Although Portugal has other types of folk music, it is the fado which has come to represent the country. As in the case of flamenco in Spain, this is largely because the rather melancholy sound of the fado is so distinctive, inevitably inviting comparisons with the blues. It is also heavily present in Lisbon cafés, so that if this is your first point of contact with the country, you are likely to think it is ubiquitous.

In fact, fado is pretty well limited to Lisbon itself and to the city of Coimbra. The Lisbon strain is supposed to come from the quarters of Alfama and Mouraria and, again like flamenco, has long represented a way to escape from poverty. Coimbra being historically and now a university town, the fado there is more academic and associated with students, although some artistes or groups have broken out onto a broader stage.

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