Music of Portugal

Portugal is internationally known in the music scene for its traditions of fado, but the country has seen a recent expansion in musi

Portugal is internationally known in the music scene for its traditions of fado, but the country has seen a recent expansion in musical styles, with modern acts from rock to hip hop becoming popular, as the new generations reject much of the past traditions. If Amália is still the most reconizable Portuguese name in music, today the biggest exportations are bands like Moonspell (metal), Madredeus (fado and folk inspired), Da Weasel (hip hop) or Wraygunn (rock, blues). Regional folk music remains popular though, having been updated and modernized in many cases, especially the northeastern region of Trás-os-Montes.

A crucial concept in Portuguese music is saudade, which can be most closely translated as yearning, but has a more expansive meaning. Saudade is said to be requisite for musicians, as it powers their performances and causes frenzied crowd reactions.