Where can I hear Fado in Mouraria, Lisbon?
No, not in a traditional Fado house, but where you least expect! On one of the many taverns, in a sports group or even during a walk through the narrow streets of Mouraria. In the neighbourhood that is known as the birthplace of Fado, residents still like to hear it loud and clear.
Unlike Alfama, where Fado houses attract curious tourists to hear live shows of this ‘strange way of life’, in Mouraria Fado is heard spontaneously on the street or stage shows and now there is a Fado school for those who want to learn more about the art.
At the entrance of Rua do Capelão you can find a tribute monument to Mouraria as Fado birth place: a block of marble, carved with a Portuguese guitar, opened in 2006, near the house where Severa lived, one of the first females to sing Fado in Lisbon.
Where:
Amigos da Severa – Small tavern very close off the house where Severa lived. Here you taste Ginjinha and if you’re lucky you can to hear some of the guests warming their vocal chords and singing Fado.
Maria da Mouraria – Open in 2013 under the name of Casa da Severa, it was baptized once again in 2014 as Maria da Mouraria. The space was built as a tribute to Fado in what purports to be the house where Severa lived. In addition to taste the chef Victor Paulino dishes you can watch Fado performances, as well as cinema and gatherings sessions.
Fado School – Operating in Grupo Desportivo da Mouraria, this is an opportunity to learn to sing Fado with a singing teacher. Since the beginning of February that are planned several Fado gatherings to be held on the 2nd Saturday of each month, from 21.30, with school students. Admission is free.
In restaurants of S. Cristóvão Street – During summer 2014, the streets and restaurants near Rua de S. Cristóvão, in Mouraria, people heard someone singing Fado. The initiative of Fatinha (vocals) and Miguel (guitar), two residents of the neighborhood, was to show some improvise and genuine street shows to tourists. The show will the back this summer.
