SONG -A CONTINOUS ACT.PART 6.

There were too many things to mention about Fado but since the theme is so wide I would have to write an entire Blog about it. So, this is pretty much the closing chapter before taking you guys and gals trough a little tour at some other Portuguese musical genres. But I wouldn´t feel good about myself If I didn´t mentioned the name of a man that dignified so well the music genre that is Fado.


The name is Carlos Paredes. And since there really isn´t information about him in the English version of Wikipedia I believe that It´s up to me to leave you with a very short chapter about who was this magnificent musician and person.

Carlos Paredes ( Born: Coimbra / February 16 -1925 Died : Lisbon / July 23 -2004) He was a composer and a Portuguese Guitarist, one of the great Portuguese guitarists (The greatest according to me and some other people) and he did an amazing job divulging the Portuguese guitar. He is a unique symbol of the Portuguese culture. He was the son, grandson, and great grandson (and so on) of well known Portuguese guitarists themselves. I´m sorry but I must open another parenthesis here ( It´s not a known fact If he left children to keep the family tradition, at least I don´t believe he did but there is one thing that makes me extremely happy, because in these days, whenever I speak with some guys from my generation, or with some younger guys that love Fado they all know the name Carlos Paredes and besides that, there is a all new generation of Portuguese Guitarists appearing because of the musical influence of this great man). Needless to say there was a ton of things that could be said about him, It´s in fact because of him that I learned to appreciate Fado. I mentioned earlier that I would explain this In full detail so here is a brief explanation : you see according to some Fado music is usually linked to the word Saudade (that has no match in the English language but could be understood as nostalgia or missing something or someone ), okay, this is correct but there´s one link that´s missing in this chain.

You see, the word Saudade Isn´t something exclusive of the Portuguese language because before one tries to understand It one must feel It. The reason because I truly love the music of Carlos Paredes it´s because he can explain this peculiar word so well to everyone no matter his or her origin, religion, age, nationality,academic formation or any sort of background without the use of a single word. He was able to capture the very essence of Fado and translate into that universal language known to everyone as" music". And since we are not machines but human beings we can all feel and therefore understand. And that happened to me, I understood.

So now, If you will allow me we will try something that I don´t believe that anyone did so far.

I will try to explain to you the very meaning of the word Saudade. To do that I will only ask of you to read these following words but I want you to open the music called verdes anos that you see bellow. Please remember don´t try to look for the meaning because the meaning will find you. O.k, is the music starting ? Are you ready ? Here we go...



Saudade...

What is saudade ?...

Saudade is the fisherman´s wife that waits for her husband by the beach...

Saudade is watching the sun after the eclipse...

Saudade is the words that we forgot to say to our loved ones before they departed...

Saudade is the child that opens the cage for the little bird, and gives it freedom...

Saudade is the sun that sets on the horizon ...

Saudade is that seed you planted that olds the promise of one thousand forests...

Saudade is the very first breath of the new born...

Saudade is all the love that we gave and was given to us...

Saudade is that single kiss that symbolizes all the kisses we gave and were given back to us...

Saudade is that single tear that symbolizes all the aches and pains we ever felt...

Saudade is that laugh that  symbolizes all the happiness we felt and will ever feel...

Saudade is the soldier´s return from war...

Saudade is time never standing still...

Saudade is the wind dancing trough the fields...

Saudade is the destiny that we choose for ourselves...

Saudade is the emigrant that is starting a new life in a new land ...

Saudade is holding your newborn for the very first time...

Saudade is the lightning that fills the night with light ...

Saudade is saying farewell to those you love...

Saudade is looking at the moon reflexion by the river...

Saudade is the first and last season of our lives ...

Saudade is fate and fate is saudade...

Saudade is that brief encounter with your lover after waiting one thousand years...

Saudade is birth and death...

Saudade is silence ...

Saudade is the salt of tears and sea...

Saudade is all there is was and will be...

Saudade is whatever you want It to be...

Saudade... it´s you, and it´s me...



See you soon !.