Fado em cinco estilos

Fado Corrido

This is a very traditional fado, an emblematic example of fado castiço, or classic fado, and more specifically a fado corrido, characterised by a running tempo, which is much faster and more upbeat than is typical of other kinds of fado music. The guitar essentially repeats the same pattern, and it is down to the fadista to provide the emotional tone of each verse in line with the lyrics, to provide the five styles of the title.

This particular fado has been interpreted by numerous fadistas over the years, but I have chosen this version by Maria Teresa de Noronha (1918 - 1993), not only for the clarity and poignancy of her voice, but also because Noronha is an interesting figure in the history of fado. Born into an ancient, aristocratic family, Noronha’s background was a world away from the poorest districts of Lisbon, from the taverns, dockyards and brothels where fado had its roots. Although at the time of her youth fado had already begun to move away from its marginal roots and reach a wider audience, Noronha’s privileged beginnings were a still a serious restriction to her artistic ambitions, and it is fair to say that she never really achieved the same international status or national affection as her contemporary, Amália.

This particular song, Fado em cinco estilos, which confronts the timeless theme of unrequited love, seems to be as much about celebrating the story of fado itself as it is about the sorrows of the protagonist. The fadista sings of her love of singing fado, of its purity and its ability to express far more than just unhappiness and disgrace. She also sings of life’s illusions, and the act of seeing, along with its opposite of blindness, both recur throughout the lyrics. Eyes and seeing, and the blindness caused by overpowering emotion, are common themes in fado more generally, and the protagonist here combines the two, expressing her desire to gaze upon her lover, and her promise that, if her eyes are bothering him, she will tear them away and love him blindly. In the final verse, she acknowledges the unreliability of sight as she reveals that it is not really death that she is afraid of, but rather life, and the power of its illusions…







(I ought to add that the in the video in the link, Noronha sings a slightly different version of the first verse. My only justification for the discrepancy is that I prefer these lyrics, so apologies for any confusion...)



Fado em cinco estilos

Eu quero bem aos teus olhos
Mas muito mais quero aos meus
Pois se perdesse meus olhos
Não podia ver os teus

Se eu de saudades morrer
Apalpa meu coração
Talvez eu torne a viver
Ao calor da tua mão

Se os meus olhos te incomodam
Quando estão na tua frente
Eu prometo arrancá-los
E amar-te cegamente

Gosto de cantar o Fado
Acho que o Fado tem raça
E que não foi só criado
Para cantar a desgraça

Se tenho medo da morte
Não tanto como supões
Tenho mais medo da vida
E das suas ilusões

Lyrics by João Silva Tavares

Fado en cinq styles

Je veux du bien à tes yeux
Mais j’en veux beaucoup plus aux miens
Puisque si je perdais mes yeux
Je ne pourrais voir les tiens

Si je meurs de saudades
Touche mon cœur
Je reviendrais peut-être à la vie
Avec la chaleur de ta main

Si mes yeux t’incommodent
Lorsqu’ils sont là devant toi
Je te promets de les éloigner
Et de t’aimer aveuglement

J’aime chanter le fado
Je trouve que le fado est de pure race
Et qu’il n’a pas été créé seulement
Pour chanter le malheur

Si j’ai peur de la mort
Ce n’est pas autant que tu le supposes
J’ai plus peur de la vie
Et de ses illusions



Fado in five styles

I wish your eyes well
But not so much as I wish my own
Since if I were to lose my eyes
I would not be able to see yours

If I were to die of saudades
Touch my heart And perhaps
I would come back to life
With the heat of your hand

If my eyes bother you
When they are in front of you
I promise to tear them away
And to love you blindly

I like singing fado
I think fado is of a pure race
And it was not only created
To sing of unhappiness and disgrace

If I am afraid of death
It is not as much as you suppose
I am more afraid of life
And of its illusions