António Mello Corrêa…
with «the Saudade name»
António
Vasco Ahrens Teixeira de Mello Corrêa, better known as António Mello Corrêa in
the fado world, was born on May 25, 1944, in the dissolved parish of Santos‑o‑Velho
in Lisbon. Using his distinct flair, he recorded 38 different tunes.
He died in the same parish on All Saints’ Day in 1982. He was 38 years old, and
it had been missing for 38 years.
From the fado
gatherings until the departure for Africa
His interest
and vocation in fado began at a young age, which could be attributed to the
fact that his mother, Paulina Pombo
Teixeira (Paneca, as she was known
in the neighbourhood), was a skilled fado singer. «From a Young Age, I Was a Fado
Singer», a poem written by his friend Mimela Cid (Maria Manuel Cid), expresses such interest and
vocation in fado: «Fado has not lost me / Nor have I found it / Because it was
not my merit / But rather a gift from God / And I never sought him out».
In a nutshell, the
last verse of the fado lyrics declares that «I was born to be a fado singer».
Because
he was enthusiastic about fado, a terrific conversationalist, a fantastic
listener, a pleasant mood, and a kind guy, he mostly hung out at gatherings with others who shared the
same interests, where mutual appreciation and kindness bloomed. His first fado experiences occurred while he was
in his teens and met fado singers from the same Madragoa neighbourhood.
At a time
when his voice’s versatility was not well recognized, Carlos Pinto da Rocha
(Portuguese guitar) and José Carlos da Maia (fado viola) were the first amateur
musicians to join him at fado gatherings. Luís Barros, who could play the fado viola
as well as the Portuguese guitar, was the first to record António Mello
Corrêa’s tones. The fado singer is joined by amateur musicians Luís Barros on
fado viola and João Azevedo Neves on Portuguese guitar in the photo on page 27
(1965).
In
1965, fado gatherings spread to Ribatejo. Meetings in Golegã became more
regular, and they were held in the home of the maternal grandparents of a
neighbour and childhood friend Eduardo Vantacich (Chipá). Some people would
congregate there to have a delicious fado marialva [whose lyrics describe
horses and fighting bulls]. João Torre do Valle (Zina)—acoustic Portuguese
guitar player—, José Carlos da Maia—fado viola player—, and José Pracana—who
was still learning to play the Portuguese guitar at the time, receiving his
first lessons from Carlos Pinto da Rocha—were routinely transported by the same
friend’s car.
The
Golegã gatherings were widely attended, and word quickly spread among the
region’s fans, who began hosting fado gatherings in nearby Chamusca, adhering
to the proverb «my friend’s friend is my friend». The first hostess was the
poetess Maria Manuel Cid, who gathered a large group of fado acquaintances in
her house’s «barn»—a moderately sized warehouse (where groceries and
agricultural items were stored) that, after cleaning, sorting, and blanketing,
was ready to hold a fado gathering. In addition to António Mello
Corrêa, Zina, José Carlos da Maia, and
José Pracana, the group included Maria Teresa Cavazzini (the hostess’ sister),
Teresa Tarouca, Manuel Andrade, Carlos Guedes de Amorim, João Ferreira‑Rosa,
Fontes Rocha, and others.
Following
that, fado gatherings were held at Herdade Isidro dos Reis’ «barn» on several
occasions. Mercês da Cunha Rego, Teresa Silva
Carvalho, Carlos Zel, and Joaquim do Vale (Covinhas) were regular guests. Fado sessions were organized in
the same venue to raise money for
charity organizations.
António
Mello Corrêa was always prepared to offer his fado to good causes, most notably
to aid firefighters’ associations. He was asked to sing by the firefighters of Golegã and
Chamusca on several occasions.
He has
realized that, given his loyal companions since boyhood, he should act on his
hunch and start singing in public, but without his parents’ knowledge. He did
it in the Taberna Ideal, a tavern on Rua das Trinas (street number 67) near
his home, whose premises later became the religious Solar da Madragoa. During
fado nights, the house cast was placed on the door to entice customers. António Mello Corrêa chose the name António Roque as his
artistic identity, so that his parents, especially his father, José Corrêa de Mello (Dom José, as he was known because
he was born into an aristocratic family), would not notice him when they passed
by the front door. His disguise was short‑lived, with his father delivering
a sharp warning to Bettencourt, one of the tavern’s partners. José’s rage was
reflected in Bettencourt’s shirt collars. Because his father did not want his
beloved son trapped in the dreadful world of fado, Bettencourt’s ears picked up
harsh comments.
The
teenage fado singer’s determination triumphed against his father’s austerity.
