And I thought I was Melodramatic...

I heard a Portuguese singer called Mariza the other day. I must say I'm captivated. Apparently there is a whole tradition of Portuguese music which is typified by its theatrical and depressing nature. I love it!

From Wikipedia: Fado (translated as destiny or fate) is a music genre which can be traced from the 1820s in Portugal, but probably with much earlier origins. In popular belief, Fado is a form of music characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor. However, in reality Fado is simply a form of song which can be about anything, but must follow a certain structure.

The music is usually linked to the Portuguese word saudade (that has no match in English but it could be understood as nostalgia felt while missing someone), a word describing a sentiment. The word "pine", sharing the same root as the Portuguese word "pena" (which has evolved to express the feeling of being sorry for someone) seems to describe the meaning of the word saudade only in very crude terms as a feeling of nostalgia, or longing, which is agreed by translators to not be an accurate description.Furthermore, because the word pine is actually a verb in English whilst saudade is simply a noun, any translation using these two words would be inaccurate.

Some enthusiasts claim that Fado's origins are a mixture of African slave rhythms with the traditional music of Portuguese sailors and Arabic influence.

Here are the lyrics in English and Portuguese.

Primavera
Spring

Todo o amor que nos prendera,
All the love that had tied us,

como se fora de cera,
as if it was of wax,

Se quebrava e desfazia.
was breaking and crumbling down.

Ai funesta Primavera,
Ai, tragic Spring

quem me dera, quem nos dera,
how I wish, how I wish that we

ter morrido nesse dia.
had died on that day

E condenaram-me a tanto,
And I was comdemd to so much

viver comigo meu pranto,
to live with my crying

viver, viver e sem ti.
to live, to live, and without you

Vivendo sem, no entanto, eu me esquecer desse encanto,
Living, however without forgetting the enchantment

que nesse dia perdi.
that I lost that day

Pão duro da solidão,
hard bread of loliness

é somente o que nos dão,
that’s all we get

o que nos dão a comer.
that’s all we are given to eat

Que importa que o coração,
What does the heart matter,

diga que sim ou que não,
whatever it says, yes or no,

se continua a viver.
if it keeps on living

Todo o amor que nos prendera,
All love that had tied us,

se quebrara e desfizera,
was breaking and crumbling down,

em pavor se convertia.
was turning into dread

Ninguém fale em Primavera,
No one should talk to about Spring

quem me dera, quem nos dera,
how I wish, how I wish that we

ter morrido nesse dia.
had died on that day.