Primavera, David Mourão Ferreira

19 May, 2007 to 31 October, 2007

Since mid of XX century, the Fado’s history corresponds to success. Fado took advantage in a progressive way of new audience from revue, radio, disco recording and cinema, crossing different musical and cultural influences. As soon as emblematic Fado’s artists become real icons of Portuguese culture, urban song of Lisbon gets fans all over the world. Its internationalisation begun in the first half of XX century, Fado was an instrument used to sing popular themes of Lisbon’s universe and a way of spreading general Portuguese culture. Its course is mingled with town development and its population, which through Fado enlivened and shared places of entertaining.

On this course to success, David Mourão-Fereira (1927-1996) – poet, essayist, fictionist, journalist, professor and translator - fills an absolute central place, developing a pioneer role on a golden period of Lisbon urban song’s history, when erudite poetry meets fado’s universe, for which contributed, in addition to David, the charismatic figures of José Régio, Pedro Homem de Mello, Luíz de Macedo, Alexandre O’Neill, Cecília Meireles, José Carlos Ary dos Santos, Manuel Alegre, among others.

At the Museu do Fado, from May 18, International Museum Day, this temporary exhibition presents a recreation of the author's office, bringing to light the testimony of the poetic work that he dedicated to fado, from original manuscripts and typewritten letters, the first record editions devoted to these themes, along with a set of audiovisual recordings that illustrate the interpretations of his poems by Amália Rodrigues, Camané, Mariza and Cristina Branco, among others.

Integram o vasto repertório de fados de David Mourão-Ferreira os poemas Primavera, Libertação, Barco Negro, Solidão, Madrugada de Alfama, Maria Lisboa, Abandono, Escada sem Corrimão, Aves Agoirentas, As Águias, Anda o Sol na Minha Rua, Neblina, Fado das Noites de Alfama, Labirinto, entre outros. Cerca de 900 livros, de autores nacionais e estrangeiros, foram especificamente recolhidos, da biblioteca de David Mourão-Ferreira, para figurarem nesta exposição do Museu do Fado.

The vast repertoire of fados by David Mourão-Ferreira integrates the poems Primavera, Libertação, Barco Negro, Solidão, Madrugada de Alfama, Maria Lisboa, Abandono, Escada sem Corrimão, Aves Agoirentas, As Águias, Anda o Sol na Minha Rua, Neblina, Fado das Noites de Alfama, Labirinto, among others. About 900 books, from national and foreign authors were specifically collected from the library of David Mourão-Ferreira, for inclusion in this exhibition of the Museu do Fado.