À Procura de um Fado

1 March, 2010 to 30 April, 2010

In March and April 2010, in cooperation with the Grupo de Fados from Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, the Museu do Fado paid hommage to the poet and composer of Coimbras’ fados – Francisco de Vasconcelos.

Under the title "À Procura de Um Fado" the museum presents a photographic exhibition, authored by Olívia da Silva (Director of DAI – ESMAE), and a documentary, directed by Jorge Campos (Director of Laboratório Multimédia da ESMAE), evocations of the life and work of Francisco de Vasconcelos.

Francisco Manuel Vieira de Sousa e Vasconcelos was born in Celeirós do Douro, Sabrosa, on August 27th, 1936. He studied at Liceu D. Manuel II (Porto), where he created the “O Mensageiro” publication, and attended Universidade de Coimbra (1954) where he began his life as a guitar player.

In the early 70’s Francisco publishes “O perfil e a madrugada” and, in 1974, while living in Sintra, meets the guitar manufacturer Gilberto Grácio (Cacém). Along with some former Universidade de Coimbra students he establishes the “Grupo do Vasconcelos”. This group would later become the Grupo Serenata de Coimbra, and release three records.

In the end of the 90’s he suffers a stroke and focuses his recovery upon the Portuguese guitar and the support and friendship of former schoolmates, thus returning to the word, the written word, and the music.
His poetry works were recently enhanced by his book “Poemas Brancos”, and his musical works are encompassed in the double CD “Coimbra, o Fado, e eu”. Both these titles and the biography “À procura de um Fado” were included in his tribute at the XI Grande Noite de Fado Académico (Porto, November 2009), that were presented at a national level in 2010.