[Culturechat] Culture moment: what Fado unlocks
Robert Miller
rwm1029@chartertn.net
Tue, 6 May 2003 09:25:55 -0400
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Marilee talked about the moving Portuguese Faldo music and how it had =
unexpectedly reached her. Let me share with other Untourists a piano =
album which is one of the most moving I have ever experienced. It is by =
a talented musician, Joseph Martin, and is entitled "American Tapestry". =
It is a solo perfomance, and I am astonished that any one pianist could =
produce so much sound. Mr. Martin composed the theme number "American =
Tapestry" and arranged the other pieces. I like it so much that I plan =
to take copies to Switzerland in July as a house gift to our host and =
hostess. If you should be interested in obtaining a copy, it is =
available from Shawnee Press, Inc., 49 Waring Dr., Delaware Water Gap, =
OA 18327. Toll free number is 1-800/962-8584. List price for the =
cassette (Item NC 5047) is $10.98; for the CD (Item ND 5003) it is =
$14.98. Enjoy!
Bob Miller
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Marilee Taussig=20
To: Culturechat ; untours@homeinsintra.com=20
Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2003 8:46 AM
Subject: [Culturechat] Culture moment: what Fado unlocks
I promised I would start posting some "culture moments" from my trip =
to Portugal and Spain, before they fade away from my memory, so here =
goes: =20
One of the most potent moments of this trip was during the hosted =
dinner that Idyll offers to Portuguese Untourists. Untourists gather at =
a "fado" club in the heart of Lisbon. Fado is a uniquely Portuguese =
genre music, extremely haunting, almost mournful, yet very spirited. It =
is said to have originated with the sailors and ladies of the night in =
the ports of this seafaring nation. It is very earthy and dramatic; you =
might call it the "poor man's opera". Idyll's dinner is in a good =
quality restaurant in Lisbon --sort of a dinner and floor show kind of =
set up. Nevertheless, to be honest, at the beginning, it felt a little =
too touristy for my taste. Most of the guests at the club were =
obviously tourists (Germans and Japanese,) mostly, in this particular =
case. I usually break out in hives at the mere thought of being in a =
typical tourist locale.=20
As it turned out, I happened to be seated at an angle that made it a =
little awkward to turn and look at the singers (who serenaded us =
throughout the dinner) so instead, when the voices would raise, I would =
just close my eyes and let the music go through me. What I discovered =
was that after 5 - 10 minutes of pure listening, that these "story =
songs" (they seem to all tell stories of lost love, tragedy and a =
yearning for something unattainable) whose language I could not =
understand and whose rhythms and harmony were not my normal taste in =
music, had succeeded in touching something very deep in me.=20
At one point I opened my eyes and saw a stout and sober looking =
German man whose seat happened in my line of vision. He had tears in =
his eyes. =20
The music touched something that transcends individual culture, I =
think. (But now that I consider it, what great music doesn't? ) =
Whether you like fado or not, I believe that if you truly listen to it, =
it has the power to find and surface whatever unnamed longing lies =
buried in you. Seeing this German tourist, whose appearance and =
demeanor would have put him last on my list of people capable of deep =
emotion -- on the surface he looked quite like a "stuffed shirt", to =
put it bluntly -- made me stop and check my own stereotypes at the =
door. Everyone has something that they remember, that they miss, that =
they will always feel the absence of. Fado seems to have the capacity =
to unlock it and let it come up into one's awareness.
So, in the midst of a typical tourist, rather artificial-feeling =
setting, some authentic strand of Portuguese culture remained intact. =
The music of fado showed me that buried in a very unique aspect of one =
particular culture is a direct line to something universal: the sense =
of loss and longing...a feeling that I would bet my bottom dollar is one =
that people in all parts of the planet feel. =20
As you head off to your Untours, don't forget to bring us home those =
moments where a glimpse into someone else's world helps you understand =
your own a little better. Happy travels,=20
Marilee =20
=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Untours - Independent Travel With Support!
Tel.: 888-UNTOUR-1 Web: <http://www.untours.com>
Join IdyllChat, an email discussion group on European travel!
