Throughout the world, many cultures have forms of music that are linked to their collective soul.  Fado is to Portugal as the blues are to America, rembetica is to Greece, tango is to Argentina, and flamenco is to Spain.  Each of these musical forms shares passion, melancholy, sorrow, jealousy, irony, satire and other complex emotions that are an artistic cry against the difficult existence of the peoples in thee cultures.  Fado first found favor among Portugal’s homesick sailors and the urban poor of a country which looks westward into the seemingly endless Atlantic Ocean.  It is the music of smoky cafés and introspective thought, which combines a bittersweet emotional palette with examples of life’s cruelties and love’s intense power.

Amalia Rodrigues was the pre-eminent interpreter of fado in the 20^th century and the undisputed queen of this musical form for over 50 years until her death in 1999.  Rodrigues began her career in 1939 and her fame in Portugal can be equated to the appeal of Frank Sinatra in America.  Mariza has been compared favorably to Rodrigues, in that she also captures the true essence of fado while adding a new fresh approach to the music.

Mariza was born in the former Portuguese colony of Mozambique.  She immigrated to Portugal with her family when she was five years old.  Her family opened up a restaurant and fado house in Lisbon, where she first began to sing as a child.  After following several other musical pursuits, Mariza realized that fado was always going to be a deep part of her being and decided to take up the form professionally.

As one listens to Mariza’s debut album, Fado Em Mim, you cannot help but feel the sense of longing, the unrelenting sadness (what the Portuguese call saudade), and the intensity inherent in the music.  She presents the classic fado songs along with some original compositions with elegance, sophistication and passion.  While some of her interpretations have an element of jazz in their delivery, she is true to the tradition and makes the poetry and the lyrics of each song the driving forces for the music.

She sings many fados that are associated with Rodrigues including Barco Negro (The Dark Boat) where she skillfully performs a capella with a drum.  Her voice soars in this song and there is no question that she truly has command of the words and music, while making the delivery of this fado truly uniquely hers.  She offers two performances of Loucura (Madness), one with the distinct traditional sound of the Portuguese guitar (a tear-shaped, 12-stringed instrument) while the second (a hidden track at the end of the CD) is jazz influenced and uses a solo piano.  Both of these performances are simply stunning and passionate with strong drama and emotional delivery.

My favorite fado on this album is Chuva (Rain), an original song that is a truly wonderful listening experience.  This album shows that Mariza is beyond doubt one of the foremost heirs of Fadista legend Amalia Rodrigues.

This release presents a warm and realistic intimate setting to the listener.  Fado Em Mim was recorded in Portugal and credit must be given to Fernando Nunes for a wonderfully engineered album.  Also of note is musician Custodio Castelo, whose masterful performance on the Portuguese guitar projects the beauty and character of the instrument and helps to create the nostalgic and sad mood of the music.  The support from this totally unique Portuguese musical instrument helps Mariza to communicate the passionate words in each song and to thrill the listener with her powerful voice.

If you are a fan of flamenco, rembetica, or tango, there is a strong probability that you will also embrace the wonderful sounds of fado.  You will find the sound of beautiful songs delivered with emotion, elegance and soul in Fado Em Mim.  Mariza is the leader among the new Fadistas and has been proclaimed “Best Fado Voice” in her native Portugal.  It is a wonderful listening experience and highly recommended.  Should you enjoy the sound of fado, there are other new artists within this genre that merit exploration: Misia, Rituals, Erato; Cristina Branco, Corpo Illuminado, Decca; and Dulce Pontes, O Primero Canto, Polydor.