- published: 31 Oct 2014
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Bairro Alto (literally, Upper District) is a central district of the city of Lisbon, the Portuguese capital. Unlike many of the civil parishes of Lisbon, this region can be commonly explained as a loose association of neighbourhoods, with no formal local political authority but social and historical significance to the urban community of Lisbon.
The bairro or "neighbourhood" resulted from urban expansion in the 16th century, forming outside the walls of the historical city, and is characterized by an almost orthogonal tract (developing from two phases of distinct urbanization).
It is a fundamental quarter of Lisbon, organized into a hierarchical scheme of roads and lanes: the roads, the structural axis, runs perpendicular to the river; and the lanes, or secondary axis, cut parallel to the river. The matrix of allotments reflect the persistent use of the medieval layout; the division and multiplication of this module had its origin in the variations of the architectural typology. The space constructed is dominated by living spaces implanted in long narrow lots, of three- to four-storeys in height, with asymmetric facades consisting of windows along the various storeys and staircases along the lateral flanks. Although less representative, the Pombaline-era buildings are common, introducing essentially modifications to the level of the facade's composition. Although there are many typological variations to the facade designs, certain elements are repeated, such as the corners, bay and sill windows, eaves and attics, securing a homogeneous urbanized front.
Carlos do Carmo, ComIH (born Carlos Manuel de Ascenção de Almeida in Lisbon, Mouraria, on 21 December 1939) is a Portuguese fado singer, one of the finest in the "Lisbon Song". He is the son of another fado singer and fado house owner, Lucília do Carmo (Lucília Nunes de Ascenção do Carmo, born in Portalegre on 4 November 1920 and died in 1999, daughter of Francisco).
In 1976 he won the Portuguese Song Contest, with "Uma flor de verde pinho". The song finished 12th in the Eurovision Song Contest 1976.
His most famous songs are Lágrimas de Orvalho, Lisboa Menina e Moça and Canoas do Tejo. He sang many songs written by songwriters like Ary dos Santos. He helped to open Lisbon fado to other musical influences, like jazz and French music.
He has established his own reputation as a passionate singer of Portuguese folk songs, as well as one of the most distinctive voices in the world. Unfortunately obscured by the international fame of Amália Rodrigues, he remained a national, rather than international, star. He first left Lisbon in his youth, to study hotel management in Switzerland but, with the death of his father Alfredo de Almeida in 1962, do Carmo soon joined his mother to help her run their fado house, the Faia. In 1964 he married Maria Judite de Sousa Leal. Encouraged by his friends' response to his singing, do Carmo soon began to perform at the fado house. While fado remains at the core of his music, do Carmo has used Frank Sinatra-style and French-style pop balladry and Brazilian bossa nova to give his music its distinct flavor. His uniqueness, apart from the special timbre of his voice, is in his ability to bring composers from other styles such as jazz. This is mainly seen in his success Um Homem na Cidade, which although now known as a fado classic, has an obvious jazz chord progression.
Well I dreamed I saw the knights in armour coming saying something about
a queen
There were peasants singing and drummers drumming and the archer split
the tree
There was a fanfare blowing to the sun that was floating on the breeze
Look at mother nature on the run in the nineteen-seventies
I was lying in a burned out basement with a full moon in my eyes
I was hoping for a replacement when the sun burst through the skies
There was a band playing in my head and I felt like getting high
I was thinking about what a friend had said I was hoping it was a lie
Thinking about what a friend had said I was hoping it was a lie
Well I dreamed i saw the silver spaceships flying in the yellow haze of
the sun
There were children crying and colors flying all around the chosen one
All in a dream, all in a dream the loading had begun
They were flying mother nature's silver seed to a new home in the sun
Flying mother nature's silver seed to a new home in the sun