Napa Valley Register, Mariza shows crowd why she deserves fado queen crown >>
Melancholic songs of longing and despair are a national staple of Portugal. This particular brand of music, called fado, is folk-based blues -- emotional songs full of passion, grief, sorrow, jealousy, and, on occasion, satire. And it often juxtaposes disparate themes -- unbearable pain with fervent joy, life's cruel realities with love's unmatched intensity. Fado comes from the Latin word, fatum, meaning fate, destiny or doom. It emerged from the brothels and taverns of Lisbon about 200 years ago, and was initially sung by lonely sailors. Today, the songs are mostly performed in restaurants and special fado clubs. Like Spanish flamenco, Argentine tango and the American blues, fado rose from poverty, where the hardscrabble workaday existence prompted the need to cry out, albeit artistically. Like other genres, fado was eventually embraced by the more respectable parts of society. For more than half a century, Amalia Rodrigues reigned as the undisputed queen of fado in her native Portugal. Subsequent to Portugal's peaceful "Carnation Revolution" in 1974, fado was marginalized because it had been touted by former right-wing dictators. In a strange twist of fate, however, fado has become more popular worldwide since Rodrigues' death in 1999. One reason has been the rise of a handful of talented young women praised by fans and press alike. One of these -- arguably the heir to the Rodrigues' fado throne -- is Mariza, who's been singing fado since she was five years old. Mariza was born in the former Portuguese colony of Mozambique. Her family moved to Mouraria, a traditional neighborhood of Lisbon, when she was three. Her parents owned a restaurant and fado house where the little girl heard this unique style of music performed. Although she began to sing fado at a young age, she abandoned it when she was a teenager. She said her friends told her, "don't sing fado, it's for old people," so she began singing bossa nova, blues and jazz. Six years ago, Mariza realized she needed to be true to herself and took up fado professionally. "It's like breathing, it's me," she says of fado. Currently on a U.S. tour, Mariza stopped off in the Napa Valley Tuesday night to bring a sold-out house a taste of Portugal's national music treasure. Who would have thought, as few as five years ago, that someone would be presenting fado in concert in the Napa Valley? And not any fado singer, mind you, but the heir apparent to Amalia Rodrigues. Female fado singers, called fadistas, usually perform these fateful songs with shoulders draped in black shawls, standing very still. But Mariza's performances are filled with movement and energy. The singer moves with the emotion of each song and, on occasion, implores the audience to provide hand-clapping rhythm. Inhabiting this poetry set to music, Mariza lays bare the Portuguese soul. A striking woman with blonde hair in marcel waves and a penchant for lovely full length gowns -- she alternated an all black model with random pink bows and a burgundy bodice over a patchwork skirt -- the singer offered, for the most part, songs she's recorded on a pair of compact discs, "Fado em mim" (2002) and "Fado Curvo" (2003). Although she sings many classic fados associated with Rodrigues, such as "Barco Negro" (Black Ship), she endows them with her unique style and delivery. Mariza is a highly emotional performer, whether she's expressing the unendurable sadness of the Portuguese, called saudade, or embodying a bit or joy, a light moment, a touch of upbeat love. "Maria Lisboa" and "Há Festa Na Mouraria" proved tributes to legendary singers of this emotionally packed song style. Backed by a trio of consummate guitarists -- Luis Guerreiro on the 12-string, teardrop-shaped Portuguese guitar, Antonio Neto on the acoustic model and Laurindo Sousa on the rarely heard bass guitar -- Mariza raised gooseflesh with a brooding "Loucura" (Madness), while in contrast, "Menino do Bairro Negro" (Little Boy from the Black Barrio) was light, sweet and charming. "The rain listened and whispered," Mariza sang in Portuguese in the introduction to "Chuva," the endearing Jorge Fernando love song. "My secret to the city; and now it taps on my window; it still brings that sad nostalgia." Powerful and dramatic, this was beautifully sung, with simple accompaniment from the three talented guitarists. In fact, the instrumentalists got an opportunity to shine -- each enjoying a solo during a "guitarrada" that doubled as time for a change of gown. Originally recorded by Rodrigues, "Primavera" is the epitome of the intense fado style. It brought the program to a close (save for a pair of well-received encores, including one without any amplification), a compelling human wail that echoed deep inside. Mariza is an amazing artist, astounding us with incredible talent for a woman barely 30 years of age. Amalia Rodrigues can rest in peace -- Mariza is carrying the torch, ensuring that fado will not only regain its rightful place in Portugal but that it will touch music lovers