Foundation Fado & Guitars of Portugal.

The Fado in Holland.

For living the real atmosphere of Fado , how it is lived in the nights of Lisbon. The Foundation Fado & Guitars , organises fabulous fado nights. We give concerts in Theathres,  in private homes, in neighbourhood centres and in restaurants.
During a fado night there can be served meals in between each fadosong and instrumental songs like in the Portuguese tradition.

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Fado and guitars colaborates with various fadistas residentes and non residentes in Holland and is open for collaborating with new musicians of fado , and new fadistas.
 

Virna Lopes.
Fado is not just music its a way of life. Since very young Virna felt atraction for fado, the music that she heard at home when she was a child. She listened to artists like Amalia Rodrigues , Dulce Pontes and Alfredo Marceneiro.
In Portugal (Alentejo) her aunty always sung fado for her, that is one of the reasons of Virna's interest for this style of music so genuine. And also that took Virna entering fado, Virna sees fado like an escape of souls emotions. Singing fado is splitting a little of her life with others.

  

Manuel Fadista was
Born in Lisbon. since very young he sings fado in the fado restaurants.

When he arrived in Holland he sung fado (a-capela)through the bares in Amsterdam  because there were no guitarists to accompany him. In the 80s he found Nuno Gligo, since then they have always collaborated together. They have appeared a few times through the Dutch television , and also launched a CD. With a very special style , singing fado with the soul , he makes us have that true feeling of the real fado. Manuel is the most real fadista in the Netherlands.      

Nuno Gligó
Was born in Alter do Chao (Portugal) , when he was just a boy the first thing he bought was a guitar. In Portugal Nuno played since very young in several bands. In 1973 he went to Holland , where he formed and collaborated in various music groups. Like “Rastilho” , “Xaranga” and “Rosario” playing guitar, cavaquinho and bandolin. he made of fado his life. In 1997 he founded Fado & Guitars from Portugal.
  

Elmar Gardes.
Born in Amsterdam , started playing guitar at his 14th anniversary, when he received a guitar  from his father as a birthday present.
He started in the beginning to play in his father's style, that taught him to play a few bluenotes.
At 16th years of age he changed his style , he became dedicated to the Spanish guitar, he started playing latino - american music (bolero-ritimico) in his grandfather's style, Rodolfo Gardes. Who was a very popular musician in South America with his (Trio Los Panchitos)

One year later he had his first performance with the foundation pro-guitar in Alphen a/d Rijn. At 18th years of age he met Nuno Gligo and he started playing fado music.The music that he listened in his grandparents house that were from Portuguese origin , since then he is dedicated in accompanying fado.
 

João Escada was born in Portugal, into a family of fadistas. Both his father and grandfather were fado singers. His love for music started in his grandfather’s pub, where from a very early age on, time and again, he would be placed on a table to sing. Later, he followed in his father’s footsteps, when he started singing in fado programs that his father was singing in. When he was fourteen years old, he won the revelation of the best young fado singer and two years later he ended in first place at a festival of fado that was organized by Inatel. This was the start of his professional career, as a fadista in the most varied fado houses of Lisbon, such as Adega do Cozinheiro, Celtas and Os Ferreiras, where he sang with Fernando Maurício, one of the big names in fado. João Escada was born with the soul of fado. His sincerest wish is to bring the fado music of his roots to the public that loves authentic fado.

Bart Hoeksel.
Born in South Africa . Lives in Holland since very young . With the age of 6 he played various instruments. At 18th years of age he worked as a professional musician, he played especially counter-base in various orquestras and bands. Through the years he gatherd a big musical experience since “Punk until classical”.

For collaborating with Fado & Guitars in radio programs and concerts at theatres he derived his commun friendship with Arthur Pouchocinho , the owner of the old restarante Algarve in Breda. When he came in contact with fado his strings started vibrating and never stopped again.