| Amalia Rodrigues | Dulce Pontes | Madredeus | Maria Joao Pires | Sergio Godinho | 

Those unfamiliar with fado--that exquisitely mournful strain of balladry that is to Portugal what tango is to Argentina and flamenco is to Spain--will probably want to acquaint themselves more intimately with the genre after hearing Mariza's gorgeous album Fado Curvo. Following up on her 2001 debut, Fado em Mim, which catapulted the young singer from Lisbon to a pinnacle of worldwide critical and popular acclaim, Fado Curvo will delight fado aficionados and novices alike. The album showcases Mariza's startling vocal agility—almost operatic in its power and range on songs like "O Silencio de Guitarra" and "Calaleiro Monge," and yet playful on the title song and starkly expressive on "Retrato." The music, like Mariza's debut, is gorgeous-the chiming 12-string Portuguese guitar and acoustic guitar are enough to transport the listener to a smoke-filled Lisbon tavern. But the real joy of Fado Curvo is that it's a more personal and distinctive album than its predecessor. The production, this time by Carlos Maria Trindade, breathes more organically, with surprising touches like the muted trumpet on "O Deserto" and the stark cello and piano accompaniment of "Retrato." Meanwhile, Mariza herself, singing a collection of beautiful Portuguese poetry, sounds even more as if she is baring her own soul on songs like "Vielas de Alfama" and "Primavera," making this forward-thinking album both an excellent document of modern fado and a sign that bodes well for the world's next great fadista. --Ezra Gale

If the legendary singer Amalia Rodrigues is the queen of fado, the national song genre of Portugal, this debut by Mariza announces her coronation as its crown princess of the 21st century. This twentysomething, Mozambique-born beauty of Portuguese, Spanish, German, African, and Indian descent rapidly rose from the Mouraria district of Lisbon to become fado's newest and brightest star. The 12 selections on this recording are arranged in chamber-style ensembles consisting of bass, piano, classical guitar, and its 12-stringed, Portuguese cousin, the Portuguese viola. Songs like "O Gente Da Minha Terra" and the traditional "Por Ti" ring with a haunting feeling of saudade well beyond Mariza's years. "Maria Lisboa," "Ha Fest Na Mouraria" (with cellist Davide Zaccaria), and "Barco Negro" are peppered with Iberian and African-flavored percussion. Mariza sings these songs of love, God, and country with a youthful vitality that proves that fado is alive and well. --Eugene Holley Jr

I had never heard of Madredeus before stumbling upon this album of Electronica remixes. While expecting the usual Hard Dance-floor Beat remixes, I was stunned to hear down-tempo, chilled-out, electronic beats by some of my favorite musicians (Dusted, Craig Armstrong, Alpha). The others seemed to work in the same vein, which is fine by me. If you like laid-back, chilled out or trip-hop music with ethereal vocals, this CD is hard to beat. Rarely do I find A CD that I am totally happy with, but this is a keeper and a solid alternative to the usual run of the mill "Chill out" compilation. - akamatgrn from Sunnyvale, CA United States

The gorgeous acoustic chamber music of this veteran Portuguese composer, Teresa Salgueiro,  will make this soundtrack appeal to fans of director Wim Wenders, who is renowned for his impeccable musical taste and first-rate soundtracks. If this isn't the music of the spheres, it's a close approximation. --Jeff Bateman

Named for the Madre de Deus neighborhood in Lisbon, the award-winning ensemble Madredeus has performed the haunting Portuguese musical genre known as fado all over the globe. With the classical guitarists Jose Peixoto and Fernando Judice, keyboardist Carlos Maria Trindade, and keyboardist/guitarist/producer Pedro Ayres Magalhaes, Madredeus has expanded the musical horizons of Portugal's national music without sacrificing its beautiful, Moorish-descended sound. The Dark Angel vocals of Teresa Salgueiro provide the right Iberian seasoning on the CD's 16 tracks. From the philosophical lines of "Anseio" and the hypnotic harmonics of "Ecos na Cathedral" to the jazzy basslines of "Afinal--A Minha Cancao," Madredeus makes timeless and timeful music. --Eugene Holley, Jr.

Armed with a tape recorder, Portuguese chanteuse Dulce Pontes wandered her native country collecting sonic inspiration for her fifth and finest recording, O Primeiro Canto. Deeply influenced by fado, contemporary, and traditional folk song, Pontes approached this recording nakedly, distilling its sound to that of strictly acoustic accompaniment, a bold move which allows her superbly crystalline vocals to weave the album's through-line. Far more enamored with passion and tactility rather than technique, Pontes organically creates a holistic emotional posture that is malleable, romantic, and sensually awake, suffering not from lack of finesse. Pontes is in possession of a remarkably facile gift: a voice which rings true with each gorgeously stunning note. --Paige La Grone

Acclaimed as Portugal's greatest contemporary songwriter and lyricist, Sergio Godinho has been recording professionally since the early seventies and each new album is greeted with enthusiasm by critics and audiences alike. 'Noites Passadas', released 1995, is a sort of 'Greatest Hits' album recorded live at some of his Lisbon shows of 1994 and 1995, bringing together many of the classic songs he wrote during his previous 20-year career.

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Amalia Rodrigues is the unchallenged queen of fado, the Portuguese equivalent of flamenco or blues, and one of the greatest singers on record. Her voice is rich and sinuous, with the soulful intensity of a Billie Holiday or Edith Piaf, but a warmth and sense of phrasing all her own. This retrospective ranges from her first recordings in 1952 up to 1970 and gives a superb picture of her work. The instrumentation is simple guitar and Portuguese mandolin, perfectly framing her aching laments and flowing melodies, like a gentler version of flamenco or a continental cousin of Cesaria Evora's morna. The songs include folk and popular material, but the emphasis is on the deep, passionate Fado, and it doesn't get any better than this. --Elijah Wald

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Two CD's with 50 of the best songs from  Amalia Rodrigues.

Finally, a true heir to Rubenstein?, November 1, 2002
Reviewer: JayMany 
Pianists have tried their hands at Chopin's Nocturne's; few have created anything other than a pretty picture with any of them! The exception to this catalogue of mediocrity was the great Arthur Rubinstein. His performance of these pieces was romantic without being sentimental, powerful without being painful and deep without drowning the listener. In the years since Rubinstein's death, lovers of Chopin have been fishing about for an artist who can do justice to the nocturnes. Maria Joao Pires is that artist. Her interpretations strip much of the drawing room cliche from these works and present them with a power and a lack of pretense that I find as enjoyable as it is refreshing. The passion of her readings are raw in many places, but when required her playing has a delicate shimmering quality with an almost "otherworldly" beauty. I suppose that in comparison, Rubinstein's performance has a beauty that just doesn't exist anymore, but of her generation and in comparison to any one else, Pires is pre-eminent.
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