Antes da Saudade

Antes da Saudade

From Through The Looking Glass by Joana Frade

March 9, 2026 · 1h 4m · Season 1 · Episode 46

About this episode

The episode explores the origins of fado music and its connection to journeys and emotions before it became known as fado.

No escuro de uma taberna antiga, alguém começa a cantar. Não sabemos o nome. Não sabemos de onde veio. Apenas a voz — crua, inevitável — a abrir caminho no ar. Durante muito tempo pensou-se que esta música pertencia a Lisboa. Como as colinas. Como a luz. Como o Tejo. Mas algumas músicas escondem viagens dentro delas. Hoje atravessamos o espelho para procurar o fado antes de ele se tornar fado. Antes da saudade. Talvez o fado não tenha nascido num lugar. Talvez tenha nascido em viagem. _______ In the darkness of an old tavern, someone begins to sing. We don't know the name. We don't know where it came from. Only the voice—raw, inevitable—making its way through the air. For a long time, it was thought that this music belonged to Lisbon. Like the hills. Like the light. Like the Tagus River. But some songs hide journeys within them. Today we cross the mirror to search for fado before it becomes fado. Before saudade. Perhaps fado wasn't born in one place. Perhaps I was born on a journey.

Topics covered

  • fado
  • saudade
  • music
  • journey

Keywords

  • Lisbon
  • old tavern
  • singing
  • voice

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Lisboa, Lisbon, the Tagus River

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