Een veelbelovende Fado avond in het intieme muziekcafé van Cultuurhuis Heerlen. Fado Ao Centro brengt jou fado met muzikale invloeden geintroduceerd door studenten uit diverse streken van Portugal. Dit "Fado Ao Centro" concert is ontstaan vanuit de behoeft van de musici om dieper in de traditie te duiken van de eeuwenoude fado- muziektraditie van/in Portugal. De musici brengen eigen gecomponeerd werk en eigen interpretaties van het traditionele fado repertoir. Hun doel is empathie van hun publiek te winnen door enerzijds de traditionele fado te laten leven en klinken en anderzijds nieuwe, verfrissende benaderingen en invloeden te integreren uit de muziekscene van Coimbra en Portugal.

"Fado Ao Centro" brengt het publiek naar het hart van de fado, naar het hart van hun geliefde Portugal, hun stad Coimbra en hen zelf. Hun liefde voor de fado is zó sterk dat ze zich geroepen voelen de fado te delen met de rest van de wereld


BACKGROUND

FADO AO CENTRO

group of Coimbra fado

Coimbra fado is a unique and powerful style of music and song. Unlike Lisbon fado, which is sung by mainly women, the voices of Coimbra fado are exclusively male and most belong to current or former students of Coimbra’s prestigious university. The university connection is reinforced by the singers and the accompanying guitarists wearing the traditional black capes that are synonymous with student life.

Coimbra’s students have been in the habit of singing in the city streets since the 16th century, their voices breaking the silence of the night with serenades and ballads. Fado became popular in Lisbon in the 19th century and was brought to Coimbra by the students who came to study here. This new form of music was quickly adopted and adapted in the city. Over time, the core elements of classical guitar, Portuguese guitar and vocals evolved into a different version of fado which incorporates traditional musical influences introduced by students from various regions of Portugal.

The "Fado Ao Centro" concert was created with the explicit intention to continue and to get deeper into this 170th year old musical tradition, essentially by presenting new self-authored songs and renew the traditional repertoire. Thus, the aim is to develop empathy with the audience, by reaching into traditional imagery, while at the same time framing the novel refreshing approaches found within the current music scene of Coimbra and Portugal.

"Fado ao Centro" can be translated as “fado in the centre” or “fado to the centre”. The group like to think of it as “fado to the core” - of their country, their city and themselves. Their love of fado is so strong that they want to share it with others, be they fellow musicians and academics, local fans who enjoy allowing themselves to be transported by the emotions aroused by their songs, or curious spectators who may never even have heard of Coimbra fado.