http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/27/arts/music/ana-moura-is-among-singers-reinvigorating-fado.html
Carving Out a Bold Destiny for Fado
By LARRY ROHTER
Published: March 25, 2011
"IN the beginning was Amália Rodrigues. That singer so dominates the modern history of the fado, Portugal’s soulful, guitar-based national song style, that during a 60-year career brought to an end only with her death in 1999, her name became virtually synonymous with the genre, leaving precious little room for others to flourish."
"But during the past decade or so there has been an explosion of new voices, most of them female, as well as the renovation of a genre that had come to seem hidebound and resistant to change. A so-called novo fado, or new fado, movement has catapulted the genre into the 21st century, opening a space for bold experiments with repertory, instrumentation and ways of singing."
...
To me, the major points of the article are...open to interpretation. I am a big fan of all the singers mentioned in the article, but I don't agree with this particular spin on what it takes to keep a music alive.
First, it's hard to imagine any one person having enough influence over an entire song form to shut down "innovation" simply by continuing to sing. This seems like a convenient premise for starting the article, nothing more. The fado was around long before Amália and continued after her.
According to the article, Mísia said "For decades the fado was used to emit a message of Portugal that was small, clean, poor, silent and happy, without ambition and resigned to its condition." Sure, the role of big-time fado during the dictatorship is pretty well documented, though hardly equivocal. Less well known is that plenty of fado continued on its own terms during the dictatorship (and afterwards): it's just that it did not necessarily happen on record (or even "on the record").
One trap the article slips into--and one found in many similar articles--is the view that the fado's continuing legitimacy and relevance comes only through the introduction of "new forms" or (as Rohter says) "nontraditional influences" or new instrumentations. This is a hugely elitist and cynical view of the music. As one guitarist who played for Amália once told me, "Amália never managed to make the fado work with an orchestra, so how could anybody else?" Imagine if somebody said Charlie Parker's music only became legitimate when he brought in the strings, or that jazz only reached its apotheosis once strings came in. It's not necessary to debase the original in order to exalt the new.
27 March 2011
10 March 2011
What is the fado?
It might be hard to believe, but fado is--by nature--dark but also light, maudlin but also celebratory, introspective but also forward-looking. It is almost never bleak and desperate. If it were, it would not survive. Exploring these seemingly contradictory sentiments is the objective of the next few posts on this blog, which I hope will serve as a guide to the content of the music. Every post will have a few mp3s.
I expect to write this in three parts. The first one will cover some themes in the lyrics; the next one will cover the music itself (which is, strictly speaking, the fado); the final one will cover live performance (how the fado "happens"). Unlike recent treatments (e.g., the program "Trovas antigas, saudade louca" on RTP), these entries will be based almost entirely on my own experiences. These include my own recollections of what I saw and heard during about 100 nights of fado over an approximately ten-month period in Lisbon (documented here: http://noitesperdidas.net), but also from a survey I conducted recently with about 50 singers and musicians.
Themes
"The joy that brings sadness, and the sadness that brings joy." This is one way to conceptualize "saudade"--a fundamental concept in the lyrics of the fado. The emphasis can sit anywhere along this scale.
There are about 3500 fados in my iTunes library, and a (real) random sample of ten of them gives at least some idea of the scope o fado lyrics. Below is the title of the poem (with my rough translation), the singer, and the record that the fado is taken from. Unfortunately, I do not have the names of the other personnel on these records. The names of the authors and composers are taken from José Manuel Fernandes' site, http://fadosdofado.blogspot.com.
O Sonho ("The Dream"). Maria Do Carmo Torres. Vol. 1-Fado De Lisboa 1928-30
A dream that wraps around the bullfighting tradition of the Alentejo region, ending with the singer seduced by the sound of fado, then finding herself singing a desgarrada with Severa while Severa's lover, the Conde de Vimioso, plays the guitar. Lyrics by Francisco Duarte Ferreira; music by José Marques (Fado Rigoroso).
Meu Canto de Viela ("My song of the alley") [Fado Zeca]. Fernando Maurício. Património
A song about a poem that causes the singer to walk the streets looking for the person he ought not to love. Lyricist and composer unknown--sorry.
Azenha Velhinha (mp3). Manuel de Almeida. Fado Castiço
The stars are at war the night a terrible tragedy occurs at the water mill. The miller attempts to flee a fire with his child by crossing an old bridge. The bridget collapses and they both perish. Lyrics by Frederico de Brito.
O Meu Desejo ("My desire"). Luís Gois. Serenata de Coimbra
A fado from Coimbra: "my desire is to kiss you." Lyrics by Luís Gois.
O rio que nos viu nascer ("The river we saw being born"). Vicente da Câmara. Casa de Fados em Concerto
Two lives are bound up with one river (the Tejo of Lisbon). Lyrics by Maria de Jesus Facco Viana; music by Vicente da Câmara.
Cabelo Branco ("Gray hair"). Alfredo Marceneiro. Vol. 1-Fado De Lisboa 1928-30
"Cabelo branco é saudade." The white hair on an older man makes him realize not just his age, but also the things in his past that he cannot return to. Lyrics by Henrique Rego; composer unknown (Fado das Horas).
Eu Canto. Carlos do Carmo. Nove Fados E Uma Canção De Amor
"I know that I sing, and the song is everything." Lyrics by Cecília Meireles; music by António Victorino de Almeida.
