The Azorean Guitar or "Viola da Terra" is used in most of the Azorean music and is known to be their favorite instrument. It has 15 strings and was developed in Terceira. The Viola is played in most of the festivities in the Azorean lifestyle.
"Fado" is Portugal's most well known and traditional style of music. Fado means "fate" in Portuguese and usually consists of mournful lyrics and melodies. Love is usually the theme of Fado. There are actually two different versions of Fado; one being from the districts of Lisbon and the other being from the central region of Portugal (Coimbra). The Lisbon version is more personal and emotional while the Coimbra version is academic and reflects ancient traditions. Fado consists of one singer or the "fadista" and is usually accompanied by an acoustic guitar or a Portuguese guitar. The Portuguese is very proud of their Fado and it is one of their most prized possessions. It is still sung around the world today.