The tension in the room became palpable as the lights were dimmed and the guitarists started to pluck their guitars. Even before Amália started to sing, tears rolled down Maria’s cheeks. The strings of her heart vibrated to the familiar tune, and she hummed silently, just like every evening.
It was here she and Paolo tied their bonds. It was here they had dissolved into dreams. It was here she had found him mesmerized in his vinho verde, It was here he met his fate. Their story was like one of Amália’s songs, where the last verse still remained unwritten.
Fado guitarists
So fun to be back again finding one of my pictures again, I have been in the wilderness for a week and just came back. I took the picture it in a small tavern in Funchal (Madeira), where they performed fado every night. Listening to the songs in the velvet night is a quite a memory.
Friday Fictioneers is a group of bloggers under the leadership of Rochelle Wissoff-Fields who write stories
Friday Fictioneers is a group of bloggers who every week write 100 word stories to the same picture.
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April 23, 2014
Good story this week! Really enjoyed the image. Thanks! 🙂
It was fun to find one of my own pictures.
Strongly atmospheric. And a rich tale even in only the alloted words. Good with the names, using them to give exotic flavour. That was a good comment you gave before on the booklikes blog, thanks!
There are so much that can be told in few words.. just read “Heart of Darkness”… really captivated me on a day when we were locked by storm in a small mountain cabin…
There are undercurrents of something stronger going on here. A case of what lies beneath the surface. Nicely done.
I wanted to capture the feelings and atmosphere instead of the story underneath… but I think listening to the music will tell the story
Tons of atmosphere in this, and a great photo from you Bjorn. Well done.
Thank you.. yes it was very atmospheric…
Beautifully written. Tells of love that lasts long after death.
Thank you.. yes a lot of sorrow embedded (just like the music)
Hopefully, one day the music will become joyful and a new love will lighten her heart.
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Bjjorn, excellent story AND picture. Thanks for both. The mood is definitely enhanced by the music. (An aside, I think you meant “became” not “become” in the first sentence. If not, ignore me.)
Of course I meant became, thank you so much for pointing it out.
Powerful stuff, Bjorn; I like that last line especially. Thanks for a stunning and evocative picture.
Powerfully told. beautiful!
Bjorn- The photo was stunning. But after reading your story I wanted to rush to the airport, hop a plane to Madeira and fall in love. Now I want a love verse unwritten. You really have no idea how good that makes your writing. 😉 Dana
Great story, I simply adore fado. Thank you for an inspirational photo.
Great picture this week Bjorn – thank you. And a lovely story – very tender.
Great last line, Bjorn, to cap a perfect and poetic story and just right for the photo.
janet
Two characters were given names and personality in just 100 words! Super impressed! Love the story, especially the last line.
Good story and I loved the music. I Googled “fado. I understood from the music video clip that the lady was a popular entertainer who had died. Thanks for the great photo.
“Fate” – being played – and hope lingers on.. nice one Bjorn…
Dear Björn,
“Dissolved into dreams”. Nice turn of a phrase. Good use of the prompt. What a great photo. Thanks for sharing your photography and your words that I look forward to every week.
shalom,
Rochelle
Very good stuff, Bjorn. All the imagery, sensations,, all that made a great experience! I’m wondering what the green wine (if I read it correctly) tastes like.
Green wine is actually the name for a very light white wine sometimes a little pearly with CO2 that’s consumed in Portugal. It’s very easy to drink… almost like a soft drink.
That sounds great! Since Spain, I have been in love with cava, so this is something I’d like to try myself.
Wonderful story, and features exquisite music! Thank you for the great photo this week, Bjorn. Hope you had a lovely time on vacation 🙂
Beautiful story, Björn! Your photo is inspiring many sad, sweet stories.
Beautiful piece of writing. Memories of the past?
a well-written story. i love the sentiments behind it as well as amalia’s video.
I think I got the story. Very moody and well-done.
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you’ve created quite an atmosphere and the last line, really loved it.
thanks for the photo, too Björn. by the way, this photo was probably the most difficult photo I’ve ever encountered in FF haha 🙂
Your story is as sensual as the photograph. Even before reading your story and the details, the wonderful magic of the guitars, the sweet lights outside and the music (which I could almost hear, with this photo), I could feel the “velvet night.” Beautiful, Björn!
Simply stunning, Bjorn! And thank you, too, for your photographic inspiration this week.
Great pic and a moving tale. Love to know what happened.
My favourite stories are ones which don’t end with the last word, and this is an excellent example. Very evocative and very enjoyable.
Wonderful story, and a great picture for our prompt. I not only enjoyed your story, but I enjoyed writing one of my own to your photo. You’re a very gifted author and photographer, and you captured the atmosphere in both your story and your photo.
Many blessings to you,
Cheryl
Beautiful!
Thanks for the inspiring photo.
your story written as wonderfully as the songstress singing that vibrant and rich song. thank you also for the lovely photograph this week…very inspiring.
Great atmosphere in your story, and a great photo!
Dear Bjorn, this is a beautiful story and I loved every second of the music video! Amalia has such a strong voice and hauntingly passionate voice as she sings it! Excellent! I love writing in this group because of all the terrific stuff I get to read and listen to. Amazing – just amazing! Nan 🙂
One more thing Bjorn, thanks for the picture prompt this week! Nan
guitar and voice is an unbeatable combination in the right place and time.
I love the atmosphere you have created here Bjorn well done. Thank you also for the photo this week; for some reason it has produced lots of melancholy stories.
Dee
The picture has great atmosphere. I like the strings of lights in the background.
You 100 words paints a lifestyle both familiar and very different from my own.
It’s the music that brings us back. It wounds and cures.
Beautiful imagery. Touching tale. Enjoyed it. Shandra
Beautiful piece, Bjorn, to match your gorgeous photo. I was hoping you would have some music. It’s lovely!
Very evocative and poetic as usual. I like stories without endings, after all life is unending …
This is actually what I was trying to do with my story-sort of-but you’ve made it much more effective.
Good story and great music. I think the Fado must have a parallel in the the Breton ‘Gwerz’. A favourite ‘gwerz’ singer is Denez Prigent, in case you’re interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGCjaRX4qe8 Thanks for the photo. Ann
Yes I can hear some similarities.. probably the sea and the stories you get from there…
This is excellent. I want to know more about their story.