around the world as well. Ay fadista! Melancholic songs of longing and despair are a national staple of Portugal. This particular brand of music, called fado, is folk-based blues -- emotional songs full of passion, grief, sorrow, jealousy, and, on occasion, satire. And it often juxtaposes disparate themes -- unbearable pain with fervent joy, life's cruel realities with love's unmatched intensity. Fado comes from the Latin word, fatum, meaning fate, destiny or doom. It emerged from the brothels and taverns of Lisbon about 200 years ago, and was initially sung by lonely sailors. Today, the songs are mostly performed in restaurants and special fado clubs. Like Spanish flamenco, Argentine tango and the American blues, fado rose from poverty, where the hardscrabble workaday existence prompted the need to cry out, albeit artistically. Like other genres, fado was eventually embraced by the more respectable parts of society. For more than half a century, Amalia Rodrigues reigned as the undisputed queen of fado in her native Portugal. Subsequent to Portugal's peaceful "Carnation Revolution" in 1974, fado was marginalized because it had been touted by former right-wing dictators. In a strange twist of fate, however, fado has become more popular worldwide since Rodrigues' death in 1999. One reason has been the rise of a handful of talented young women praised by fans and press alike. One of these -- arguably the heir to the Rodrigues' fado throne -- is Mariza, who's been singing fado since she was five years old. Mariza was born in the former Portuguese colony of Mozambique. Her family moved to Mouraria, a traditional neighborhood of Lisbon, when she was three. Her parents owned a restaurant and fado house where the little girl heard this unique style of music performed. Although she began to sing fado at a young age, she abandoned it when she was a teenager. She said her friends told her, "don't sing fado, it's for old people," so she began singing bossa nova, blues and jazz. Six years ago, Mariza realized she needed to be true to herself and took up fado professionally. "It's like breathing, it's me," she says of fado. Currently on a U.S. tour, Mariza stopped off in the Napa Valley Tuesday night to bring a sold-out house a taste of Portugal's national music treasure. Who would have thought, as few as five years ago, that someone would be presenting fado in concert in the Napa Valley? And not any fado singer, mind you, but the heir apparent to Amalia Rodrigues. Female fado singers, called fadistas, usually perform these fateful songs with shoulders draped in black shawls, standing very still. But Mariza's performances are filled with movement and energy. The singer moves with the emotion of each song and, on occasion, implores the audience to provide hand-clapping rhythm. Inhabiting this poetry set to music, Mariza lays bare the Portuguese soul. A striking woman with blonde hair in marcel waves and a penchant for lovely full length gowns -- she alternated an all black model with random pink bows and a burgundy bodice over a patchwork skirt -- the singer offered, for the most part, songs she's recorded on a pair of compact discs, "Fado em mim" (2002) and "Fado Curvo" (2003). Although she sings many classic fados associated with Rodrigues, such as "Barco Negro" (Black Ship), she endows them with her unique style and delivery. Mariza is a highly emotional performer, whether she's expressing the unendurable sadness of the Portuguese, called saudade, or embodying a bit or joy, a light moment, a touch of upbeat love. "Maria Lisboa" and "Há Festa Na Mouraria" proved tributes to legendary singers of this emotionally packed song style. Backed by a trio of consummate guitarists -- Luis Guerreiro on the 12-string, teardrop-shaped Portuguese guitar, Antonio Neto on the acoustic model and Laurindo Sousa on the rarely heard bass guitar -- Mariza raised gooseflesh with a brooding "Loucura" (Madness), while in contrast, "Menino do Bairro Negro" (Little Boy from the Black Barrio) was light, sweet and charming. "The rain listened and whispered," Mariza sang in Portuguese in the introduction to "Chuva," the endearing Jorge Fernando love song. "My secret to the city; and now it taps on my window; it still brings that sad nostalgia." Powerful and dramatic, this was beautifully sung, with simple accompaniment from the three talented guitarists. In fact, the instrumentalists got an opportunity to shine -- each enjoying a solo during a "guitarrada" that doubled as time for a change of gown. Originally recorded by Rodrigues, "Primavera" is the epitome of the intense fado style. It brought the program to a close (save for a pair of well-received encores, including one without any amplification), a compelling human wail that echoed deep inside. Mariza is an amazing artist, astounding us with incredible talent for a woman barely 30 years of age. Amalia Rodrigues can rest in peace -- Mariza is carrying the torch, ensuring that fado will not only regain its rightful place in Portugal but that it will touch music lovers around the world as well. Ay fadista!
