1.What makes Portugal popular?
Literature
Portugal is sometimes known as "a country of poets". In fact, Portuguese poetry has a bigger influence in the country's literature than prose. In the dawn of nationality, poetry in Portuguese-Galician was widely popular in the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. There are excellent works, in lyrical as in epic poetry. Without a doubt, the most worldwide known Portuguese poets are Luís de Camões and Fernando Pessoa, but we should also state the modern Portuguese poetry (since the 19th century) has its roots in a handful of relevant poets, from neo-classicism to these days.
Prose developed later than verse and first appeared in the 14th century in the shape of short chronicles, lives of saints, and genealogical treatises. The line of the chroniclers which is one of the boasts of Portuguese literature began with Fernão Lopes, who compiled the chronicles of the reigns of three kings of that time. He combined a passion for accurate statement with a especial talent for descriptive writing and portraiture. Eanes de Zurara, Gil Vicente and Priest António Vieira are some pre-modern Portuguese writers. But, it is the modern Portuguese literature that is more internationally known, especially the works of Almeida Garrett, Alexandre Herculano, Eça de Queirós, Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen, António Lobo Antunes and the 1998 Nobel Prize for literature, José Saramago.
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Music
Fado (fate in Portuguese) is a form of melancholic music. The music is linked to the Portuguese word saudade (there is no translation into English; it means a mixture of feelings of sadness, pain, loss, and love) and other feelings. Fado's origins probably come from a mixture of African slave rhythms with the traditional music of Portuguese sailors, it also is influenced by Arabic music.
There are two varieties of Fado: Lisbon and Coimbra. The Lisbon style is more traditional (for the people), while Coimbra's style is more refined (linked with university students); both are seen as ethnic music for a sophisticated audience and as candidates for UNESCO recognition. The notable Amália Rodrigues introduced the most well-known variety of fado. After her disappearance, a new wave of performers added stylistic changes and brought more international popularity to the traditional Portuguese music. Performers Mariza and Mísia brought a new sound to traditional fado songs, while Dulce Pontes mixed fado with Portuguese pop music. The band Madredeus completely revolutionized the sound of fado by using new instruments -- in fact, all that they kept from the original Fado were its looks and the concept of "saudade".
In fado, the audience must always keep silent until the song is completely over, because the music is transmiting pain or some feeling of the interpreter (called the fadista). The fadista normally has his/her eyes closed, and sings as if he/she is crying. While most varieties of Fado are sorrowful; some can be joyful. Morna (or Cape Verdian Fado), the style in which Cesária Évora sings, is a variety of Fado originated from the Portuguese Fado. It also keeps the concept of "saudade", but it is sung in Portuguese Creole.
Portuguese pop-rock has grown markedly since the 1974 revolution. The most notable bands and musicians are Sérgio Godinho, Xutos e Pontapés, GNR, Rui Veloso, António Variações, Heróis do Mar, Rádio Macau, Clã, Delfins, Santos e Pecadores, Pedro Abrunhosa, Silence Four, The Gift and more recently Toranja, Ornatos Violeta, Pluto, Supernada, O Projecto é Grave!, Fingertips, Gomo or The Legendary Tiger Man.
Other genres include a local version of hip hop, influenced by the American style by descendants of immigrants from former Portuguese colonies in Africa. Hip hop tuga (Portuguese hip hop) is very popular among the younger population in Portugal. Cool Hipnoise, Da Weasel and Mind da Gap are some of the most popular and are becoming internationally known. In the metal genre there is also Moonspell, a well known band in Europe.
Other Portuguese musicians include the globally recognized pianist Maria João Pires and guitarist Carlos Paredes.
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Painting
Portuguese art was very restricted in the early years of nationality, during the reconquista, to a few paintings in churches, convents and palaces.
It is after the 15th century, with the national borders established and with the discoveries, that the Portuguese art expanded. Some kings, like John I already had royal paintors. It is during this century that the Gothic art is replaced by a more humanistic and Italian-like art.
In the reing of King Alfonso V, an important Portuguese artist Nuno Gonçalves shaped the Portuguese art, leading it to gain local characteristics (Escola Nacional, National School). His influence on the Portuguese art mantained after his death. He was the royal paintor for the famous Retábulo do Altar das Relíquias de São Vicente in the Cathedral of Lisbon (Sé de Lisboa). The painting became alighted and it was substituted by a Barroque structure. Parts of his work still subsists and can be found in the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga National (Museum of Ancient Art).
