‘Fado de Coimbra’

Mention of Portugal always calls to mind fado. The harsh songs about deeply-rooted saudade are one of the country's most important export products. In de university city of Coimbra, between Oporto and Lisbon, a particular fado tradition emerged early in the last century that was distinguished from prevailing fado forms above all by the exclusively male composition of its ensembles. The characteristic Coimbra guitars, moreover, are made somewhat differently than the fado guitars of Lisbon and have, as a result, a distinctive tone.