The cadences of the best fado singers billow out boldly. The cream of this renowned Portuguese folk genre throw themselves into their songs, as if they might exhaust their voices and souls every time the music swells.

Of all living fado singers, Mariza, who goes by the single name, has lately become the most beloved. Walk the streets of Lisbon and you won't get far from her image. She's regarded as the natural successor to Amalia Rodrigues, the late queen of this gorgeous genre, which favors songs of longing.

You'll find no more apt recorded performance by Mariza than the one on her new live CD, "Concerto em Lisboa." Recorded outdoors at the great monument to Portuguese exploration in Belém, the album showcases her impeccable match of grand phrasing and intimate music (although some songs do feature a full orchestra).

Fado has been called Portugal's answer to the blues. As crude a comparison as that may be, it can apply, given the closeness of the style to the Portuguese heart and the accessibility of this music to anyone who has open ears.

By: Jim Farber