Rita Braga travelled to the beginnings of fado, its music and characters. She was not in search of historical purity. In Tropical Fado, Severa rhymes with the exotic. A rediscovered past, exquisitely costumed.
Tropical Fado, a journey to the origins of fado, a delightful fantasy by Rita Braga
Friday, 10 April 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.
