The lecturer on the Bachelor's degree in Speech therapy from the Fernando Pessoa School of Health, Pedro Melo Pestana, participated in the 15th edition of the international course La Voce Artistica, one of the most important global gatherings dedicated to speech therapy and artistic speech therapy. The event took place between 20 and 23 November, no emblemático Teatro Alighieri, em Ravena, Itália.

In the Vox Sacra session, the lecturer presented the paper “The Voice of Saudade: Exploring the Cultural, Acoustic, and Clinical Dimensions of Fado Singing”, a multidisciplinary study that analyses the physiological demands of Fado and its impact on the vocal health of performers. The research articulates ethnomusicological, acoustic, and clinical perspectives, contributing to a deeper understanding of the vocal authenticity of the Portuguese musical genre.

Regarding this participation, Pedro Melo Pestana emphasizes that the communication “was very well received and generated considerable interest from the public”, reinforcing the importance of bringing science closer to cultural heritage.

This work results from an international collaboration between ESS-FP and the University of Fortaleza (UNIFOR), and also features co-authorship from Rita Alegria, a lecturer at ESS-FP, and Christina César Praça Brasil, from UNIFOR, strengthening joint scientific production in the area of the sung voice.

The Fernando Pessoa Foundation congratulates lecturer Pedro Melo Pestana on his work and the international recognition of the research produced in the field of Speech Therapy.