Lisbon’s Music Scene for Non Fado Lovers

I love music – it has been a past of me life privately and professionally since the mid 70s.

Back in the 90’s I worked briefly with the Portuguese band Madradeus and my colleagues at EMI Portugal’s Fado Catalogue. So I guess my knowledge about this genre is above average compared to other travelers. But not more… I find the genre is a little boring. 

When we arrived in Lisbon we couldn’t avoid sensing Africa’s presence. All the fantastic colorful Angolans, Mozambicans and other Africans from Portugal’s colonia  past. Their cafes, restaurants and eateries around Intendente & Martim Moniz just below us. The shanty towns we passed on our way to our beach at Cova do Vapor. And the street-art and the small African pop-up markets we found everywhere when we cruised around Lisbon’s suburbs. 

But what about the music? The only music that surrounded us were Fado, local pop and the horrible Iberian Pop Disco.  

You can’t started searching for the musical influences from Portugal’s past I knew existed – I just have to find it.

So I decided to search for he African beats and grooves I knew was out there somewhere. It took me a few weeks to find it: The Ghetto Sound of Lisbon  as its called. I also found the clubs and other venues that plays the music. 

And from there – I found other genres and other venues. It turned out that Lisbon has a lot more to offer than Fado and cheesy Iberian disco-pop. They have a thriving underground scene with super interesting avantgarde acts, electronica jazz, intelligent pop, dance etc played and performed by very talented locals and international artist passing by. 

And even better – I found some of the best venues only a few minutes from our door. Like Damas and the late Laboratório Galeria.   

Today we spend almost all our time getting Tings Lisbon up and running and to maintain Tings Kathmandu which we have neglected for a while. So we just don’t have the time to stay up 2 date about whats going on.

So what do you do when you want to get challenged and find the existing on-line guides too mainstream and KNOW that there is a much more interesting scene somewhere out there? 

Well, we were so lucky to have a stream of young kids on the road who ask us if the can stay a few days with us for free – if the work for their rent. Usually we don’t have anything we need to have done or made. But when our friend’s son August came by I got a project for him. He is a part of the Danish Clubbing and already had some contacts here in Lisbon. 

Stay until Wednesday – just mail me your impressions on the the Lisbon underground scenes anno Spring 2019.  

He did – a few weeks ago he mailed me a list of the venues and clubs he visited and a list of organizers and record companies he got in touch with during his travel in Portugal.

So if you are curious about whats going on behind the Fado Facade I sure August’s list below will be useful. I am enjoying it a lot!

Thomas