A Carta (mp3). Américo Correia. O Grande Castiço do Fado
"Mother, this letter is the mirror where your son confesses everything: why he drinks the night away thinking of a woman, and how--despite all this--he continues to keep you close as a mother." As José Manuel Osório has said repeatedly, disentangling and clarifying titles and authors (as well as personnel) on fado records is incredibly tough. For example, the credits on this record say that the poem is called "A carta" (the letter), with lyrics by Jorge Fernando and music Fado Cravo. José Fernandes de Castro's site has the title listed as "Confessando" (Confessing), lyrics by Jorge Fernando and music Fado Cravo--with credit (as it should be) to Alfred Duarte (i.e., Alfredo Marceneiro).
Na Rua Do Silêncio. João Braga. Fados Para Sempre
"On the street of silence the night is always dark."Lyrics by Amadeu Sousa Freitas; music by Alfredo Duarte.
Casinha dum pobre (mp3). Fernando Farinha. The Portuguese Hits
"The poor man's house... don't open the door to jealousy--there is no room for it here." Lyrics by Carlos Flores; music by Frederico de Brito.
A couple of things are worth mentioning here.
Finally, I think it's worth looking at one complete lyric, and also seeing and hearing how it was sung live. A saying heard over and over in Portugal is "Recordar é viver" ("To remember is to live"). Below is my translation of one poem that captures this sentiment and shows how it triggers the saudade. The lyrics are by Sérgio Valentino, and the music is the fado Proença (see link to JF Castro's site, below).
"Noites Perdidas"
Lyrics by Sérgio Valentino, music by Júlio Proença (Fado Proença)
Artur Batalha
How many lost nights/ shared with you/ laying seeds for a storm;
Untrue hours, lived in the worst way,/ my life robbed from me/ so that I did not want to live anymore.
I wish that I could forget/ those dreamlike nights / lived without any purpose.
Hours and hours without seeing,/ without seeing that you were not worth even a minute from me.
What I suffered no one can imagine/ those nights now gone / which so changed our passion.
And now I am ashamed/ because I am not able / to get you out of my heart.
As the singer José Maria Fernandes (above) told me, "Se eu não posso sentir, não posso transmitir" ("If I can't feel it, I can't convey it"). This gets into questions of repertory, which I'll take up in part three. "Noites perdidas" is very strongly associated these days with Artur Batalha (see a previous post for more about him), and there are a couple of videos on YouTube of Batalha singing this fado. The latest one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COBQ-rYl9gA) is taken from a recent cycle of fado held in the Mouraria, where Batalha was a special guest. A transcription of the lyrics in Portuguese is here: http://fadosdofado.blogspot.com/2010/03/noites-perdidas.html.
Thanks for reading this. Leave a comment if you have a chance.
 |
| José Maria Fernandes Tasca do Jaime, 28 June 2009 |
In other words, I am not going to cover the "big time" fado, nor am I going to cover the history of fado's development. My approach follows from my own feeling that it is really because of the amateur strata of the fado that the music continues to thrive, but also due to the fact that there are many great studies along these lines, including plenty of work in English. One excellent (and freely available) writeup on the history of the fado by Anton, including instrumentation and styles, that I hope to complement (see http://fadous.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-is-fado.html).
Themes
"The joy that brings sadness, and the sadness that brings joy." This is one way to conceptualize "saudade"--a fundamental concept in the lyrics of the fado. The emphasis can sit anywhere along this scale.
There are about 3500 fados in my iTunes library, and a (real) random sample of ten of them gives at least some idea of the scope o fado lyrics. Below is the title of the poem (with my rough translation), the singer, and the record that the fado is taken from. Unfortunately, I do not have the names of the other personnel on these records. The names of the authors and composers are taken from José Manuel Fernandes' site, http://fadosdofado.blogspot.com.
O Sonho ("The Dream"). Maria Do Carmo Torres. Vol. 1-Fado De Lisboa 1928-30
A dream that wraps around the bullfighting tradition of the Alentejo region, ending with the singer seduced by the sound of fado, then finding herself singing a desgarrada with Severa while Severa's lover, the Conde de Vimioso, plays the guitar. Lyrics by Francisco Duarte Ferreira; music by José Marques (Fado Rigoroso).
Meu Canto de Viela ("My song of the alley") [Fado Zeca]. Fernando Maurício. Património
A song about a poem that causes the singer to walk the streets looking for the person he ought not to love. Lyricist and composer unknown--sorry.
 |
| Manuel de Almeida |
The stars are at war the night a terrible tragedy occurs at the water mill. The miller attempts to flee a fire with his child by crossing an old bridge. The bridget collapses and they both perish. Lyrics by Frederico de Brito.
O Meu Desejo ("My desire"). Luís Gois. Serenata de Coimbra
A fado from Coimbra: "my desire is to kiss you." Lyrics by Luís Gois.
O rio que nos viu nascer ("The river we saw being born"). Vicente da Câmara. Casa de Fados em Concerto
Two lives are bound up with one river (the Tejo of Lisbon). Lyrics by Maria de Jesus Facco Viana; music by Vicente da Câmara.
Cabelo Branco ("Gray hair"). Alfredo Marceneiro. Vol. 1-Fado De Lisboa 1928-30
"Cabelo branco é saudade." The white hair on an older man makes him realize not just his age, but also the things in his past that he cannot return to. Lyrics by Henrique Rego; composer unknown (Fado das Horas).
Eu Canto. Carlos do Carmo. Nove Fados E Uma Canção De Amor
"I know that I sing, and the song is everything." Lyrics by Cecília Meireles; music by António Victorino de Almeida.
