Amália Rodrigues: The Immortal Soul of Fado

With its favourite themes and metaphors of passion, love, loss, fate and deep nostalgia, Fado is the most iconic Portuguese musical genre. It captures the essence of the national culture. But no one can talk about Fado without mentioning Amália da Piedade Rebordão Rodrigues.

If Renaissance painting is regarded as the national art of Italy, we could similarly say that Fado is the national art of Portugal. This beautiful and timeless form of performance art was added to UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage in November 2011. The indisputable queen of Fado was Amália Rodrigues. She is the most outstanding and influential Fado singer of all time, and she left an indelible mark on the world of music.

The iconic voice of Fado passed away on 6 October, 1999. A quarter of a century later, Amália’s powerful voice, soulful interpretations and influence on Portuguese music and culture remain as profound as ever. Her unique blend of passion, sorrow and resilience continues to captivate audiences worldwide, solidifying her status as one of the greatest singers of the 20^th century. Her legacy influenced – and continues to inspire – subsequent generations of Portuguese musicians.

Amália Rodrigues’ journey to stardom was marked by hardship, struggle and perseverance. Born into poverty in 1920s’ Pena (Lisbon), she began singing professionally at a very young age, performing in taverns and cabarets. Her raw talent and rare emotional depth caught the attention of the Fado community, and she soon became a leading voice in the quickly maturing genre. Her distinctive husky timbre and expressive phrasing were perfectly suited to the melancholic and evocative nature of the Fado songs.

There is great variety in Amália’s timeless music. She had a nobility of character, which people recognised; however, not all her Fado fans are aware of Amália the poet or Amália the actress. While her music often took centre stage, Amália´s poetry was also a profoundly personal channel for self-expression; she wrote about love, loss and life’s challenges, reflecting on her own experiences. Her poems often echoed the same themes and emotions as Fado, with their melancholic and soulful qualities. “Estranha Forma de Vida” (Strange Way of Life) is perhaps her most famous poem. In it she explores the complexities of human existence and the search for the true meaning of life.

Amália also starred in several Portuguese films, often playing roles that complemented her powerful and dramatic persona. In her acting, she portrayed intense, passionate and tragic characters, always reflecting the themes found in Fado music – as she did brilliantly in A Portuguesa (1966). Amália Rodrigues’ legacy extends far beyond her artistic achievements. She was an advocate for social justice and human rights, speaking out against poverty, inequality and discrimination. Amália became a symbol of Portuguese identity and a source of national pride. Her recognition helped to popularise Portugal’s music and culture internationally, introducing it around the world.

Amália also became an ambassador for Portugal, touring the world during her decades-long career, and being honoured in 68 countries from five continents. As far as I am concerned, she still is today, in 2024, the best-selling Portuguese artist in history.

Two months after she passed away, the Amália Rodrigues Foundation and Museum were established—as she had instructed in her will in 1997. To this day, the foundation has preserved, studied, and disseminated the enduring heritage left in its care, assuming a clear commitment to honouring the wishes of its founder.