O fado e “as regras da arte”: “autenticidade”, “pureza” e mercado

Fado is the most important genre of Portuguese popular music. It is part of hegemonic representations of nationality and an icon of Lisbon. Also, fado has an outstanding place in music market, nationally and abroad. By contrast, among the representations that legitimate the “authenticity” of fado, one can find a strong defense of amateur dispositions. Some fadistas (fado singers) say that “true” fado is never (and, ideally, could never be) a way to make a living; it should always be an expression of the soul. The obvious echoes of the “l’art pour l’art” discourse from the 19th century can be recognized here. This paper aims to question: how can this discourse be reproduced today? What are its meanings? Are there contradictions between the existence of this discourse and market projection of the genre?