Music, culture & traditions
The Portuguese are extremely warm, welcoming and festive. You will immediately feel at ease with them, despite the language barrier. Many Portuguese speak French as well as English, which facilitates communication. However, the Portuguese language is relatively easy to learn and you will have no trouble mastering it quickly.
It is impossible to talk about Portuguese music without mentioning Fado. According to Pessoa himself, he embodies melancholy and the force of destiny against the human will. For the poet Luís de Camões, the saudade is « a happiness outside the world », for other authors it represents a kind of nostalgia for the future. Today, fado finds favor with a public both Portuguese and foreign, especially since its inclusion in the Intangible Heritage of Humanity by Unesco.
But Fado is not the only music you can listen in Portugal, countless festivals of all kinds make their appearances every year, especially in summer. In Lisbon, it is not uncommon to see great music celebrities give concerts.