A Carta (mp3). Américo Correia. O Grande Castiço do Fado
"Mother, this letter is the mirror where your son confesses everything: why he drinks the night away thinking of a woman, and how--despite all this--he continues to keep you close as a mother." As José Manuel Osório has said repeatedly, disentangling and clarifying titles and authors (as well as personnel) on fado records is incredibly tough. For example, the credits on this record say that the poem is called "A carta" (the letter), with lyrics by Jorge Fernando and music Fado Cravo. José Fernandes de Castro's site has the title listed as "Confessando" (Confessing), lyrics by Jorge Fernando and music Fado Cravo--with credit (as it should be) to Alfred Duarte (i.e., Alfredo Marceneiro).
Na Rua Do Silêncio. João Braga. Fados Para Sempre
"On the street of silence the night is always dark."Lyrics by Amadeu Sousa Freitas; music by Alfredo Duarte.
Casinha dum pobre (mp3). Fernando Farinha. The Portuguese Hits
"The poor man's house... don't open the door to jealousy--there is no room for it here." Lyrics by Carlos Flores; music by Frederico de Brito.
A couple of things are worth mentioning here.
- All of these lyrics speak to the saudade, though from different perspectives, about different sources of loss and love, and from different ends of the scale.
- I am a bit surprised to see that there is only one song about Lisbon, though certainly some of the authors describe scenes in Lisbon (or Coimbra). Vítor Marceneiro has compiled a list of all fados that he knows that mention Lisbon. It's pretty long (http://lisboanoguiness.blogs.sapo.pt/156738.html).
- There are two female lyricists in the list. I really expected to see all males. I would think that an enterprising person might analyze the entries at fadosdofado to get a firmer estimate of this figure.
- Alfredo Marceneiro and Frederico de Brito are the only people who show up twice on the list.
Finally, I think it's worth looking at one complete lyric, and also seeing and hearing how it was sung live. A saying heard over and over in Portugal is "Recordar é viver" ("To remember is to live"). Below is my translation of one poem that captures this sentiment and shows how it triggers the saudade. The lyrics are by Sérgio Valentino, and the music is the fado Proença (see link to JF Castro's site, below).
"Noites Perdidas"
Lyrics by Sérgio Valentino, music by Júlio Proença (Fado Proença)
Artur Batalha
How many lost nights/ shared with you/ laying seeds for a storm;
Untrue hours, lived in the worst way,/ my life robbed from me/ so that I did not want to live anymore.
I wish that I could forget/ those dreamlike nights / lived without any purpose.
Hours and hours without seeing,/ without seeing that you were not worth even a minute from me.
What I suffered no one can imagine/ those nights now gone / which so changed our passion.
And now I am ashamed/ because I am not able / to get you out of my heart.
As the singer José Maria Fernandes (above) told me, "Se eu não posso sentir, não posso transmitir" ("If I can't feel it, I can't convey it"). This gets into questions of repertory, which I'll take up in part three. "Noites perdidas" is very strongly associated these days with Artur Batalha (see a previous post for more about him), and there are a couple of videos on YouTube of Batalha singing this fado. The latest one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COBQ-rYl9gA) is taken from a recent cycle of fado held in the Mouraria, where Batalha was a special guest. A transcription of the lyrics in Portuguese is here: http://fadosdofado.blogspot.com/2010/03/noites-perdidas.html.
Thanks for reading this. Leave a comment if you have a chance.
01 February 2011
Other notable records
Over the last year or so I've run into some records that I either wish I'd heard alot earlier, or that might be easy to overlook. Most of these can be found online or in stores. In celebration of finally getting on a regular schedule with this blog, I am posting some mp3s.
(Sentry Vox, Ref. 1203)
Homem raro (mp3)
This is the only work by Mariete Correia that I have found, and there is nothing I know about the singer herself. But this, to me, is a perfect fado record: minimalist but solid production; rock-steady viola; lyrics about close-to-the-bone relationships between tough men and tough women; and an uncompromising adherence to Portuguese tradition (in this case, the bullfights).
The lyrics are great but hugely obscure. Of the eleven tracks on the album, only two are listed among the 2,455 on José Fernandes Castro's site. Four of the lyrics are by Carlos Mendonça; others are by Artur Ribeiro, the greaet Gabriel de Oliveira (two tracks, see the writeup on F. Maurício, below), João Alberto, Domingos G. Costa, and Américo M. Santos. If you want a window into the fado castiço from a woman's perspective, this is it.
Tony de Matos
Fados
(Label unknown)
Ronda dos bairros (mp3)
Before hearing this record I avoided Tony de Matos' repertory: too "romantic": too many strings, breezy arrangements, and dripping sentiment. Big mistake. After hearing this record I think I can understand why Fernando Maurício would dedicate "Adeus a um amigo" (Goodbye to a friend) to him.
His "Ronda dos Bairros" evokes the night-time streets of Lisbon like no other I know. The singer takes up his guitar and wanders the neighborhoods of Lisbon, finding himself at 4:00 in the morning in front of the chapel of Nossa Senhora de Saude in the Mouraria, where he imagines that the Virgin Mary is listening to his fado. The lyrics touch upon other poems (e.g., Avé Maria Fadista), where the Virgin Mary takes on a very human role. When sung by Tony de Matos, this lyric emphasizes an emotional connection between the singer and the virgin Mary--a feeling that, at that moment, she is "more a woman, more a fadista". This fado has been sung by many others. In Lucília do Carmo's version, it's the (female) singer who, at this moment in the song, feels herself to be more a woman, more a fadista.
