Fundacao Oriente (Orient Foundation) and Alliance Francaise, in collaboration with the Bangalore School of Music, are presenting Portuguese Fado at the Alliance Française auditorium on July 11 at 7 pm.

The event is being organised to celebrate the occasion of Portugal taking over the Presidency of the European Union in July 2007.

The concerts will be presented by Fado Goa, a group of accomplished singers and  musicians from Goa—Sonia Shirsat, Miguel Cotta, Chantale Marie Cotta, Franz Schubert Cotta and Carlos Menezes.

Fado (translated as destiny or fate) is a music genre which can be traced from the 1820s in Portugal, but probably with much earlier origins. It is characterised by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor.

The music is usually linked to the Portuguese word saudade, a unique word with no accurate translation in any other language. (Home-sickness has an approximate meaning.

It is a kind of longing, and conveys a complex mixture of mainly nostalgia, but also sadness, pain, happiness and love). Some enthusiasts claim that Fado's origins are a mixture of African slave rhythms with the traditional music of Portuguese sailors and Arabic influence.

There are two main varieties of fado, namely those of the cities of Lisbon and Coimbra. The Lisbon style is the most popular, while Coimbra's is the more refined style.

Modern fado is popular in Portugal, and has produced many renowned musicians. According to tradition, to applaud fado in Lisbon you clap your hands, in Coimbra you cough as if clearing your throat.

Mainstream fado performances during the 20th century included only a singer, a Portuguese guitar player and a classical guitar player but more recent settings range from singer and string quartet to full orchestra.