Fado in 2011: Notable Fado CDs, Films, etc.

This was a banner year for the fado. In addition to sound recordings, there were films, publications and some noteworthy events--most importantly UNESCO's designation of the fado as "Immaterial World Patrimony". Below is a list with a few links and even fewer comments: I'll add more of both as soon as I can. Please give your own recommendations in the comments: I'd like to know what I missed!

Recordings

Below I've listed ten fado recordings from 2011. For the traditionalists, I would heartily recommend the records by Aldina Duarte and Pedro Galveias, as well as anything from the collection "Fados do Fado." The records by Fábia Rebordão and Luisa Rocha are definitely fado, though some of the tracks borrow instruments and musical stylings from other forms.

Five Notable Recordings

Fábia Rebordão. A Oitava Cor*

Aldina Duarte: Contos de Fados

Pedro Galveias: Loucuras de Um Fado*

Luisa Rocha: Uma Noite de Amor

Various. Fados do Fado

Five Other Recordings

Cuca Rosetta: Cuca Rosetta

Amália Rodrigues: Amália no Olympia (reissue)

Célia Leiria: Caminhos

Helena Sarmento Fado Azul

Vánia Duarte: Efeito do Fado

And in case you missed it...

Various: Biografia do Fado. This is one of the best introductions to the fado that I know of.

*available on iTunes in the US (I mention this because alot of the other records are going to be hard to find outside of Europe).


Films

All of these are documentaries, with interviews and performances. Most are being shown on RTP, though the transmission is not always available outside of Portugal.

Fernando Maurício

• "O Rei Sem Coroa" is a long overdue film about Fernando Maurício (left), made by Diogo Varela Silva
• "Vida vivida" is a film about Argentina Santos, made by Gonçalo Megre. 
• "Não sei se canto se rezo" is a second film about Argentina Santos, director unknown (to me).
• "Heaven's Mirror" is a film about the journey of a non-Portuguese--the film's director, Joshua Dylan Myers--to the fado. No distributor yet!
• "Fado das Horas" is a short film that is pure visual poetry, also by Diogo Varela Silva. Watch it here.

Publications

I'll have to say more about this later, but the next time you're in Lisbon check out the bookstore at the Fado Museum. In the meantime, Ellen Gray's book on the fado should be out "soon"--watch for it!

UNESCO

The fado has been recognized by UNESCO as Immaterial World Patrimony. Good news? Bad news?

Departures

José Manuel Osório

José Fontes Rocha
I know there were others, but I did not keep a list. Maybe next year.