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DVD Review
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Jazziz Magazine, DVD Review >>
Mariza
Live in London , (Silva Screen)
Famed for its melancholy sound and emphasis on songs of longing, separation, and lost love, fado is quintessentially Portuguese. Born in the port city of Lisbon in the mid-19th century, it's a melange of African, Arabic, and European melodies, rhythms, and sensibili ties. Fado's been on the fringes of American consciousness for many decades, due largely to English-language forays by the late superstar Amalia Rodrigues. Now it's one of the next big things in world music-small wonder, with performers like Mariza in the vanguard.
The willowy, soft-spoken blonde has gained a huge European following including BBC World Music Award since the release of her first two CDs. This concert DVD, shot in London's intimate Union Chapel, shows her at the peak of her powers. Backed by a trio playing Portuguese guitar (an oval-shaped instrument that's part of the mandolin family) and standard six-string and acoustic bass guitars, Mariza's warm, plangent voice compels one to listen. As she says, "Fado is not always melancholic," and her repertoire includes light-hearted songs about wine and infatuation, along with celebrations of her home city. One of the best cuts is "Maria Lisboa." in which Lisbon is personified as a beautiful woman.
It takes a healthy respect for tradition to start bending rules, something Mariza pulls off beautifully in the jazz-inflected "O Deserto," complete with piano and trumpet improvs. She pushes the envelope further in her onstage demeanor: Although she wears the traditional black shawl that's synonymous with the more tragic aspects of fado, she's caught up in the contagious rhythms, dancing and gesturing with joyful physicality. And in songs like "Barco Negro," a searing account of the grief of a women abandoned by her sailor lover, she reaches the dark, yearning heart of the genre. Nobody's done it better,
Ellen Collison
02/01/05
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