Portugese stringed instruments

Subject: Portugese stringed instruments
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 01:30 PM

Whilst visiting the suntanned fleshpots of the Algarve I would like to search for Portugese stringed instruments. I think Andy Irvine plays a 'Portugese Guitar' which looks rather like a tenor mandola. Is the Algarve completely the wrong place? Does anybody have any info. on where or how to buy Portugese stringed instruments in Portugal?

Cheers

Subject: RE: Portugese stringed instruments
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 03:39 PM

There is a guitar called the guitar de Fado, or something like that, (it looks like a sort of cittern),which has I forget how many strings. It tunes from a sort of fan arrangement of fine tuners which stick out from the head like the rays of the sun. When theses are played by experts they sound beautiful, and I have several tapes of Fado music. If you were going to Lisbon I could point you in the direction of a musical instrument shop just below the Castel San George. There is a lot of good folk music in Portugal, and I recommend that you look out for tapes by a wonderful group called Terra a Terra, if you want to hear great Fado look for tapes of the late Amalia Rodrigues. Have a great holiday.

Jock

Subject: RE: Portugese stringed instruments
From: Lepus Rex
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 06:19 PM

Well, I don't know anything about buying them in Portugal, but here's a site (in Portuguese) with info about Portuguese instruments. (Run it through Babelfish or your translator of choice, unless you can read Portuguese...) Cool stuff.

---Lepus Rex

Subject: RE: Portugese stringed instruments
From: Lepus Rex
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 06:27 PM

By the way, only click in the photos in the UN-translated version of the page... Babelfish screws them up, somehow.

---Lepus Rex

Subject: RE: Portugese stringed instruments
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 12 Nov 01 - 05:03 PM

The Hawaiian ukulele is descended from a Portuguese instrument brought from Madeira in 1879 along with the cowboys who came to work the cattle ranches on the Big Island. Traditionally it's said to derive from the four-string braguinha. However, I just discovered an interesting discussion on this site about how it may have originated as a direct modification of the five-string rajao. Never having seen either Portuguese instrument I can't be sure, but the rajao theory sounds good. The author of the article says that when he showed his ukulele to people in Madeira, they all said it appeared to be a modified rajao, and the tuning was similar.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Portugese stringed instruments
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 12 Nov 01 - 05:07 PM

That second "a" in "rajao" is supposed to have a tilde (~) over it. Not sure about the pronunciation.

M

Subject: RE: Portugese stringed instruments
From: mooman
Date: 13 Nov 01 - 12:34 PM

The so-called "Portuguese Guitar" or "Fado Guitar" is indeed about the size of a tenor mandola and has twelve strings with simple screw tuners arranged in a fan on the headstock. (P.S. It's a b****r to string up as you need loops at both ends of your strings!)

They make a glorious sound and I used to have a beauty for a number of years. Good ones are fairly hard to find. I don't know the Portuguese musical instrument market at all but your best bet, as Giok mentions above, is probably Lisbon.

There is a fairly basic and relatively undecorated one for sale here in Brussels at a reasonable price. The sound isn't too bad.

mooman

Subject: RE: Portugese stringed instruments
From: Les b (U.K.)
Date: 13 Nov 01 - 02:31 PM

Bill Caddick used to use a portugese guitarra on 'King Sun, Queen Moon, Prince Night. The late Paddy Doody from Merseyside turned me onto Portugese music, having spent many great hols there, but never heard any music. I have'nt had the chance to go back since.
Other bands apart from Terre a Terra to look out for are, Brigada Victor Jara, Pirates de Silenceo, Uxia, Ne' Landeires and the wonderfull Julio Pereira.(some of these letters should have a funny thingy over them but I don't know how to do it on a keyboard).
I don't know which part of the Algarve you are going to, but my favorite area is the unspoilt western end. We usually stay at a little village called Salema and the waiter at the 'Atlantico',is a Briganda Victor Jara fan. You should find a music shop in Lagos.
Have a geat time
Les

Subject: RE: Portugese stringed instruments
From: GUEST,Les/ Manchester uk
Date: 14 Nov 01 - 02:48 PM

thank you all for good advice and best wishes. Paddy Doody, that rings a bell

Cheers

Les

Subject: RE: Portugese stringed instruments
From: Don Firth
Date: 14 Nov 01 - 03:38 PM

Amalia Rodrigues. I first heard and saw her in a movie decades ago and never forgot her. A couple of years ago, a young Portuguese woman moved into our apartment building. Suzanna has a stack of Amalia Rodriques' CDs which she lets me borrow, bless her. Amalia is as fantastic as I remembered. The Portuguese guitar looks less like a guitar and more like a cittern. It has a great sound.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Portugese stringed instruments
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 14 Nov 01 - 05:06 PM

My mate John bought and plays what was advertised as a Portugese mandolin - A little bigger than a standard one with the 10 strings - 2 courses on the the highest toned ones and three courses on the lowest. Sounds great but I don't know if it is really Portugese!

Hope this helps

Cheers

Dave the Gnome

Subject: RE: Portugese stringed instruments
From: GUEST,Fiver
Date: 14 Nov 01 - 05:42 PM

Don't panic, Dave, it might be nothing at all, but that ten string instrument with the triple courses sounds a little suspicious-just to be on the safe side: TIPLE ALERT--EVERYBODY OUT OF THE WATER!!!

Subject: RE: Portugese stringed instruments
From: ganainm
Date: 14 Nov 01 - 05:57 PM

Giok´s description of the FADO sounds very good indeed.

I possess two of these instruments which I bought in Portugal. They actually have 12 strings (6 double strings). If you wanted to tune this instrument in the original Fado tradition, you would be running into several problems, as this brings you into minor keys and is naturally very sympathetic to the Fado music which is very melancholic.

However it is possible to tune the instrument to make it sound like a really nice high-pitched 12-string guitar.

I would be prepared to part with one of these instruments, but I suppose getting it to the USA would be a bit of a problem.

Gan Ainm

Subject: RE: Portugese stringed instruments
From: Jim Krause
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 03:00 PM

The Fado is very much like a popular parlor instrument of the 18^th Century which the English called the guittar spelled with an extra "t" sometimes. The instrument had 10 strings: two bass strings which were single, and four treble strings which were tuned in unison. You can find out more about this instrument here or here
Jim

Subject: RE: Portugese stringed instruments
From: GUEST,Les/ Manchester uk
Date: 17 Nov 01 - 12:19 PM

thanks again people. I checked out the sites posted and what a collection of wood, string and craftsmanship. Does anybody know prices? They look and I guess sound like quality, I wouldn't want to get too excited without extending my credit card limit.

Thanks again