New Fado (Novo Fado) is the term used for the generation of Fado Singers who emerged in the 90ties and still applies to those who are now appearing in the Fado scene. These new fadistas are described as “groundbreaking” and as innovative.
The enthusiasm with this concept - that New Fado is renewing the “old one”- stems from the desire for destroying the past and embrace an alleged better future. To Rodrigo Costa Félix, a Fado Singer, the idea that nowadays Fado singers are renewing Fado is not true1 . Fado is, traditionally, about Estilar, a term I will translate as styling. And what is Estilar? Well, Fado does not have lyrics, Fado songs are, in fact, melody only, it is the Fado Singer who is going to choose the poem, according to the metrics, and then Estilar giving the Fado a completelly new and individual sound. For instance, Fado Menor by Carminho and Fado Menor by Ana Moura are Styled by each Fadista according to their talent and taste, and each version will sound like a different song, and each time the Fado singer sings he or she will sing the Fado differently, because the fadista will be feeling differently. That is why Rodrigo Costa Félix says: “Fado is always new. Why? Because it renews itself each time it is well sung”2.
The truth is that Fado has been evolving since it was created, but without loosing its essence, without loosing that which makes it to be Fado. Even though much is said about the extravanganza of the New Fadistas, most of them continue singing Fado even if they have some songs that are not Fado at all. But again, this is not new. Amália Rodrigues used to sing Marchas and traditional portuguese songs (other than Fado) and Fado Canção, but Traditional Fado remained part of her repertoire.
“Fado does not make someone a Fado singer, it is the Fado singer who may, or may not, make Fado”
Ricardo Ribeiro
Ofcourse, a Fadista may sing songs that are not Fado, but the song does not become a Fado because it’s sung by a Fado singer: “Fado does not make someone a Fado singer, it is the Fado singer who may, or may not, make Fado”3 . In the same way, its not because a song has the sound of a portuguese guitar that becomes a Fado. Fado has certain rules that must be fulfilled to be a Fado. There is a difference between be inspired by Fado and be a Fadista. One example I could give is Madredeus who are known internationally, and only internationally, as Fado. Teresa Salgueiro, the band vocalist, is not a Fado singer. They are indeed influenced by Fado, but also by portuguese traditional music, contemporary-pop and classical music. But they are not Fado, just like they are not classical music. Another example, a more modern one, is the band Deolinda, who does not make Fado but is internationally known as belonging to the New Fado movement, but in fact is a popular portuguese music band that has as one of its inspirations Fado. The band describes itself in this way: “Our DNA is portuguese popular music (…) we absorb influences from Fado as much we do from traditional portuguese music, pop and other genres are also present, because they also influenced us”4.
But, what is New Fado? New Fado is a term created to describe a group of Fado Singers (Fadistas), who sometimes sing Fado, sometimes sing something else, as it was always done. Sometimes they only use the traditional portuguese guitar and viola in their Fado songs, sometimes they add other instruments. This has also been done. Some end up leaving Fado altogether and dedicate their livres to other genres. But fortunatelly, more and more people, especially the young, choose the life of a Fadista. Most will live, what some consider, an obscure life, mostly working in Fado Houses (Casas de Fado), far away from big stages and international gigs; but its precisely there the Soul of Fado rests. Its there that even the most famous fadistas go to uplift their spirits. As long as there are Fado Houses, there will be Fado.
https://amensagem.pt/2021/12/05/novo-fado-o-que-e-isso
https://amensagem.pt/2021/12/05/novo-fado-o-que-e-isso
“o Fado não faz o fadista, o fadista é que pode fazer o Fado, ou não” Ricardo Ribeiro https://comunidadeculturaearte.com/entrevista-ricardo-ribeiro-a-grande-vantagem-do-fado-e-que-nao-e-uma-musica-igual-a-qualquer-outra/
http://mdemusica.pt/2017/01/26/deolinda-sempre-enorme-pica-musica/