During the Golden Age of Portugal, late 15th century and early 16th century, the Portuguese art mad great contact with Flemish art. And during this period, Portuguese art became internationaly famous, mostly because of its very original and diverse characteristics, but most artists are unknown due to the midieval culture that considered paintors has artisans. It should be glossed that the Portuguese anonymous artists in the Portuguese "escolas" produced art not only for metropolitan Portugal but also for its colonies, namelly Malacca or Goa or even Africa, gratifying the desires of local aristrocat and religious clients.
In the early 20th century Portuguese art knew an increase both in quality and quantity, mainly due to members of the Modernist movement like Amadeo de Souza Cardozo and Almada Negreiros.In the post-war years the abstraccionist painter Vieira da Silva, settled in Paris, gained widespread recognition as the contemporary Paula Rego.
Theatre
Portugal never developed a great Dramatic theatre tradition due primarily to the fact that the Portuguese were more passionate about lyric or humorous works rather than dramatic art. Gil Vicente is often seen has the father of the Portuguese theatre, he was the leading Portuguese playwright in the 16th century. During the 20th century theatre found a way to reach out to the people, specially the middle class, through what in Portugal is known as "Revista" - A form of humorous and cartoonish theatre.
Food
Eating in Portugal, is one of the visitor's most remembered characteristics of the country. Each region of Portugal, has its traditional dishes, including various kinds of meat, cheap sea-food, fresh fish (including the 1001 ways of making cod dishes, the national dish) and the famous "Cozido à Portuguesa".
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Wines
Portugal is the country for wine lovers, known since the Roman Empire; the Romans immediately associated Portugal with its God of Winery and Feast, Bacchus. Today, many famous Portuguese wines are known as some of the world's best: Vinho do Douro, Vinho do Alentejo, Vinho do Dão, Vinho Verde, and the sweet: Port Wine (Vinho do Porto, literally Oporto's wine), Madeira wine, Moscatel of Setúbal and Moscatel of Favaios.
Popular Festivities
During the summer, in the month of June, festivities dedicated to three saints known as Santos Populares take place in all over Portugal. Why the populace associated the saints to these pagan festivities is not known. But it is possibly related to Roman or local deities before Christianity has spread in the region. The three saints are Saint Anthony, Saint John and Saint Peter. A common denominator in these festivities are the wine and água-pé (drink basically constituted by grape juice), traditional bread along with sardines, marriages, traditional street dances, fire, fireworks and joy.
Saint Anthony is celebrated in the night of 12 to 13th, especially in Lisbon (where that saint was born and lived most of his live), with Marchas Populares (sort of a street carnival) and festivities. In the meantime, several marriages known as Casamentos de Santo António (En., Marriages of Saint Anthony) at the same time are made. But the most popular saint is Saint John, it is celebrated in many cities and towns troughout the country in the night of 23 to 24th, especially in Porto and Braga, where the sardines, Caldo Verde (traditional soup) and plastic hammers to hammer in other person's head for luck are indispensable. The final Saint is Saint Peter, celebrated in the night of 28 to 29th, especially in Póvoa de Varzim and Barcelos, festivities is similar to the others, but more dedicated to the sea and extensive use of fire (fogueiras). In Póvoa de Varzim, there is the Rusgas in the night, another sort of street carnival. Each festivity is a municipal holiday in the cities and towns where it occurs.
2. Based on the film showing that we watched, describe at least one place in Portugal.
LISBON PORTUGAL
The word "Lisbon" always held a sense of magic and mystery in my own personal travel lexicon. Portugal's capital city brought images of unkempt streets and slightly run down buildings to mind as I pictured it as bordering on the Second World in terms of modern amenities and efficiency.
So, it was with mixed emotions that I wandered through this quickly modernizing city, hopping onto always on time trains, shopping in spotless shops and snapping photos of clean and well-kept monuments and buildings. After all, I came for the grunge!
Fortunately, I was able to spend some time exploring some of the older districts of town. I loved seeing clothes strewn on lines strung from neighborly windows and buildings whose walls looked like an old woman's makeup-less face, blotches of dark age showing up amidst cracks and flaws. The soft "ch" and "sh" sounds of the Portuguese language being spoken at hole in the wall cafes would often compete with the clattering noise of the city's historic trams winding their way up hills and squeezing through tight streets.
Lisbon's many charms are still apparent, but since an international Expo in 1998 and the Euro2004 soccer tournament, redevelopment is equally apparent and it's possible that much of the city's uniquely old and slightly tattered allure will begin to fade out in the years to come.
My suggestion is that you visit soon, before things change more than they already have. Prices are still well below par when compared to the rest of western Europe and the people are welcoming and helpful. You'll be entranced by the Manueline masterpieces of Belem, the spectacular views from the Castelo de Sao Jorge and the hilly, cluttered streets of the Alfama and Bairro Alto. You'll leave with memories of mosaic pavements, nights of dancing that run into mornings and food that will make you want to return for more.
