If you've been to Portugal you've probably come across Fado, the (mostly) mournful singing that is a national institutuion. But the vocals are only one elelment of Fado, with the 12 string Portuguese guitar the complementary companion. Hearing the instrument without the voice sounded interesting, and it was only for 40 minutes, so we went along to see what it might be like.
And emerged delighted with our decision. Joao Cuna is a Fado virtuoso, and a custodian of the form's history. His set went well beyond mere entertainment, with the music intersperesed with an audio-visual presentation that explained the history of Fado (which dates back around 200 years) and the instrument associated with it. The different types of Fado and guitar, the working class roots of one form and elitist origins of the other. The music provided examples of thse differences, along with more recent melodies which help keep the tradition alive. Both the story and the music were fascinating. The music itself seemed alien at first, but the ears adapted, and more modern pieces were more accessible. But Cuna's virtuosity was never in doubt.
As an added bonus the man had a more familiar 6 string guitar available for anyone in the audience who played. A young Frenchman voluteered and together they jammed a couple of numbers at the end, a fun way to close an interesting set. Well worth seeking out if you are ever in Faro.
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