Music and foreign languages are two areas that are often linked. The first impulse, of course, is to think of English and its impact on popular music throughout the world, and the impact of English-language music on those who want to learn how to speak English.
Don't be afraid to spice up your study and practise some Portuguese songs and some of their folk music!
Portuguese is one of the 10 languages most commonly spoken in the world, so what kind of music can you listen to in order to learn Portuguese?
Don’t worry too much if you don’t get the songs perfect on your first few attempts, learning Portuguese folk music is supposed to be an enjoyable experience for the most part. If you enjoy your learning then you will have a better chance of sustaining your preparations in the long run!
The most important thing is that you progress, no matter how small the step, moving forward is the goal. To combat any anxiety when you perform you can try making some adjustments to how you practice so that you are more comfortable.
You can try practising in a familiar environment such as your own home. Alternatively, you could also practice with a peer or tutor of similar age.
Regardless of your own personal goals that you would like to accomplish with Portuguese, there is an abundance of material available to you online to help you accomplish just that! With the number of resources available to both students and musicians on the internet, learning Portuguese has certainly never been so accessible!
In this article, we won’t be focusing on instrumental pieces - obviously, since you want to learn Portuguese through music - but on some of the most inspiring vocal pieces composed by Portuguese musicians.
If you want to dive deeper into Portuguese culture, why not try watching some of these famous Portuguese movies?
Can I Learn Portuguese with Music?
Portuguese music should be an integral part of your language learning but whether you could learn Portuguese exclusively by listening to either Brazilian or Portuguese songs is not likely.
If you've already been to Portugal or Brazil, you have likely heard street music or attended a music festival. You may have already discovered small orchestral pieces, with or without unusual and diverse vocals, and all of the best music Portugal has to offer.
Learning music in a foreign language such as Portuguese is a rewarding experience that can give you a real sense of fulfilment. Learning some of the songs mentioned will likely present some memories that you will cherish forever. You’ll never forget the first time you played your favourite song with no mistakes knowing how hard you worked.
You can always spice up your learning by trying some of the above songs with your tutor.
Practising songs in any language can help you to learn language mechanics such as punctuation, spelling, capitalisation and word order in favour of poetic phrasing.
If you intend to live and work in either Portuguese-speaking country, building your language skills on song lyrics would hurt more than help you.
Search for Portuguese lessons in Dublin or Portuguese lessons in Cork to see what's on in the capital and other big cities.
| Song Name | Artist | |
|---|---|---|
| No.1 | Canção de Madrugar | Susana Felix |
| No.2 | Amar pelos dois | Salvador Sobral |
| No.3 | Mal por mal | Deolinda |
| No.4 | Beijo | Pedro Abrunhosa |
| No.5 | Mentira | João Pedro Pais |
| No.6 | Gaivota | Amalia Hoje |
| No.7 | Haja O Ques Houver | Madredeus |
Rua da Saudade (Susana Felix) - Canção de Madrugar
Canção de Madrugar is a song full of joy and the Portuguese spirit, sung by Susana Félix. A classical folk music song, with its pleasant musical style sung by a female voice in the Portuguese tradition, it is a wonderful way to learn Portuguese.
Far from anything ever sung by Johnny Hallyday, Françoise Hardy, Edith Piaf or Jean Jacques Goldman, Rua da Saudade offers a new view of Portugal’s singing heritage, both traditional and resolutely modern, allowing you to learn to speak Portuguese in an easy and pleasant manner.
Portugal Music: Salvador Sobral - Amar pelos dois
Music as a vector for emotions, beautiful lyrics and intense musicality - this is the Portuguese music of today.
Born in Lisboa (Lisbon) in 1989, Salvador Vilar Braamcamp Sobral is mostly known outside of Portugal for his appearance (and victory) at the Eurovision Song Contest of 2017. His song, Amar pelos dois, has become a real YYouTube and streaming hit in Europe, and even earned a record amount of points at Eurovision.
Far from electronic music, afro or funk, this song is a hymn to sweetness, a musical voyage borne by the voice of a true virtuoso of Portuguese music, now a true star of the world music scene. With him, you talk, live and feel Portuguese as though you were born and raised on the Iberian peninsula.
Mal por mal - Deolinda
Female singers play an important role in Portuguese music traditions, for example in fado.
A new generation inspired by fado and other classical Portuguese musical traditions, transposed into pop and alternative music and carried by a dynamic, feminine voice - impossible? Not with Mal por mal, a resolutely modern song full of harmony, with Portuguese lyrics and a Portuguese guitar accompaniment.