Two phases and two approaches were used to offer the speedy and customized
response. First, to show his gratitude for the opportunity provided by good
friends Jorge and Bettencourt (the tavern’s owners) and, as a result, to
condemn his father’s austere attitude, António Mello Corrêa not only continued
to sing in the Taberna Ideal, but also in the subsequent and famous Solar da
Madragoa, which featured, among others, the fado singer António Rocha.
Second,
António Mello Corrêa enlisted the help from his loyal companies formed during
the aforementioned Ribatejo gatherings. In the middle of the 1960’s, he recorded
an EP released by the prominent Philips label, on which he performed fados
written by Maria Manuel Cid (writer of three of the four songs) and Manuel
Andrade (of the same age as the fado singer, and who fatally died
shortly after, in 1966). The musical accompaniment on this disc came from Raul
Nery’s famous Guitar Ensemble. It was the first collection of themes created by
the fado singer.
The record would mark a watershed
moment in the young fado singer António Mello Corrêa’s career, demonstrating his
commitment to rigorous fado as well as the development of a distinct style. Consequently,
his debut EP served as an affirmation album from the beginning of his career,
which was plainly disrupted due to the completion of compulsory military
service, which could no longer be postponed (or rather, delayed as it is
explained below).
António
Mello Corrêa made two contacts with the troop. For the first time, he
volunteered for the Air Force. He have given up recruiting to join this branch
of the military, so it was nothing more than an idea. The fado addiction was
one of the main reasons for this dropout.
The
second passage, on the other
hand, was extremely effective and long-lasting: 44 months. Buddies have persuaded him to sign up and
complete his compulsory military service in order to avoid being labelled a
refractory because he had given up on voluntary conscription and, at the age of
nearly 22, had not yet been called into the troop.
He
enlisted in the Army in May 1966 and paid a
significant interest penalty as a result for his lateness. Initially, he was based in Santarém. After
a few months of recruiting training, he was assigned to Tavira for the
militiaman sergeant’s course. His primary motivation was the fado, not the
army. Therefore,
it is understandable that he has had a low grade in the course, and
consequently he has been “deported” to Madeira, a Portuguese island,
to train a team of
mostly unruly soldiers. He was surrounded by the sea and far away from fado.
After that, he was assigned to the Colonial War. On August 6, 1967, “his”
Companhia de Caçadores (hunters company) number 1739 (and also the Companhia de
Caçadores number 1740, both mobilized by the Funchal Independent Infantry
Battalion) boarded the Troop Transport Ship «Vera Cruz» (which had left Lisbon
the day before with others military companies). The company proceeded on to
Cabinda after arriving in Luanda, and the mission was only completed in late
1969.
During
the overseas conflict in
the Portuguese Congo (i.e., Cabinda), the veins of fado swelled without limit
away from his Lisbon. While the protracted confinement in the Maiombe forest
exacerbated many troops’ homesickness for their homeland and the anxiety about
the unknown future, it bolstered two personal attributes in militiaman António
Mello Corrêa: the supreme sense of brotherhood and the intrinsic fado soul. As
his departure for the fado region approached, he decided to recall the military
season in Cabinda by packing one of the residents of Maiombe’s green sea: a
female baby monkey (which later had to change residence, from Madragoa to the
Lisbon Zoo).
From the
consolidation of professionalization until the post‑April 25th
When
he returned to the metropolis in January 1970, he knew exactly what he intended
to achieve with his life: fado. After that, he was determined to make up for
the time he had spent away from his dear Lisbon and his beloved fado (almost three
years of absence) as quickly as possible. He could not have foreseen—and no one
else could have guessed—that the decade would be busy, joyful, and full of
accomplishments and undertakings.
He
rose quickly to prominence in the fado circuits, thanks in part to the aforementioned
album, which had been edited before he joined the troop and functioned as a
golden calling card. It is no surprise, then, that when he returned from
Africa, he was asked to sing in prestigious fado houses. Therefore, he was
hired to join the cast of the renowned Taverna do Embuçado (Disguise’s Tavern) in
Alfama, which was headed by João Ferreira‑Rosa—one of the attendees of the
longing fado gatherings in Chamusca—, a fado singer who had founded the luxury
restaurant with the support of the wealthy couple João Santiago (João Jorge
Santiago Corte‑Real, owner of the Santa Catarina Palace) and Manuela Cintra at
the end of 1965. Its cast included top‑notch musicians, namely Fontes Rocha and
Pedro Leal.
