"Tears from Alfama"
Date Taken: 12-05-2007
Canon EOS 30D, Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
Exposure: f/4, 1/60 seconds

I was strolling around the cobblestone streets of the old quarter when I heard the pure but strong voice of the little boy you can see here through the giant earring of the place's owner.  Nothing can be more passionate than Fado and listening to it in the streets of Alfama is the closest experience you can get to swimming in a Portuguese soul. Fado (translated literally as destiny or fate) is characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor. In other words, about what means to be a Portuguese. There are many details that make this image so special to me. But above all, the insightful expression of the boy who sings and the giant crystal "tear" bellow his right eye really touches me deeply. Like Fado…