Mariza
Concerto em Lisboa
(Times Square Records)

Portuguese vocalist Mariza is quite possibly the best Fado singer alive today. Certainly Ana Moura, Cristina Branco and Teresa Salgueiro (when she sings Fado) rate notice, as well, but no one is a more charismatic, dramatic fadista than Mariza. This double
CD—a live recording featuring 's usual backing quartet and the Sinfonietta de Lisboa—captures the power and the glory that is Mariza's voice. She sings with an emotive depth that's generally only typical of opera, but this isn't opera. Rather, it's the music of the bars of Lisbon—a genre that speaks of loss, heartbreak and longing. Fado is often compared to the American blues form, and, indeed, the content of the songs does bear resemblance to the content of blues numbers. Fado, however, is sheer romanticism, albeit forlorn romanticism, and the music reflects this aspect of the genre. A giant clue to the romantic quality of Fado is the fact that Mariza performs on this disc with a large string orchestra—a very effective pairing. Try to imagine Buddy Guy backed by a 40-piece string section. American blues has a grit that will not mesh with a string orchestra, whereas Mariza flourishes with violins and violas in the mix. Check out this album: Portugal's legendary music, sung by one of today's Fado divas, live in concert.