If I have my timing right, the choice of fados of this record is pretty bold: there are fados strongly associated with female singers, particularly Amália Rodrigues ("Estranha forma da vida", "Sabe-se lá", "Lisboa antiga"); a fado in the Coimbra style ("Coimbra", also associated with Amália). Many of these tracks can be found in the volume of the series "O melhor de Tony de Matos"). Another out of print record by him in the same vein, and one that can be found on the Internet, is "Tony Sempre Tony."
Anton Garcia-Fernandez has written an informative profile of Tony de Matos' life and work (in English). Check it out.
Fernando MaurícioPatrimónio
(Companhia Nacional de Música, CNM215CD)
O grande ausente (mp3)
Despertar (mp3)
Fernando Maurício's influence on the everyday fado--the fado that gets sung in the tascas and tavernas that are off the main fado circuit--is greater than that of any other male singer. The influence is found in the singing style (see Ricardo Ribeiro, Jaime Dias, Pedro Galveias, Luís Matos, Vítor Miranda and many, many others), but perhaps just as importantly in devotion to the fado as expression of the Portuguese people. Amália is known everywhere, but Fernando Maurício really only in Portugal. Yet in the fado houses of Lisbon, the two are often depicted side-by-side (indeed it was Amália who paid to have a plaque installed above Fernando Maurício's home on the Rua de Capelão). But Maurício did not travel much outside of Portugal, and was not particularly devoted to recording in the studio. A few videos are starting to surface on YouTube that are transfers of old VHS tapes.
This particular record is from a series called "Património", highlighting some artists prominent in the fado but not necessarily well known outside of Portugal. The documentation and production quality are very good--perennial concerns with many lesser-known fado singers. Two of these tracks really struck me: "O grande ausente", which is a lyric about the great poet of the Mouraria neighborhood, Gabriel de Oliveira; and "Despertar", which I think is interesting in part because of the musical space that Maurício leaves in the song. As many have said, Maurício was an "estilazista": a stylist, meaning that he could approach the same lyric multiple times, even with the same music, and make every performance distinct and different.
Another Maurício record that is reasonably easy to find is the collection "Saudade de Fernando Maurício", a two-CD set that contains some of his really powerful work, including "Boa noite solidão". Here is Maurício singing "Alfama" (at 3 minutes into this clip).
João Ferreira-Rosa
No Wonder Bar do Casino Estoril
(Ovação / The Orchard, 2004)
Fado dos Saltimbancos (mp3)
This is a recording taken from some very rare appearances by João Ferreira-Rosa at the Casino Estoril in Portugal. I think it's accurate to say that Ferreira-Rosa is one of the only high-profile fado singers who consistently evokes political themes in their work. It's just that his theme of choice is a bit contrary to expectation: bring the monarchy back, now. But I take the songs for what they are worth: harkening back to a Portugal of aristocratic values, honor-based culture, and convívio (comraderie) among friends. Those interested in the intersection between politics and the fado might check out a recent posting on fado cravo or examine Rui Viera Nery's book, "Para uma história do fado". There appears to be ample evidence that political views have always made their way into the fado, though again there does not appear to be much of it these days.
It's worth listening to this record not only for the quality of the singing and musicianship (both very high), but also for the level of intimacy and sense of ceremony between the singer and the audience. The emcee says at the onset "There are lots of people here who know about the history of our friend João Ferreira-Rosa." Indeed, it's clear that lots of people are intimately familiar with the man and his work. There is a very loud cheer from the audience when Ferreira-Rosa announces that he is going to sing "O Embuçado", a fado about a hooded habitue of the fado who turns out to be the king of Portugal. Ferreira-Rosa dedicates the song to a Spanish royal lady who is in the audience (I believe she actually got married at the Casino many years ago). In this episode and others, Ferreira-Rosa hews very close to the fado singer's traditional role: state the name and author of the poem, the composer and name of the fado, then put everything you have into singing it and say thank you when you are done. This is something that I heard Artur Batalha do many times, but is unfortunately not a practice that is uniformly followed.
Here are a couple of videos of João Ferreira-Rosa. The first is taken from the series "Vamos aos Fados", which is now being re-shown on RTP/Memória. The second is from Amália Rodrigues' 75th birthday celebration.
Triste Sorte
Mariete Correia
A Voz Actual do Fado(Sentry Vox, Ref. 1203)
Homem raro (mp3)
This is the only work by Mariete Correia that I have found, and there is nothing I know about the singer herself. But this, to me, is a perfect fado record: minimalist but solid production; rock-steady viola; lyrics about close-to-the-bone relationships between tough men and tough women; and an uncompromising adherence to Portuguese tradition (in this case, the bullfights).
The lyrics are great but hugely obscure. Of the eleven tracks on the album, only two are listed among the 2,455 on José Fernandes Castro's site. Four of the lyrics are by Carlos Mendonça; others are by Artur Ribeiro, the greaet Gabriel de Oliveira (two tracks, see the writeup on F. Maurício, below), João Alberto, Domingos G. Costa, and Américo M. Santos. If you want a window into the fado castiço from a woman's perspective, this is it.
Fados
(Label unknown)
Ronda dos bairros (mp3)
Before hearing this record I avoided Tony de Matos' repertory: too "romantic": too many strings, breezy arrangements, and dripping sentiment. Big mistake. After hearing this record I think I can understand why Fernando Maurício would dedicate "Adeus a um amigo" (Goodbye to a friend) to him.
