In “A Alma Só Está Bem Onde Não Cabe” (The Soul Is Only Well Where It Does Not Fit), Ricardo Ribeiro, a fado singer passionate about poetry and philosophy, sings of himself and others with emotion and inspiration.
“There are people who spend their lives saying: ‘Why did I suffer so much!’ They don’t drink the orange juice, they carry the peels”: the lesson from Ricardo Ribeiro
Wednesday, 11 March 2026RSS
Context & Explainers
Fado is a traditional Portuguese music genre characterized by melancholic singing and themes of longing and fate, with distinct Lisbon and Coimbra styles; it was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2011. For expats, fado is both a living cultural tradition and a common tourist experience — attending a small fado house in Lisbon or Coimbra offers insight into Portuguese history, language and social life.
