...well, since my arrival going to Tejo Bar has really become an inherent part of my Lisbon nightlife. I love the cozy atmosphere, all those chilled people sitting, playing chess, backgammon or mikado, making music. The concept of that bar could somehow be described as "feel free" I guess. There is no waiter at all, if you want to drink a cup (yeah, a cup!) of wine you just go to the bar and serve yourself. If you feel like singing or drumming or playing guitar just grab yourself an instrument or raise your voice. Ok, most of the music played there is the traditional Fado or braszilian rythms. So perhaps... after all you should feel a little saudade to perform. But in the end you will get your chance: EVERY evening the owner distributes the lyrics of "Fazemos" (wich is the portuguese version of "let's do it, let's fall in love") to everybody and the whole bar starts to sing pleasantly. Oh, and there is the poem of the day, always lectured by someone else. A young kid, an old man from Alfama neighbourhood, a beautiful singer, the shy guy, the passionated mid-aged or the tourist from Spain, having funny problems pronouncing the portuguese words. (Well, people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones... but it was... cute. Stone me!)
Despite of all this inordinateness there is also a "DON'T DO"! As the English would say: Put that in your pipe and smoke it. (Germans would write it behind their ears, but that's another story.)Back to topic, the rule of Tejo Bar: Please never ever start to clap your hands in enthusiastic applause. It's forbidden, everybody knows it and you will instantly be detected as "the foreigner". People rub their hands instead of clapping. It's more quiet and as rumors has it, it is because of that old woman who lives above that bar and once complained. She loves the music but the applause takes her to insomnia. I guess it is a good solution, isn't it?

Ok, to get an idea, this is a video of the nicest jamsession in Tejo Bar I found on You Tube....



And just because it's obligatory "fazemos":