How do you like your fado? Light or stormy? Aloof or desperate? Of course, this is merely a variation on the question that has long vexed our greatest philosophers: Beatles or Stones? To be fair, the difference between the fadista Mariza, who makes a rare Chicago appearance this weekend, and Ana Moura, another fadista Chicagoans have been lucky enough to hear in the past few years, goes beyond those oversimplifications.

 

All fado is, in some sense, retro. The Portuguese blues, as it’s often called, has mixed and mingled with other forms of music since its origin in the 19th century, but left in its original acoustic glory it’s gorgeous to behold. Mariza, the daughter of a Portuguese father and Mozambican mother (her native land was once a Portuguese colony), is fado’s most famous singer perhaps because she so effectively recalls the era of fado godmother Amália Rodrigues. Like the midcentury star and diva prototype Maria Callas, Mariza can sound almost reckless, as if she were perpetually about to do something desperate to her lover

 

Her new CD, Concerto Em Lisboa (Times Square), recorded live with a full orchestra in the Portuguese capital, is a striking meditation on heartbreak, whether you understand the words or not. As guitarras flutter beneath her and the orchestra looms above, each time her alto suggest she’s on the verge of tears, she reins her feelings in ever so slightly. Such unending passion—as opposed to its more removed reflection—may feel naive in an era when even the most naked emotions are pharmaceutically moderated. Whether you fall for Mariza or not, the regal diva will make you think twice about the best way to sing this music.

By: Matthew Lurie