Portuguese “Modinhas” and instrumental music from the XVIIIth and XIXth century. The earliest influences of the traditional Fado portuguese urban song. Although the problem of finding the origins of Fado has always been present in Portuguese society, recent and more serious research has been unveiling the close relation between Fado and eighteenth century serious music. The vocal forms of the “Modinha” and “Lundum”, which are themselves already a simplified deviation of the Neapolitan vocality, bear strong resemblance to the poetic atmosphere and musical expression present in the various forms of Fado. More so, the omnipresence of the so-called Portuguese guitar in the accompaniment of Fado is a long story that begins quite clearly in the baroque ages. This instrument brought to Porto by the English ladies of the “Port” wine Diaspora was adopted by the Portuguese and was given a particularly original and enchanting repertoire by some of ou...