Visit: <www.untours.com/idyllchat/>
"Most Generous Company in America, 1999" awarded by Newman's
Own & George magazine. For information on the Idyll Development
Foundation, visit: <www.untours.com/idf>
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Marilee talked about the moving =
Portuguese Faldo=20
music and how it had unexpectedly reached her. Let me share with =
other=20
Untourists a piano album which is one of the most moving I have ever=20
experienced. It is by a talented musician, Joseph Martin, and is =
entitled=20
"American Tapestry". It is a solo perfomance, and I am astonished =
that any=20
one pianist could produce so much sound. Mr. Martin composed the =
theme=20
number "American Tapestry" and arranged the other pieces. I like =
it so=20
much that I plan to take copies to Switzerland in July as a house gift =
to our=20
host and hostess. If you should be interested in obtaining a copy, =
it is=20
available from Shawnee Press, Inc., 49 Waring Dr., Delaware Water Gap, =
OA=20
18327. Toll free number is 1-800/962-8584. List price for =
the=20
cassette (Item NC 5047) is $10.98; for the CD (Item ND 5003) it is =
$14.98. =20
Enjoy!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Bob Miller</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Dmarilee.taussig@untours.com=20
href=3D"mailto:marilee.taussig@untours.com">Marilee Taussig</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dculturechat@untours.com=20
href=3D"mailto:culturechat@untours.com">Culturechat</A> ; <A=20
title=3Duntours@homeinsintra.com=20
href=3D"mailto:untours@homeinsintra.com">untours@homeinsintra.com</A> =
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, May 06, 2003 =
8:46 AM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Culturechat] Culture =
moment:=20
what Fado unlocks</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I promised I would start posting some =
"culture=20
moments" from my trip to Portugal and Spain, before they fade away =
from my=20
memory, so here goes: </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr style=3D"MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>One of the most potent =
moments of this=20
trip was during the hosted dinner that Idyll offers to =
Portuguese=20
Untourists. Untourists gather at a "<EM>fado</EM>" club =
in the=20
heart of Lisbon. <EM>Fado</EM> is a uniquely Portuguese genre =
music,=20
extremely haunting, almost mournful, yet very spirited. It is =
said to=20
have originated with the sailors and ladies of the night in the =
ports of=20
this seafaring nation. It is very earthy and =
dramatic; you might=20
call it the "poor man's opera". Idyll's dinner is in a good =
quality=20
restaurant in Lisbon --sort of a dinner and floor show kind of =
set=20
up. Nevertheless, to be honest, at the beginning, it felt a =
little too=20
touristy for my taste. Most of the guests at the club were =
obviously=20
tourists (Germans and Japanese,) mostly, in this particular=20
case. I usually break out in hives at the mere thought =
of being=20
in a typical tourist locale. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>As it turned out, I happened to be =
seated at an=20
angle that made it a little awkward to turn and look at the singers =
(who=20
serenaded us throughout the dinner) so instead, when the voices =
would raise,=20
I would just close my eyes and let the music go through me. =
What I=20
discovered was that after 5 - 10 minutes of pure listening, that =
these=20
"story songs" (they seem to all tell stories of lost love, =
tragedy and=20
a yearning for something unattainable) whose language I could not =
understand=20
and whose rhythms and harmony were not my normal taste in music, had =
succeeded in touching something very deep in me. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>At one point I opened my eyes and =
saw a stout=20
and sober looking German man whose seat happened in my line of=20
vision. He had tears in his eyes. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The music touched something that =
transcends=20
individual culture, I think. (But now that I consider it, what =
great=20
music doesn't? ) Whether you like <EM>fado</EM> or not, I =
believe that=20
if you truly listen to it, it has the power to find and surface =
whatever=20
unnamed longing lies buried in you. Seeing this German =
tourist, whose=20
appearance and demeanor would have put him last on my list of people =
capable=20
of deep emotion -- on the surface he looked quite like a =
"stuffed shirt", to put it bluntly -- made me stop and =
check my=20
own stereotypes at the door. Everyone has something that they=20
remember, that they miss, that they will always feel the absence =
of. =20
<EM>Fado </EM>seems to have the capacity to unlock it and let it =
come up=20
into one's awareness.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>So, in the midst of a typical =
tourist, rather=20
artificial-feeling setting, some authentic strand of Portuguese =
culture=20
remained intact. The music of <EM>fado</EM> showed =
me that=20
buried in a very unique aspect of one particular culture is a direct =
line to=20
something universal: the sense of loss and =
longing...a=20
feeling that I would bet my bottom dollar is one that people in =
all=20
parts of the planet feel. </FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>As you head off to your Untours, =
don't forget to=20
bring us home those moments where a glimpse into someone else's world =
helps=20
you understand your own a little better. Happy travels, =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Marilee =20
=
<BR>=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D<BR>Untours -=20
Independent Travel With Support!<BR>Tel.: =
888-UNTOUR-1 Web:=20
<<A=20
=
href=3D"http://www.untours.com">http://www.untours.com</A>></FONT></DI=
V>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Join IdyllChat, an email discussion =
group on=20
European travel!<BR>Visit: <<A=20
=
href=3D"http://www.untours.com/idyllchat/">www.untours.com/idyllchat/</A>=
></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>"Most Generous Company in America, =
1999" awarded=20
by Newman's<BR>Own & George magazine. For information on the Idyll =
Development<BR>Foundation, visit: <<A=20
=
href=3D"http://www.untours.com/idf">www.untours.com/idf</A>></FONT></D=
IV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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