The Sound of Saudade: How Fado is Redefining Portuguese-Canadian Identity in Toronto
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
Once a marginalized cultural marker for immigrants fleeing poverty and dictatorship, fado music is experiencing a mainstream resurgence in the GTA, bridging the gap between ancestral nostalgia and a new generation of Luso-Canadians.
For decades, the Portuguese community in Toronto has been woven into the city's cultural fabric, symbolized by landmarks like the black-and-white mural of the late "Queen of Fado," Amália Rodrigues, on Dundas Street W.
As first reported by CBC Toronto, the city recently hosted its first-ever International Fado Festival from Sept. 25 to Oct. 11. The three-weekend event, which spanned multiple venues across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), sought to immerse audiences in *saudade*—a term describing a weeping melancholy or intense nostalgia. José Eustáquio, the organizer and executive president of the Alliance of Portuguese Clubs and Associations of Ontario, noted that community venues in Toronto and Mississauga consistently sold out, reflecting a "massive desire" from the public to celebrate their origins.
The roots of fado in Toronto trace back to the mid-20th century, with a significant wave of immigrants arriving in the 1950s to escape dictatorship and poverty. Many settled in Kensington Market, where the city's first fado house opened in 1956, later known as Lisboa à Noite.
Despite these deep roots, the pressure to assimilate often marginalized the culture. José Eustáquio recalled that in the early 1970s, "it wasn't cool to be a Portuguese kid." Similarly, Toronto fadista Jennifer Bettencourt told CBC Toronto that during the 1990s, she attempted to blend in at school to avoid bullying. Guitarist Simon Arruda noted that a language barrier also emerged as English was prioritized in many homes to facilitate work, causing the art form to fade.
Today, that trajectory has shifted. Global stars such as Carminho and Mariza now sell out premier venues, including Montreal's Place des Arts and Toronto's Koerner Hall. Eustáquio suggests fado has become "sexy" and "cool," attributing this shift to Luso-Canadian pop stars like Shawn Mendes and Nelly Furtado. Bettencourt also highlighted the role of Hollywood, citing Carminho's performance in the movie *Poor Things*, which gained visibility through celebrities like Taylor Swift.
For the younger generation, fado is evolving through experimentation. CBC Toronto reports that artists are blending traditional sounds with modern genres, including "fado techno" remixes and collaborations between rock legends like The Rolling Stones and artist Ana Moura. Montreal-based fadista Suzi Silva, who performed at the festival on Oct. 3, blends fado with jazz and sings in French to connect with Quebecers.
For artists like Bettencourt, the music served as a personal bridge. She shared with CBC Toronto that she originally learned a fado song as a teenager to stop her mother from teasing her about listening to mainstream pop, a decision that "awoke a flame" and helped her embrace her Luso-Canadian identity.