05/03/2023
By John Feudo
Fado, steeped in Portuguese identity, history and culture, traces its roots to 1820s Lisbon and is a synthesis of Afro-Brazilian music and dance handed down over generations. Lyrically, songs in the genre recount tales of longing, loss, travels to far-off destinations and the sea. Often, fado signers are accompanied by musicians playing stringed instruments, including the iconic 12-stringed Portuguese guitar.
Moutinho is a fadista of startling depth and invention, who hails from a family of musicians long identified with the genre. A poet whose albums are multifaceted creations, much of his work evokes the ancient alleyways and shadows of Old Lisbon. Emília moved from Brazil to Portugal at a young age and began singing fado early; she has been performing for 18 years. Perhaps no other singer of her generation combines raw magnetism, complete freedom and total commitment to traditional fado to such devastating effect.
The critically acclaimed artists will perform in concert Friday, June 2, at 7:30 p.m., at UMass Lowell’s Durgin Hall, on the university’s South Campus at 35 Wilder St., Lowell. Tickets are $40 per person; tickets to the show and a special VIP reception with the artists before the performance are $150 per person. The reception will be held in UMass Lowell’s Coburn Hall on South Campus at 850 Broadway St., a short walk from the concert venue. Free parking will be available in the Wilder Faculty and Staff Lot, accessible via Wilder Street, across from Durgin Hall. Tickets may be purchased through the UMass Lowell alumni website.
“This performance by two of the brightest voices in the Portuguese fado highlights the Saab Center's commitment to bringing the best of Portuguese and Lusophone music and culture to the university and the region,” said UMass Lowell’s Frank Sousa, professor of world languages and cultures, who directs the center.