Fado is a genre of Portuguese music that is often associated with pubs, cafés, and restaurants. It is a recognized symbol of Portugal and is considered a national treasure. The word "fado" means "fate" in Portuguese, but it is also used to describe a form of song that follows a certain traditional structure. Fado is characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor, and infused with a sentiment of resignation, fate, and melancholy. The music is known for how expressive and profoundly melancholic it is, and it is often sung about the hard realities of daily life, balancing both resignation and hopefulness that a resolution to its torments can still occur. Fado songs are usually connected to the feeling of "saudade," a state of nostalgia and yearning for something or someone. Fado appeared during the early 19th century in Lisbon, and is believed to have its origins in the bohemian areas of the capital such as Bairro Alto, Mouraria, and Alfama districts. Although the origins of fado are difficult to trace, it is thought to have evolved and formed from a mixture of several older musical genres. Fado houses were concentrated in Lisbons historic quarters, mainly in Bairro Alto, from the 1930s onwards, and it was in the 1950s that the prestige of Amália Rodrigues, the standard figure of Fado, crystallized. To immerse oneself in this world, one can visit fado houses, where fado singers perform a range of fado songs, from the most traditional to the most modern.