Fado Music in Lisboa

The evening of our second day in Lisbon, at Marlene’s request, the two young men we were staying with took us to hear fado music at a bar, where we ate, drank, and listen. The was divided into two sections, which each held about 50 people seated on bench on each side of a table for about four people. The two musicians, one playing a guitarra and the other playing a viola, sat on the side facing the bar patrons with the fadista standing between them. Perhaps 10 fadistas sang one at a time, usually one or two songs. I also noticed that some of the fadistas had pictures of themselves on the two walls of the bar. Some of the fadistas after singing would politely and quietly hawk their CDs. We sat in the back of bar near the fadistas waiting their turn to sing. In the back, the fadistas would greet each other. Most of the fadistas would sing and then move on, as if there was a circuit of bars to sing at. Attached to this is the video Marlene Alvarado, my wife did.
While I’m speaking of my wife, indulge me for a moment and let me expand my short poem of my wife I posted awhile back. I now have two more lines to add. The poem now reads,
I know my fate.
My wife is always late.
In my age of late,
I’ve found my helpmate.
Let me return to the evening of the second day. With our two young friends, Jorge and Chico, we left the bar and walked down the narrow streets to a main street, where we caught a cab. In the cab around midnight the streets on the weekend were packed with mostly young people walking and enjoying themselves. The taxi took us to another bar for a couple of more drinks. This bar had no live music but had collections of toy soldiers, hats, art, and many other items of curiosity. Jorge, whose parents are members of the Communist Party of Portugal, pointed out a painting of V.I. Lenin, as a waiter.
After the second bar, our two friends took us back to their apartment. Marlene and I went to bed, while our two friends went out again.