Street Art Of Lisbon

Lisbon is an open-air gallery, not just for its beautiful tile-covered façades and the traditional cobblestone designs, but also for its street art. The Portuguese capital is known as one of the cities with the best street art, and some local artists like Vhils and Bordalo II, who have works all over the world. Vhils is known for carving faces on façades, while Bordalo II creates art from trash.

Following the revolution of April 25, 1974 there was an explosion of political murals, and today artistic graffiti is even sponsored by the City Council.

One of the popular destinations for street art is LX Factory. It's a factory complex from 1846 reborn in 2008 as a "factory" of creativity and experiences. It kept the industrial spaces and invited companies related to the arts, which later brought shops, cafés and restaurants. Today there’s a little bit of everything, from fashion to books, and restaurants. The interiors maintain many of the old street art, while most of the façades are covered in street art.

Note: My blog post on Barcelona's Street Art is here.

The Trams Of Lisbon | Simple Gallery

 

Portugal’s capital currently has five different routes and 58 trams, of which 40 are vintage streetcars. These "heritage" trams are small, nostalgic, and are an emblematic symbol of Lisbon, making for great photos.

The trams of Lisbon are more than vehicles; they are the city’s storytellers, carrying whispers of history up and down the steep, cobbled streets. Tram 28, the most famous of all, snakes through the capital like a golden thread, weaving together Lisbon’s diverse neighborhoods, and is especially popular for its scenic journey through historic districts like Alfama, Baixa, and Graça.

The "Remodelado" trams, introduced in the 1930s, became iconic with their bright yellow color and ability to navigate narrow, winding streets. Many of these vintage trams are still in use.

The Trams Of Lisbon

trams of Lisbon by Tewfic El-Sawy on on Exposure

Fado: Lisbon Journal

Image Copyright Michael Barrientos/NY Times
I haven't been to Portugal yet, but the fado, the closest it has to a national form of song, is one of my favorite music genres. The New York Times brings us a multimedia feature about fado, with the voice of Misi, the current fado diva, and voices of other fado singers in a Lisbon cafe. Misi's voice and status in Portugal reminds me of the late Edith Piaf...the quintessential voice of Paris.

Fado, or fate in Portugese, is characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor. The music and the songs speak to home-sickness, longing and nostalgia. Some musicologists believe it has its roots in Africa, and is influenced by Arabic music.

In the "Lisbon Journal" multimedia (slideshow) feature, don't miss frame #11. Photographer Michael Barrientos has perfectly captured the expressions of the restaurant's cooks as they watch the ongoing fado performance.

I'm curious as to why the New York Times hasn't graduated to more advanced slideshow viewers, and is still stuck to the rather dorky 'frame-by-frame' model. The "Lisbon Journal" would have been so much more effective had the NYT used Soundslides or similar software, and it would have been really a 'multimedia' experience. The audio edit could've been done better since the sound track stops almost abruptly.

Here's the slideshow Fado Feature

Here's the accompanying Article