Title  Tropical Fado. Fado among Portuguese emigrants and people of Portuguese descent in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo
Author  Catarina Machado Faria
Advisors João Aires de Freitas Leal and Catarina Alves Costa
Year  2012
Institution  Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, NOVA University Lisbon
Degree  Masters
Area  Visual Cultures
Keywords  Fado, Portuguese emigration, Nacional identity, Popular culture 
URI  https://run.unl.pt/handle/10362/9444

Abstract 

This study tries to examine how Fado as a musical expression that is usually considered as a symbol of Portuguese national identity, is understood by individuals or groups of Portuguese emigrants and lusodescendents in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Its main objective is to understand how fado is viewed, on the one hand, an tool for the ethnic affirmation of Portuguese immigrants in Brazil and, on the other hand, how it works as a factor that stimulates cohesion among migrants throught the strengthening of ties with Portugal. The thesis has a particular focus on the personal journeys of migration of fado performers, based on their life stories and the paths that led them to fado. The research also includes fado singers and musicians from Brazil, and seeks to understand how fado entered their personal and artistic lives. It also seeks to understand how fado is lived and understood in Brazil, especially in what concerns the imaginário fadista, forms of interpretation, repertoire, fado performance and relationship with the fado audience.