When
old friends needed him, he responded enthusiastically and with the seriousness
with which he has always been associated. So, José Pracana, an old friend from
the gatherings and one of the partners of Arreda Bar in Cascais at the time,
invited António Mello Corrêa to join the cast.
António
Mello Corrêa was singing and charming in fado houses at the same time he was
recording in the studio. As a result, several discs were made. On the three successive
EPs, all released by the Philips label, Maria Manuel Cid wrote five of the
twelve fados; Manuel Andrade wrote two of the twelve fados. He was accompanied
by Jorge Fontes’ Guitar Ensemble on the first vinyl; Raul Nery, António
Chainho, José Maria Nóbrega, and Joel Pina on the second vinyl; and Raul Nery,
António Chainho, and Joel Pina as well as Pedro Leal, who replaced José Maria
Nóbrega, on the third vinyl. In consequence of that trilogy of EPs, the Fontana
label edited the fado singer’s first LP, with the fado singer already
acknowledged.
António
Mello Corrêa never stopped singing and enchanting, and even
idealizing, as one would expect from a brave and exceptional figure in his
time. He imagined surrendering to a venue that was exclusively his, where he
could share a fado in two tones, classic and charming, with friends and ardent
fans of his art. He believed that fado should be free of the canons imposed by
well‑known traditional fado houses.
Aside
from his intentions to start his own business, a new EP was released to keep
the momentum continuing. The edition, which featured Fontes Rocha, Carlos
Gonçalves, Pedro Leal, and Joel Pina as a quartet of musicians, was released by
the Estudio label, owned by the noted fado record entrepreneur Emílio Mateus. The
album included the song «Tourito Negro» (Dark Little Bull), written by Maria
Manuel Cid and composed by the gifted composer Fontes Rocha—the composer of the
two songs regarded as musical fados created later by António Mello Corrêa—, which
became one of the greatest hits despite not being his own creation. The
thriving era of Maria Manuel Cid came to an end on April 25th, as the political breeze in Portugal got increasingly irregular.
In a
short period of time, António Mello Corrêa responded to the new political
movement with an EP, which was also edited by Estudio. He achieved three goals:
he drew upon himself two poems written by his late friend Manuel Andrade—also
the last poems of his authorship recorded by the fado singer, one of which was
repeated, «Mãos Abertas» (Open Hands)—; he introduced «Maldito Fado» (Damn
Fado) to the album judging, a fado written by Pedro Bandeira and Álvaro Leal,
created by Alberto Reis, and made popular by Hermínia Silva’s interpretation;
and he presented «Canção de Abril» (April Song), a fado with a suggestive name
written by the monarchist and conservative João Ferreira‑Rosa. Fontes Rocha,
Pedro Leal, and Joel Pina, professional musicians who were entirely indifferent
to the new political environment, responded to the challenge by expressing
their unwavering admiration for António Mello Corrêa’s friendship.
With
the April 25th political movement, António Mello Corrêa would need to come up
with ideas on how to make them a reality after having dreamed and envisioned so
much. Rather than burying ideas in memory, he rooted them in reality. In fact,
the instability at Taverna do Embuçado—a business that had previously catered
for an elite clientele on the verge of losing weight in society—on the one
hand, and João Ferreira‑Rosa’s subsequent intention to close the doors of this
prestigious restaurant on the other hand, resulted in the exodus of most of the
performers, forcing the rest of the cast and other workers to adopt a
self-management scenario to avoid widespread unemployment.
The
uncertain future prompted António Mello Corrêa’s long‑held desire to open a
popular fado tavern, sponsored by the generous coupling of wine and friendship.
Most likely, he felt compelled to create his own modest but distinctive venue
that would be consecrated by the voice of the people who sang Amália Rodrigues’
hit «Oiça lá, ó Senhor Vinho!» (Hey there, Mr. Wine!). Keep in mind that in
1971, the Columbia label released an EP of Amália called «Oiça Lá Ó Senhor
Vinho», the title of the first fado on the A side, written and composed by
Alberto Janes.
The
opening of Sr. Vinho restaurant (Mr. Wine’s) and a new record impulse
The
envisaged outcome would be as expected: the opening of a tavern with fado as
the main menu. A decision has been made. A name must be given to the finished
product. To baptize the future fado retreat, he made a point of visiting Amália
Rodrigues’ home to present his concept and ask her permission to use Alberto
Janes’ success, «Senhor Vinho», in the voice of the diva. António Mello Corrêa
did not want to go alone, therefore he took his old friend Chipá with him.
According to the friend, «I like the young man so much!», Amália Rodrigues said
him in the middle of the conversation. It is no surprise, then, that she
readily accepted the fado singer’s proposal.
