`Round Midnight - Part 1

On Saturday night I attended the first performance of the annual "Fado Festival." Fado is the traditional folk music of Lisbon. It is very sad, soulful music but at times can be lively. It is played on three instruments: a 12-string acoustic Portuguese guitar which is pear-shaped; a "regular" 6-string acoustic; and an acoustic bass guitar. The guy on the 12-string was a young kid named Angelo Freire who is  a virtuoso. Simply amazing! The concert was mostly instrumental, but a few songs were sung by some local legends who got the crowd going with their opera-like voices and dramatic endings. The concert was free and held in an outdoor plaza in Alfama, which is the historic district. It began at midnight.