His "Ronda dos Bairros" evokes the night-time streets of Lisbon like no other I know. The singer takes up his guitar and wanders the neighborhoods of Lisbon, finding himself at 4:00 in the morning in front of the chapel of Nossa Senhora de Saude in the Mouraria, where he imagines that the Virgin Mary is listening to his fado. The lyrics touch upon other poems (e.g., Avé Maria Fadista), where the Virgin Mary takes on a very human role. When sung by Tony de Matos, this lyric emphasizes an emotional connection between the singer and the virgin Mary--a feeling that, at that moment, she is "more a woman, more a fadista". This fado has been sung by many others. In Lucília do Carmo's version, it's the (female) singer who, at this moment in the song, feels herself to be more a woman, more a fadista.
If I have my timing right, the choice of fados of this record is pretty bold: there are fados strongly associated with female singers, particularly Amália Rodrigues ("Estranha forma da vida", "Sabe-se lá", "Lisboa antiga"); a fado in the Coimbra style ("Coimbra", also associated with Amália). Many of these tracks can be found in the volume of the series "O melhor de Tony de Matos"). Another out of print record by him in the same vein, and one that can be found on the Internet, is "Tony Sempre Tony."
Anton Garcia-Fernandez has written an informative profile of Tony de Matos' life and work (in English). Check it out.
(Companhia Nacional de Música, CNM215CD)
O grande ausente (mp3)
Despertar (mp3)
Fernando Maurício's influence on the everyday fado--the fado that gets sung in the tascas and tavernas that are off the main fado circuit--is greater than that of any other male singer. The influence is found in the singing style (see Ricardo Ribeiro, Jaime Dias, Pedro Galveias, Luís Matos, Vítor Miranda and many, many others), but perhaps just as importantly in devotion to the fado as expression of the Portuguese people. Amália is known everywhere, but Fernando Maurício really only in Portugal. Yet in the fado houses of Lisbon, the two are often depicted side-by-side (indeed it was Amália who paid to have a plaque installed above Fernando Maurício's home on the Rua de Capelão). But Maurício did not travel much outside of Portugal, and was not particularly devoted to recording in the studio. A few videos are starting to surface on YouTube that are transfers of old VHS tapes.
This particular record is from a series called "Património", highlighting some artists prominent in the fado but not necessarily well known outside of Portugal. The documentation and production quality are very good--perennial concerns with many lesser-known fado singers. Two of these tracks really struck me: "O grande ausente", which is a lyric about the great poet of the Mouraria neighborhood, Gabriel de Oliveira; and "Despertar", which I think is interesting in part because of the musical space that Maurício leaves in the song. As many have said, Maurício was an "estilazista": a stylist, meaning that he could approach the same lyric multiple times, even with the same music, and make every performance distinct and different.
Another Maurício record that is reasonably easy to find is the collection "Saudade de Fernando Maurício", a two-CD set that contains some of his really powerful work, including "Boa noite solidão". Here is Maurício singing "Alfama" (at 3 minutes into this clip).
No Wonder Bar do Casino Estoril
(Ovação / The Orchard, 2004)
Fado dos Saltimbancos (mp3)
This is a recording taken from some very rare appearances by João Ferreira-Rosa at the Casino Estoril in Portugal. I think it's accurate to say that Ferreira-Rosa is one of the only high-profile fado singers who consistently evokes political themes in their work. It's just that his theme of choice is a bit contrary to expectation: bring the monarchy back, now. But I take the songs for what they are worth: harkening back to a Portugal of aristocratic values, honor-based culture, and convívio (comraderie) among friends. Those interested in the intersection between politics and the fado might check out a recent posting on fado cravo or examine Rui Viera Nery's book, "Para uma história do fado". There appears to be ample evidence that political views have always made their way into the fado, though again there does not appear to be much of it these days.
It's worth listening to this record not only for the quality of the singing and musicianship (both very high), but also for the level of intimacy and sense of ceremony between the singer and the audience. The emcee says at the onset "There are lots of people here who know about the history of our friend João Ferreira-Rosa." Indeed, it's clear that lots of people are intimately familiar with the man and his work. There is a very loud cheer from the audience when Ferreira-Rosa announces that he is going to sing "O Embuçado", a fado about a hooded habitue of the fado who turns out to be the king of Portugal. Ferreira-Rosa dedicates the song to a Spanish royal lady who is in the audience (I believe she actually got married at the Casino many years ago). In this episode and others, Ferreira-Rosa hews very close to the fado singer's traditional role: state the name and author of the poem, the composer and name of the fado, then put everything you have into singing it and say thank you when you are done. This is something that I heard Artur Batalha do many times, but is unfortunately not a practice that is uniformly followed.
Here are a couple of videos of João Ferreira-Rosa. The first is taken from the series "Vamos aos Fados", which is now being re-shown on RTP/Memória. The second is from Amália Rodrigues' 75th birthday celebration.
Fado do Sonho
Triste Sorte
12 January 2011
Trovas Antigas, Saudade Louca
It's now (usually) possible to watch RTP/Memória and RTP2 over the Internet, thereby making available some high quality fado programming to those outside Portugal.
The big news is that they are continuing to show the series "Trovas Antigas, Saudade Louca." The eminence grice behind the series is Rui Nery (left), who worked on this as part of Lisbon's attempt to have the fado designated as património immaterial by UNESCO.
I've seen the first three episodes and they were really great. The third episode is being shown "tonight" (US east coast time), or 00:20 in Lisbon.
Showings for the others are as follows (according to the RTP site, which one should never trust fully). Note that a program happening at 00:20 on a Tuesday is actually included with the Monday listing. Not so smart, but that's how they do it.
