Foundation Fado & Guitars of Portugal.

The traditional Fado is accompanied with the Portuguese guitar (also knownend as the Fado guitar)
A classical guitar (spanish guitar) , and a base guitar.
The base of Fado music is based on three stiles , Fado Menor , Mouraria , Corrido.
Armandinho was one of the great names of the Portuguese guitarplayers , and most recently we have others like Jose Nunes and Fontes Rocha.

Maria Severa
(1820- 1846)  was one of the most famous Fadistas of the beginning of Fado , for having a caracteristic in smoking while playing the guitar and singing .You can see it in the famous painting of Malhoa , with a gipsy origin a tough woman, and a tipycal Fadista. She had a romance with The Conde of Vimioso , it is because of her that Fado was accepted in the high society.
 

Alfredo Marceneiro (1891-1982) was a very exceptional person. He had a real caracteristic voice(soft and hoarse). His English cap and cigarette made him become a real symbol of the Fado and of the old quarters of Lisbon. He is the one that had come up with the idea of listening Fado by candlelight. In his opinion Fado had to be sung where it belongs ( like in tavernes for example). For him it was important to see and feel the reactions of his audience.
.That's why he didn't want to sing with microphones, didn't want to sing for the television and neither wanted to sing Fado in foreign countries.

A

Dirk Lambrechts.
For who would like to stretch the knowledge, and looks for much more information about the fado history. We have a Dutch book which is a real encyclopia , this book was written by Dirk Lambrechts and has the title of  'Fado de tranen van de Taag'