Fado diva Amalia Rodriguez (1920-99) is recognized more than any
other singer in record with touching the nerve endings of the
Portuguese soul. Born in Lisbon into a large and very poor family,
her musical vocabulary of saudade (nostalgia provoked by a sense
of loss) have been defined as the musical expression of the Portuguese
soul. Hers is the music most likely to be heard in traditional
bars, and hers is the voice most directly identifiable to most
Portuguese. Following her death, which was considered a nationwide
misfortune, her body was buried with pomp and circumstance in
the National Pantheon alongside the country's most prominent
statesmen and writers. These days, on the street where she used
to live (Rua São Bento), you'll see hundreds of stencils
proclaiming it as Rua Amalia.
Her ochre-color town house, not far from the Portuguese Parliament,
is the headquarters of a charitable foundation established in her
name. In July 2001, it was reconfigured as a memorial to her life
and accomplishments, and right away became a pilgrimage site for
her fans, evoking huge controversies about how she would (and should)
be remembered within Portuguese history.
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