All times listed as local Lisbon time.
#4: 14-1 at 01:05 (1h duration)
#5 e #6: 15-1 às 01:12 (2h duration)
Source for times:
http://www0.rtp.pt/tv/rtp2/includes/guia.php?s=1&title=RTP-2
Bit about the series:
http://tv1.rtp.pt/programas-rtp/index.php?p_id=25257&e_id=1&c_id=1&dif=tv&hora=21:00&dia=24-09-2010
Here is the new RTP site.
http://www.rtp.pt/multimedia/rtpplay.php
 |
| Rui Vieira Nery |
I've seen the first three episodes and they were really great. The third episode is being shown "tonight" (US east coast time), or 00:20 in Lisbon.
Showings for the others are as follows (according to the RTP site, which one should never trust fully). Note that a program happening at 00:20 on a Tuesday is actually included with the Monday listing. Not so smart, but that's how they do it.
All times listed as local Lisbon time.
#4: 14-1 at 01:05 (1h duration)
#5 e #6: 15-1 às 01:12 (2h duration)
Source for times:
http://www0.rtp.pt/tv/rtp2/includes/guia.php?s=1&title=RTP-2
Bit about the series:
http://tv1.rtp.pt/programas-rtp/index.php?p_id=25257&e_id=1&c_id=1&dif=tv&hora=21:00&dia=24-09-2010
Here is the new RTP site.
http://www.rtp.pt/multimedia/rtpplay.php
19 December 2010
Notable Fado Records or CDs of 2010 (or so)
Because this is the first list of this type on this site, I'm going to stretch the definition of "2010" to include records that came out either in 2010 or close to it. I'm also working on another list of records: ones that I only found out about last year, but that I wish I'd found long ago.
Os Fados de Alvorada (2010)
Various
The label Alvroada (now defunct) was responsible for producing many great fado records during the middle of the 20th century. José Manuel Osório, a fadista and scholar of the fado, spent a couple of years combing through the archives of Alvorada and other labels to compile "Fado de A a Z", a 16-CD compendium containing one example each from about 150 different fados, along with brief histories, photos and writings associated with each fado. It's a great collection that can still be found in bookfairs in Lisbon.
Through this experience, he got the idea of collecting his personal favorites from Alvorada's catalog. He found them, had them remastered, and did all the crazy detailed work of correcting years and years of errors in documentation: everything from musicians' names and birthdates to the titles of the lyrics. He also worked assiduously to reclaim detailed biographical information on the singers. The result is three CDs worth of fantastic music, covering many different styles of fado, organized by the first name of the fadista. Alot of music here is essentially impossible to find elsewhere. The quality is uniformly high, and the details on the singers are quite informative.
If you understand Portuguese, there are numerous interviews with Osório floating around in which he discusses the project. I'm not sure why I feel compelled to mention this, but he is one of the two men in Portugal who has been living with HIV the longest. Very interesting cat.
Leva-me Aos Fados (2010)
Ana Moura
It's interesting to contrast this record with Mariza's latest. This is the fourth fado record from Ana Moura (if you don't count the live one), "just" one less than Mariza (the differences in sales are probably best measured in the hundreds of thousands). The two singers are, to me, hugely different. Ana Moura's repertory is highly personalized. It's interesting to examine her choices of songs for each record, and also live. I once heard an interview with her in which she said something like, she sings the fados that speak to her, rather than the ones that 'should' be sung. To me this sentiment really shows through in all of her records. Onstage she is phenomenal. I once heard her singing at Joe's Pub in New York. Joe's Pub is a small space. At one point, Ana said "I am now going to sing the fado like we do in Lisbon: with no microphone and no amplification." Then she laid down "Loucura". I was there with my wife, mother and aunt. At the end of the show, my aunt said "I have heard Amália, Carlos do Carmo and plenty of others singing live. She is better."
live without a mic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsWEm7KNpT8
live: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDnnn4Wdyn4
Fado Tradicional (2010)
Mariza
For those wanting an introduction to the mainline fado repertory of Lisbon, this is a good choice. Every fado (that is, the music) is indeed a traditional fado (except maybe one--depends on who you ask). Plus, it has a brief appearance by Artur Batalha (see below).
The second thing worth noting here is the style of presentation o the music. Mariza's previous records have all, to greater or lesser extents, mixed in nontraditional arrangements with traditional poems. This record does not. The music is played by some top-flight musicians (Ângelo Freire on guitarra portuguesa, Diogo Clemente on viola and Marino de Freitas on viola-baixo)--and always in the traditional way.
The next three records are by Lisbon locals: Lúcio Bamond, Luís Ribeiro and Jerónimo Caracol.
