My old “Fado Corrido”
if you were one of the most local types (of fado)
why do you seems to be forgotten
in the throat of the fado singers?
An old friend explained to me
how Fado was handled
It’s funny, the way
the old Fado was sung
A laurel branch at the door
indicated a tavern
At night it was a lantern
with its almost dead light
Because Fado includes all -
The tavern was always a shelter
for criminals to beggars
from misfortune and misery
There were also serious people
an old friend explained to me
On the barrels of wine
thrown down haphazardly
there was always a guitar
to serve as "lure"
The wine jug
of rough glazed clay
was always glued
to the cups by the counter (filling them up)
And it was in this situation
that Fado was performed
If a player appeared
sometimes even a "foolish one"
they asked the tavern keeper for the guitar
to show what they were worth
Soon there was a singer
setting a tone of certain danger
provoking his adversaries
competing with each other to sing improvised verses
Sometimes it even came to blows
It was funny, the old Fado
After a short time had passed
the tavern was full
to hear to the singing
the sound of the “fado corrido”
Everyone was made sorrowful
when someone sang (sad) fado
The playing was slow
the style was sung from the throat
And today few people sing it
the way it was sung
I listened carefully
to a singer of the past
and his beautiful song
tied me to Fado forever
However much you say
Fado is a local song
Not everyone who wants to, can be a Fado singer
only those who were born fadistas