While visiting Porto, a short distance from our apartment at the edge of the Ribeira (a couple blocks from Praça do Infante D. Henrique), we stumbled--seems we're always "stumbling"!--across Fado na Baixa. Naturally, we've heard much about Portugal's iconic fado music, but knew very little about it beyond that. To paraphrase the old saying: "When in Portugal...." We decided it was time for us to experience this melancholic music, and purchased a couple of tickets for their first show (they do two shows nightly at 18:00 and 19:30). This was a Monday evening, so our early show had less than a dozen in attendance. That, in and of itself, might sound a bit sad; however, it made for far less distractions and a bit more intimate. Whatever the case, when all was said and done, the 50-minute show (which included a small glass of port wine) was such a wonderful and moving experience! We were both moved to tears at the beauty of the music, both instrumental and vocals. The show included a video which illuminated the experience, as well; it was a learned experience, indeed! With both a female and male performer, along with two guitarists, we were given both the traditional form of fado (sung by a female), as well as the "Coimbra"-style of fado (sung by a male). When all was said and done, our evening at Fado na Baixa was a glorious experience! Afterwards, when I got back to our apartment, I immediately got on my laptop and downloaded a few albums of Portugal's premiere fado diva, Amalia Rodrigues--that's how much I loved this show...!!! (PS: Sadly, my videos are too large to attach; otherwise, you'd've been in for a treat! Oh, well....) read more