O Meu Fado Cumplice (Metrosom, 2010)
Lúcio Bamond
The quality of the musicians on a fado record is often an indicator of the quality of the singer and the repertory. This record was produced by Jorge Fernando (see report on Fado in NJ, below)--a wunderkind of the fado. The Portuguese guitar is played by José Manuel Neto (also mentioned below), the viola by Carlos Fonseca and the viola-baixa by Tó Moliças (longtime bassist for Rodrigo). Lúcio himself has been around for awhile. The first time I heard him sing was at the Taverna d'El Rey in the Alfama and I was really impressed. Now he is at a new place near the Elevador da Glória that looks good. I think the thing I like about Lúcio Bamond's work--aside from the high quality of his singing--is his highly personalized repertory. While he does sing the classic fados, I really appreciate his treatment of newer and less popular ones.
interview and stuff
live (with Luís Ribeiro and Lelo Nogueira)
Lúcio's own site
Espelho de Alma (2009)Luís Matos
I first heard Luís Matos singing around the Mouraria and Bairro Alto, often with Pedro Galveias in the desgarrada (check purofado's channel on youtube for some good videos from this time). He is a smart singer, and in a live setting is very quick-witted (something essential when singing with Pedro, where the surprises come fast). The record is from the time just before he got a very high-profile gig, in Filipe Lá Féria's newest production, Fado: Historia de um Povo, which as of this writing is playing at the Salão Preto e Prata at the Casino Estoril (near Lisbon). Before this, he was singing at the Parreirinha de Alfama, and before that in Bairro Alto (in a regular gig with his wife, Ana Maurício). He gave an interview a short time ago on Rádio Amália, where he also sang some fados from the new record (link is dead, unfortunately). I mention the podcast and the new work because, since joining Lá Féria's production, Luís' voice has really matured and his stage presence has become even more confident than it was.
Fados na Voz do Jerónimo Caracol (MetroSom, nd)
Jerónimo Caracol
The Rádio Amália disco jockey Virgílio Pereira is frequently asking his late-night listeners to call in during the day and request fados by this man, Jerónimo Caracol. You can hear some samples at the link below (of the fados provided, I recommend "Sinas Trocadas"). I met him when he was singing at Vossemecê (he might still be there--I don't know). The videos below were recorded there by the great documentarian of the fado, user rosabranca on youtube. This record is worth seeking out.
Jerónimo Caracol recently (29 Dec 10) appeared on Rádio Amália for the program "Estrela da Tarde". The program is archived here. "A não perder!"
Porta do Coração (2010)
Ricardo Ribeiro
This is a record in the grand castiço style: tough and up-front, with plenty of self-administered vocal challenges thrown in. The message comes through pretty clearly on the cover, which is a throwback to a time when appearing with a cigarette was the norm. Ribeiro's previous record (self-titled, released by Companhia Nacional de Música) was on the soft side. It was, based on my experience of hearing him a few times, very different from his approach when singing live. The new record, on the other hand, has plenty of strong, forthright and emotional tunes such as 'Agua louca da ribeira' (see video below) and 'A porta do coração'. And there are two fados that really gallop along: 'Sonho fadista' and 'Fama de Alfama'.- audio: http://www.myspace.com/ricardoribeirofado
- video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQsEz9leN28
- wiki: http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricardo_Ribeiro
Various
The label Alvroada (now defunct) was responsible for producing many great fado records during the middle of the 20th century. José Manuel Osório, a fadista and scholar of the fado, spent a couple of years combing through the archives of Alvorada and other labels to compile "Fado de A a Z", a 16-CD compendium containing one example each from about 150 different fados, along with brief histories, photos and writings associated with each fado. It's a great collection that can still be found in bookfairs in Lisbon.
Through this experience, he got the idea of collecting his personal favorites from Alvorada's catalog. He found them, had them remastered, and did all the crazy detailed work of correcting years and years of errors in documentation: everything from musicians' names and birthdates to the titles of the lyrics. He also worked assiduously to reclaim detailed biographical information on the singers. The result is three CDs worth of fantastic music, covering many different styles of fado, organized by the first name of the fadista. Alot of music here is essentially impossible to find elsewhere. The quality is uniformly high, and the details on the singers are quite informative.
If you understand Portuguese, there are numerous interviews with Osório floating around in which he discusses the project. I'm not sure why I feel compelled to mention this, but he is one of the two men in Portugal who has been living with HIV the longest. Very interesting cat.
- samples
- http://www.cdgo.com/artigoDetalhe.php?idArtigo=4239771
- http://www.cdgo.com/artigoDetalhe.php?idArtigo=4239772
- http://www.cdgo.com/artigoDetalhe.php?idArtigo=4239773
- report on the project written by JM Osório
- http://ww1.rtp.pt/radios/online/lusitania/?k=Os-Fados-da-Alvorada.rtp&post=468
- Osório singing the fado
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hqtv45WRWls
Leva-me Aos Fados (2010)
Ana Moura
It's interesting to contrast this record with Mariza's latest. This is the fourth fado record from Ana Moura (if you don't count the live one), "just" one less than Mariza (the differences in sales are probably best measured in the hundreds of thousands). The two singers are, to me, hugely different. Ana Moura's repertory is highly personalized. It's interesting to examine her choices of songs for each record, and also live. I once heard an interview with her in which she said something like, she sings the fados that speak to her, rather than the ones that 'should' be sung. To me this sentiment really shows through in all of her records. Onstage she is phenomenal. I once heard her singing at Joe's Pub in New York. Joe's Pub is a small space. At one point, Ana said "I am now going to sing the fado like we do in Lisbon: with no microphone and no amplification." Then she laid down "Loucura". I was there with my wife, mother and aunt. At the end of the show, my aunt said "I have heard Amália, Carlos do Carmo and plenty of others singing live. She is better."
live without a mic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsWEm7KNpT8
live: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDnnn4Wdyn4
Fado Tradicional (2010)
Mariza
For those wanting an introduction to the mainline fado repertory of Lisbon, this is a good choice. Every fado (that is, the music) is indeed a traditional fado (except maybe one--depends on who you ask). Plus, it has a brief appearance by Artur Batalha (see below).
