho verde, a sparkling white Portuguese wine. We ordered the seafood rice that he suggested, and he brought us out a big, steaming pot of it, with shrimps, crab, muscles, clams, scallops, and tons of flavor. The best meal of our trip by far! For dessert he brought us his special dessert, the name of which I do not know. It was like a cold frothy mocha cream. We felt like princesses because he kept offering to bring us all kinds of things and when we asked for the check he wouldn't let us pay.

Meanwhile, we heard three fado singers. Throughout all the performances, two elderly men played two different types of guitars. The first to sing was a short old blind man. His manner of singing was a bit jarring to me at first. I had never heard music like this before. It was a powerful guttural singing with the occasional vibrato. I couldn't understand a word, but it was clear that it was a terribly sad and dramatic love story. With each successive song I grew to like it more.

I don't remember well the woman who performed next because the woman who followed her absolutely blew me away. Her song was one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. Her heartfelt passion filled the room. During the few songs she sang, I was head-over-heels in love with fado. Zoe and I were mesmerized, staring at her face screwed up with fervor and torment. We didn't touch our food once during her performance. When she finished, Zoe was speechless, and all I could say was, “Wow.” This woman and her fado, Zoe and I will never forget.

Gabriel introduced us to his 18-year-old son, Tom, who showed us his family's bar upstairs. He made us mojitos and we talked about music and travel. The bar was decorated with rock band posters and Zoe commented that he must really like American rock bands. He said, matter of factly, “No, which band is American in here?” “ACDC,” I guessed. No, they're Australian. Zoe guessed Black Sabbath. No, they're English. The only American rock band we could find among the posters was Kiss. All the rest were actually not American. I barely know anything about rock bands, but that really made me feel arrogant for assuming most famous rock bands originate from the States.

— Jackie

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You are reading "A Fado Finale On Our Last Night in Lisbon", an entry posted on 28 July 2009 by Jackie Steves.

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Comments [ top ]

I have a passion for fado music. I arranged this evening hoping Jackie would like it, but worried she’d think it was old-fogey music. It’s affirming to me that the girls found it as riveting as I do. And it’s affirming to the genre as well. I could imagine the girls, sitting in a tired restaurant with a gentle but tired proprietor, rolling their eyes as they listened to four old musicians — three bent over wobbly stools plucking various mandolins and the singer looking like a grandma in mourning gazing into the corner of the room and crooning as if she can see her lost loved one. I just saw a YouTube video of Britney Spears prancing around in her black undies after performing last night here in Stockholm. Britney and fado: Both are entertainment. To hear Jackie and Zoe pin a "wow" on fado — calling it an experience they’ll never forget...that’s a wow for me.

Posted by: Rick (Jackie's Dad) - Jul 28, 2009 11:39 AM

Oh Jackie!! I trust Gabriel or his mother or his wife will not read these blogs you write. You are authentic but, aarrgghh, you shouldn't actually put in writing that you weren't certain whether your host's companion is his wife or his mother. Mama Mia... do I know an RS guide for you. Fado is not for me. Too much like country music (which the Seattle transit system found today moves loiterers along.) But Latin music in general is hot in the USA right now. "Lo Intentamos" by Espinosa Paz, and Ya Es Muy Tarde's "La Arrolladora Banda El Limon" top the charts. My nephew, is touring Europe right now playing the "trash metal" sound and he was very popular in Germany and England, not so much in France, not so much at his uncle's house. As for me, today is certainly different than 1969's Woodstock - and one of my favorites is Brit Tenor Russell Watson's STIRRING version of Barcelona. ...And when you finally get home, have a salad. And ask your mom to read your stuff (again) and comment. Mom's almost always get it right. Bill Kester, Pendleton, SC

Posted by: bill kester - Jul 28, 2009 2:27 PM

Ms. Jackie..the one attached to this blog is definitely my favorite photo of you. I'm glad you ladies have enjoyed the night of fado, but I'm perplexed: maybe it's just(gulp) generational, but the two of you really thought AC/DC and Sabbath were American? That is too surreal for me. Then again, you two are very young--I mean, niether of you were even alive when Prince came out with Purple Rain--25 YEARS AGO! Ok, let me stop, this is getting depressing....

Posted by: Alfran (Let's Go Crazy..!!) - Jul 28, 2009 7:48 PM

Thanks for all the great posts Jackie. Brings back lots of fond memories from past Spain/Portugal trips. I too love Lisboa and Madrid for the art, architecture, and positive vibe. If you want to buy a good Fado CD in the States, check out Mariza, she's amazing. We just saw her perform in Seattle in April. I'm also a Euro trip planning freak so I can relate to being called a planning dork. But us dorks get the last laugh when we find the good restaurants and have a smooth, scam-free trip. Enjoy the rest of your Euro journey and keep the blogs coming. The travel writing genetics run strong with you! Are you joining your Dad in Scandanavia soon? P.S. We're having Spain like weather here in Seattle this week, near 100 all week!

Posted by: Owen - Jul 29, 2009 12:37 AM