Fado: christmas in alfama

JOANA AMENDOEIRA (vocals, Portugal) PEDRO AMENDOEIRA (Portuguese guitar, Portugal) JOÃO FILIPE (fado guitar, Portugal)

Fado magic with a jewel of Portugal – Joana Amendoeira. This is a moment so missed in the December rush. A moment when, in St. Catherine's Church, you will feel as if you are in a fado house in charming Alfama.

Alfama is the oldest district of Lisbon. Here, in a labyrinth of narrow stone streets, among white houses and sunny courtyards, the true spirit of the city still lives, and fado music rings out in the evenings. For Joana Amendoeira, this is not a pretty postcard, but a part of her musical biography. Over three decades, she has sung in the most famous fado houses of Lisbon: "Clube de Fado", "Sr. Vinho", "Mesa de Frades", and in recent years, she has also directed the musical program at "Fama d'Alfama".

Having debuted at the age of just eleven on the "Grande Noite do Fado" stage, today Joana performs all over the world. Her uniqueness lies not only in the beauty of her voice but also in her ability to sing in such a way that even if you don't know a single word of Portuguese, you will understand everything at her concert.

Joana's songs contain love, loss, the sea, human destiny, meetings, and partings. In them, every word, every pause, and even the intensity of the silence is important. This is how a special feeling opens up, which the Portuguese call saudade.

Perhaps even after the concert, it will be difficult to explain what saudade really is. However, as you leave, you will know one thing – the holidays have begun.

Program features fado classics and selected songs from Joana Amendoeira's repertoire.