BUDVA CADMOPOLIS

FESTIVAL OF ETHNO MEDITERRANEAN MUSIC

This year we decided to introduce fado – the Portuguese blues, a kind of music by which Portugal is well known worldwide, both to Budva’s visitors and domestic fans of qualitative music.
Fado Fest 2009 was opened by Filipa Cardoso, a well-known fado singer from Lisbon who delighted all the present ones with her specific voice while having her concert held on 3 August, on the Castello fortress in Petrovac.

On the second night, on 5 August, Fábia Rebordão also coming from Lisbon had her advent. Numerous audience enjoyed the perfect voice of this young singer, so that the word saudade, expressing the essence of fado (it means to miss, to feel nostalgic, to grieve for something, etc.) entirely articulated itself, making thus the Castello atmosphere similar to the one of Lisbon’s Castelo de São Jorge and small places underneath it, where fado has been performed for centuries; that was well recognised by the audience that acclaimed after every single song.

After Fábie Rebordão’s concert, José Manuel Barreto presented himself to the audience being the first male singer that the audience had a chance to listen to on the Festival. Taken by applauses, Barreto’s extraordinary performance made a memorable impression. 

Crisitna Maria entirely gave herself to the audience of Petrovac. Her unique voice and music full of emotions outreached the language barrier and the listeners could feel every word; it was simply impossible to stay indifferent.

Jorge Fernando had his performance on the last evening of the Festival and, on the audience pleasure, appeared as a singer for the first time, after having shown his acoustic guitar skills. His talent and thirty-year experience on stage became entirely noticeable. The audience recognised high quality, and thus enjoying his fado, they made this artist leave the stage followed by ovations.

It is sure that the audience of Petrovac will keep Custódio Castelo in memory for a long while since he managed to show what it means to be a Portuguese guitar virtuoso. Backing soloists every night of the Festival, he had his exceptional advents. When soloists had their pauses, he had his “mini” advents making thus the audience delighted by his playing.   
Attendants of the “Fado Fest 2009” Festival had a unique and rare opportunity to experience fado in Petrovac in a way similar to the one experienced in Lisbon’s most popular fado-houses.