The lead singer’s strong voice is perfect for a fusion style that integrates classical guitar, Rock & Folk, with a little more rhythm - a symphony combining several musical eras and as well as Portuguese and ethnic instrumental sections… A true voyage through time and space!
Take your Portuguese Lessons Online
The concept of learning a language through a screen would have been completely alien to most people only a few years ago. Fast forward to today, where countless students of all ages are now turning to video format and one-to-one webcam langauge lessons.
It seems that today’s generation turns to the internet to learn almost anything, and rightly so, with almost every piece of information being available with only a few clicks of a mouse. So why should learning an instrument be any different?
With the rapid advancements in household technology over the past decade, almost every household has access to a webcam. This means you can bring the lesson to you and learn right in the comfort of your own home.
Online lessons can also be an attractive alternative for those who haven’t yet built up enough confidence to practice in public or are unable to travel for their lessons.
Working alongside a tutor through a video chat platform such as Zoom can be an extremely effective method of improving your level of portugeuse. Screenshare features also present enhanced capabilities for sharing appropriate learning material such as the folk music sheets that you are after!
Music is very much part of the Lusophone cultural heritage, whether it is folk or traditional music or Brazilian beats, meaning there is no lack of material for you to choose from.
Which songs you choose as tools to help you learn Portuguese is a pertinent question.
All of Portugal is bundled into one song: love, poetry, ambience, lyricism and a beautiful voice to deliver it. Far from gospel or children’s rhymes, this song includes many of the distinctive aspects of Portuguese composition.
Pedro Abrunhosa - Beijo
A music hinting at saudade, but somewhat more festive and rhythmic, more modern - like this classic of Portuguese music.
Beijo is a melancholic tune, simple, without unnecessary embellishments, the vocals accompanied by (almost) nothing but an acoustic piano with just a touch of electronics - that’s the type of music Abrunhosa delivers.
This local artist makes you eager to learn Portuguese and enter a whole new musical world.
Portuguese Songs: João Pedro Pais - Mentira
Again, it’s all of Portugal’s sensitivity anchored in our time and modernised. Between chanson full of saudade and a large, popular voice that - most notably - produced one of the most successful albums in the history of the Portuguese music industry, João Pedro Pais represents Portugal in all its splendour, emotional and lyrical, sweet and engaging at once.
Some hits, but more than that - Pais’ music paints a portrait of Portugal, his home country which propelled him to stardom thanks to the television show Chuva de Estrelas.
Gaivota - Amalia Hoje
Amalia Hoje is a Portuguese artist who decided to expand her repertoire to reflect the most typical music of Portugal. In fact, she decided to create a new album that was a compilation inspired by icons such as Amalia Rodrigues.
As a way to popularise Portuguese history and the Portuguese language, referencing well-known Portuguese figures people know and love and which stayed in people’s minds. When history merges with the present, a beautiful composition ensues - such as this song, an example typical of vocal superstar Amalia Rodrigues.
Madredeus - Haja O Ques Houver
Madredeus is a group that takes its name from a Lisbon neighbourhood east of the Alfama. First performed in 1997, this song takes us far, far away…
A mixture of fado, folk music and popular music, Haja O Que Houver is a perfect accord between vocals, guitar and various string instruments including guitar, cello, and accordion. Language in the service of emotion - that’s what this song is about.
Try learning through music with Superprof!
Superprof is the best option out there for students just like yourself that are looking to avail of Portuguese tutoring services. The number of Portuguese tutors that list their services on the platform has been growing for some time now, as more and more students take up the subject for its associated career and travel prospects.
The platform is here to help you to accomplish just that! You even have the option to arrange a trial tutoring session with potential teachers free of charge. This will give you the opportunity to get a feel for how they orchestrate your classes and hopefully entice you to continue your learning thereafter!
Superprof has 142 registered Portuguese tutors. Every one of them offers lessons online and most of them offer their first hour of lessons free!
Many of the Portuguese tutors that already occupy the platform have an array of qualifications and credentials that they leverage to arrive at their hourly rate.
The average price of a Portuguese lesson on Superprof is €14 per hour, irrespective of whether the help needed is for test prep or Portuguese pronunciation.
The tutoring sessions that you can expect to be given with Superprof are offered either in a classroom or in a one-to-one setting via webcam. You can rest assured that they will be more than willing to change up their lessons and try out some traditional Portuguese songs with you.
Superprof offers access to a growing pool of language teachers whom you can learn from. So sign up today and let us help you to make the ultimate career choice in your life!
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