Fado between Tradition and Market: Rethinking Heritage Music in Iberia's Cultural Economy.

Objective

This project examines the evolving role of Fado—Portugal’s iconic musical tradition—in the cultural economy of the Iberian Peninsula, focusing on the tensions between heritage preservation and market-driven transformation. Designated as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011, Fado has become a central symbol of Portuguese identity and a commodified product within global tourism and music industries. Through a multidisciplinary approach combining ethnomusicology, cultural studies, and political economy, this research investigates how Fado is curated, institutionalized, and consumed in both local and transnational contexts. It explores how musicians, cultural policymakers, and commercial actors negotiate the boundaries between authenticity and innovation, and how these dynamics mirror broader heritage debates across Iberia, particularly in comparison to Spain’s flamenco. Anchored at τhe Autonomous University of Barcelona, this fellowship will involve archival research, fieldwork with artists and policymakers, and comparative analysis to map Fado’s contemporary cultural trajectory. The project contributes to critical heritage studies and the sociology of music, offering new insights into the sustainable governance of traditional arts in Europe’s evolving cultural economy.