António
Mello Corrêa had a lot of confidence when he decided to buy a tavern and a
charcoal shop on one side and a grocery store on the other, all in the same
spot, at the intersection of Rua das Praças (street number 18) and Rua das Trinas,
in his typical Madragoa neighbourhood. Recognizing that fado is not just prayed
in famous cathedrals, he intended to turn an ordinary food and drink tavern
into a different kind of sanctuary, where he could share his devout sensitivity
with the humble people who adored fado.
However, his never‑ending desire to bring fado to
the people (based on an honest, democratic, and humanistic vision formed and
developed before the Carnation Revolution, it should be noted) would not fit
into daily living or budgetary
constraints. Fado had lost its
popularity. The general people appreciated it, but many were embarrassed, if
not afraid, to voice their genuine feelings.
Under
the emotive approach envisioned by its creator, the Sr. Vinho concept would
never extend beyond the amateur entrepreneurship built by a professional fado
singer. He rapidly realized that simply sharing his healthy and almost
altruistic fado spirit with fado fans would not be enough to ensure the
project’s success. In order to continue forward without worry of losing money,
the company had to be financially sustainable first and foremost. In other
words, the project’s audacity did not receive support from the post‑April 25th
socio‑political situation because fado had been abandoned or even ostracized,
in general, and because António Mello Corrêa was closely associated with fado
marialva, alluding to bullfighting or even aristocratic images, in particular.
As a consequence, transforming the facility into a viable fado retreat would
require a muscular investment.
When
a wealthy investor was needed, the Sr. Vinho’s mentor—the fado singer António
Mello Corrêa—did not hesitate to share the ownership of his project. As a
result, after several fruitless attempts to find a financial partner, in July
1975 he finally found a couple who could relate to his proposal. His partners, with
whom he shared equally his personal project, brought not only business (and
financial) knowledge, but also artistic brilliance, gradually transforming the
space into a prestigious typical fado house. Such partners were José Luís Gordo
and his wife, Maria da Fé, a fado singer who worked at A Parreirinha de Alfama
(The Little Grapevine of Alfama) at the time.
Despite
the fact that fado was not well recognized at the time, Sr. Vinho was warmly
welcomed at the meanders, to the point where there was a scarcity of tables to
accommodate the innumerable customers who had to wait another day to hear
excellent fado, led by António Mello Corrêa. Therefore, Sr. Vinho grew up in
the area after moving to an adjacent location, a few tens of meters away, in
1981, where it is today located, specifically at the intersection of Rua do
Meio à Lapa (street number 18) and Rua das Praças. Before the venue was
purchased, it was home to a deactivated industrial bakery.
From
its inception in 1975 until the iconic Maria da Fé moved permanently to the new
space, becoming the face of the poster, the cast was equally strong. Artists
such as the fado singers Filipe Duarte, Maria do Céu (Licas)—the first resident
fado singer—, and Maria da Nazaré, and the Portuguese guitar player Fontes
Rocha (who has been by António Mello Corrêa’s side since the first hour of Sr.
Vinho, and so closed a magnificent chapter in his career, putting an end to a
dozen years of accompanying Amália Rodrigues across the world from 1962 to
1974). At the beginning, Sr. Vinho’s other musician was the fado viola player
Manuel Martins, who was replaced in 1977 by Pedro Leal (a former colleague of
Fontes Rocha at Taverna do Embuçado, who also chose to leave Amália Rodrigues’
group of permanent musicians).
While
introducing the new Sr. Vinho, it would be remiss not to mention Carlos Pinto,
who was almost usually the house manager. After António Mello Corrêa died, José
Luís Gordo and Maria da Fé granted him a share of the company's capital.
To
bolster his image, the image of the (former) Sr. Vinho, and the fado image,
António Mello Corrêa recorded a new EP and later a LP, both edited by the Estudio
label. With that EP, he was able to assert himself while also raising the bar. With
the support of the same musicians that played in the last EP—in particular
Fontes Rocha, Pedro Leal, and Joel Pina—, the fado singer set out to accomplish
three goals in his own unique way. The first goal was to reinforce the infamous
song «Senhor Vinho», which was created by Amália Rodrigues and used to name his
idealized fado house, as previously said. The second goal was to associate with
the «Ovelha Negra» (Black Sheep), written by João Dias, a creation of Beatriz
da Conceição or José Manuel Osório. The third goal was to emphasize the archaic
and politically unfavourable link to the past, strengthening his affection for
the bullfighting spirit and recalling a well‑known Hortense Luz’s creation:
«Fado das Toiradas» (Bullfights Fado)—recorded by António Mello Corrêa with the
name «O Simão Contra o Caraça» (Simão Against Caraça)—, written by Luís
Galhardo and made popular by Hermínia Silva’s interpretation.
