Log in
Join travelers community
Your Profile
Logout
1) Portugal is definetly and defiantly not Spain. Before I arrived, I too would have been hard pressed to distinguish between Portugal and its larger Iberian cousin. Portugal does however, retain an immediate and distinct atmosphere of its own, although this atmosphere is hard to define. I suppose it seems somewhat Carribean or South American to me, although having never been to the Carribean or South America I'm not exactly an authority on the matter. But it is certainly multicultural and seems much more exotic than other european countries
Escape from LAgos (12 Random Musings on Portugal and Cadiz)
James Taylor2006-08-23 11:38:12
Displayed times (last time: )
1) Portugal is definetly and defiantly not Spain. Before I arrived, I too would have been hard pressed to distinguish between Portugal and its larger Iberian cousin. Portugal does however, retain an immediate and distinct atmosphere of its own, although this atmosphere is hard to define. I suppose it seems somewhat Carribean or South American to me, although having never been to the Carribean or South America I'm not exactly an authority on the matter. But it is certainly multicultural and seems much more exotic than other european countries
2) Until I recieve conclusive evidence to the contrary I will continue to believe that all portugese people can sing very well. I mean really sing. One evening in Lisbon a group of people from my hostel and myself went to watch some Fado music. Fado is effectively Portugese folk music, mainly played in natural minor keys on a guitar or mandolin, although I assume other instruments can be used. For the first few numbers a slim middle aged women, dressed in what could only be the traditional garb, stepped up to the stage. Her voice was deep and husky but awesomely powerfull. She needed no microphone and yet her
vocals completley overpowered the accompanying instruments. For the third song an elderly group to our right was encouraged to sing along and they did so with surprising confidence.
A man who had been sitting to the side of the stage stood up for the next few songs. Unlike the women, he didn't exactly look the part, dressed like he was an experienced car mechanic and sporting one of those semicomical handlebar moustaches that are popular with hispanic gentlemen of a certain age. Still, he possesed a rich baritone of surprising dexterity, and as the songs rolled by various tables were again encouraged to join in. Things took a slightly ridiculous turn when an innocuous looking guy from a table to our left stood a third of the way through one song and launched into a powerful second verse.
...
See photographs from:
Portugal Gallery