The
unfavourable winds for fado were stronger than the fado singers’ good
intentions. He did not, however, give up. He then released his second LP, which
was a compilation of his three previous EPs. He attempted, but failed, to
overcome the public’s negative perception of fado, changing the title of the
aforementioned «Canção de Abril» (April Song) to a more provocative and general
name: «Fraternidade» (Fraternity).
A few
years later, in 1979, he recorded his third LP, which was edited by EMI and
featured Fontes Rocha, José Luís Nobre Costa, Pedro Leal, and Joel Pina on the
musical accompaniment. It was an album with three fados written by his partner
José Luís Gordo (poet Luís Alcaria), one of which being «Quentes e Boas» (Hot
and Good [chestnuts]), the album’s title—due to the success of «O Homem das
Castanhas» (The Chestnut Man), a theme edited two years before and written by
Ary dos Santos for Carlos do Carmo’s voice. This vinyl also included the theme
from the early career EP, which was later re‑recorded by the fado singer: «Mãos
Abertas». Such album also included the theme «Tinha o Nome de Saudade» (She Had
the Saudade Name), written by João de Freitas.
The
professional career balance
António
Mello Corrêa, who possessed a talented spirit and a fervent soul, had 10 vinyl
discs made for him, covering 40 original recordings—and 38 different songs, being
«Mãos Abertas» the subject of three recordings, as noted: «Open hands, giving
hands (...) My hands are like that». The first of the 10 occurred in the mid‑1960’s,
with the remaining nine recording during the 1970’s. The swansong was held in
1979.
The
covers and back covers of the editions that make up António Mello Corrêa’s
discography as well as the song titles are attached. There is also an indication
of the relevant identification (rectified, if necessary) of the authors of the
lyrics and composer of the music, and an indication of the themes created by
António Mello Corrêa too. He was the creator of more than half of his
repertoire (20 out of 38), demonstrating the fado singer’s uniqueness. This
helps to explain why, despite his brief career, he is associated with several
significant successes and holds a prominent place in Fado History.
After
a life full of strength and dedication to the fado cause, he died prematurely
on November 1, 1982, putting an end to a bright and promising career for which
the fado community would be eternally grateful. The misfortune planned for his
voice to be muted abruptly and terribly in a Lisbon neighbourhood close to his
hometown when he was 38 years old. He was born, raised, and died in Santos
(Saints) on All Saints’ Day.
António
Mello Corrêa is a well‑known fado apostle, endowed by nature or by something
higher with a unique vocal talent that spans the beginning of the word to the
end of sensation. Thanks to his exquisite timbre and exceptional tune, he had a
range of voice that made him completely at ease, whether in the low, medium, or
high notes. This unique skill allowed him to embody all the intense fado
feelings that existed in his soul.
Before
concluding this essay, one considers the following scenario: what would have
happened to fado if António Mello Corrêa’s fate had allowed him to live longer?
Keep in mind that when the dean Alfredo Marceneiro met António Mello Corrêa
(who had both talent and education) at the height of his experience (and no
less demanding), he immediately opened his heart to him, as if this openness
constituted a safe conduct for this young fado singer to enter any fado house.
Because of the close friendship between the two generations, «Mãos Abertas»—always
sung in Fado Bailado by Alfredo Marceneiro—was the only song recorded more than
once from the beginning to the end of António Mello Correa’s artistic career. The
photo on page 28 shows how much the two fado players care for one other.
Although
most people who live on fado have inexplicably forgotten about him since his
death, the ink of longing for his fado has remained indelible for the past 38
years and will continue to be indelible too. In May 1994, on his fiftieth
birthday, he received a posthumous tribute, with Amália Rodrigues, Maria Manuel
Cid, and Victor Feytor Pinto serving on the honor committee (page 33), that was
a highly dignified example of an oasis in the oblivion.
As a
result, it is incumbent upon us to carry on António Mello Corrêa’s legacy.
Little was known about this famed fado personality's life and career until now.
We, like the fado singer, feel as though a
tremendous stolen longing—«Flowers
burn on the chest / Of a deceived child / And an unhappy love / Burns in the
exquisite bosom [or heart] / Of a stolen longing» (verses written by the
unknown poet João Rosa, in the fado lyrics «Burn Your Eyes, Woman»).
Based
on what is revealed in this text, it is shown that he was a creator who lived
and will always live... with the SAUDADE name.