The second thing worth noting here is the style of presentation o the music. Mariza's previous records have all, to greater or lesser extents, mixed in nontraditional arrangements with traditional poems. This record does not. The music is played by some top-flight musicians (Ângelo Freire on guitarra portuguesa, Diogo Clemente on viola and Marino de Freitas on viola-baixo)--and always in the traditional way.
- writeup
- http://sic.sapo.pt/online/noticias/cartaz/Mariza+edita+novo+album+Fado+tradicional+que+apresenta+nos+Coliseus.htm
- live
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzobcnwrM0Q
- interview
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FjELID9zZc (pt 1)
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mmA9uCo5hQ (pt 2)
The next three records are by Lisbon locals: Lúcio Bamond, Luís Ribeiro and Jerónimo Caracol.
O Meu Fado Cumplice (Metrosom, 2010)
Lúcio Bamond
The quality of the musicians on a fado record is often an indicator of the quality of the singer and the repertory. This record was produced by Jorge Fernando (see report on Fado in NJ, below)--a wunderkind of the fado. The Portuguese guitar is played by José Manuel Neto (also mentioned below), the viola by Carlos Fonseca and the viola-baixa by Tó Moliças (longtime bassist for Rodrigo). Lúcio himself has been around for awhile. The first time I heard him sing was at the Taverna d'El Rey in the Alfama and I was really impressed. Now he is at a new place near the Elevador da Glória that looks good. I think the thing I like about Lúcio Bamond's work--aside from the high quality of his singing--is his highly personalized repertory. While he does sing the classic fados, I really appreciate his treatment of newer and less popular ones.
interview and stuff
live (with Luís Ribeiro and Lelo Nogueira)
Lúcio's own site
Espelho de Alma (2009)
I first heard Luís Matos singing around the Mouraria and Bairro Alto, often with Pedro Galveias in the desgarrada (check purofado's channel on youtube for some good videos from this time). He is a smart singer, and in a live setting is very quick-witted (something essential when singing with Pedro, where the surprises come fast). The record is from the time just before he got a very high-profile gig, in Filipe Lá Féria's newest production, Fado: Historia de um Povo, which as of this writing is playing at the Salão Preto e Prata at the Casino Estoril (near Lisbon). Before this, he was singing at the Parreirinha de Alfama, and before that in Bairro Alto (in a regular gig with his wife, Ana Maurício). He gave an interview a short time ago on Rádio Amália, where he also sang some fados from the new record (link is dead, unfortunately). I mention the podcast and the new work because, since joining Lá Féria's production, Luís' voice has really matured and his stage presence has become even more confident than it was.
Fados na Voz do Jerónimo Caracol (MetroSom, nd)
Jerónimo Caracol
The Rádio Amália disco jockey Virgílio Pereira is frequently asking his late-night listeners to call in during the day and request fados by this man, Jerónimo Caracol. You can hear some samples at the link below (of the fados provided, I recommend "Sinas Trocadas"). I met him when he was singing at Vossemecê (he might still be there--I don't know). The videos below were recorded there by the great documentarian of the fado, user rosabranca on youtube. This record is worth seeking out.
Jerónimo Caracol recently (29 Dec 10) appeared on Rádio Amália for the program "Estrela da Tarde". The program is archived here. "A não perder!"
Note:
Am I missing something special that you heard this year? Leave a comment and let me know!
Am I missing something special that you heard this year? Leave a comment and let me know!
05 December 2010
Artur Batalha
As mentioned in a previous entry on this blog, Artur Batalha appears on a track of Mariza's new album, Fado Tradicional. Batalha is probably my favorite living male fado singer--and his appearance on the album is a big professional break--so I thought this would be a good time to write about him. The information below is taken mainly from two interviews conducted by me or by my friend António Lisboa with Batalha himself during the last 18 months.
Life and Work
Artur Henrique dos Santos Batalha is a fadista born in the Alfama (Lisbon) on 14 April 1951. His first time singing in public was at age nine, and he began his career at the age of 14 in the Taverna do Embuçado, which at the time was owned by João Ferreira-Rosa. In 1971 Artur Batalha won the Noite do Fado at the Coliseu dos Recreios in Lisbon, and went on to sing in various countries and on television.
 |
| from http://fbfadoporto.blogspot.com/ 2008/11/artur-batalha.html |
Below at left is Batalha's version from sometime during the 80s. The track was re-released recently on the record Príncipe do Fado from Metro-Som. Below at right is the version with Mariza from the new record.
Metro-Som has done a good job of re-releasing selected tracks from Batalha's catalog, even if the documentation is downright anemic (and the production occasionally sketchy). Here is a list of the tracks from the reissues of his early work on that label. The records I have are Príncipe do Fado (volumes 1 through 3), Jóia do Fado, and Filho do Fado. I have no idea how big his original catalogue is. However, there are a few scans of releases in vinyl here (scroll down to "capas" then find his name).
One thing that impressed me with Batalha was his singing of the fado Menor, something that was not done very often in the fado houses I frequented. (In fact Felipe Lucas, one of Dulce Pontes' guitarists, once told me that, after a week at the Baiuca, not one person had asked him to play the fado menor.) In addition to the Menor, Batalha stated that the fado Proença and the fado Vitória are essential in his repertory. His choices for fadistas and/or musicians of reference to him provide some further insight into his work. These are Tristão da Silva, Amália Rodrigues and Fernando Farinha.
It is well known that Batalha went through a number of years of very serious personal difficulty, including addictions to various substances. These are over and he is in great form. At the time of my interview with him (16 April 2010), he reported having sung in public more than ten times over the previous months, in the bairros of Serafina and Bairro Alto, and in the freguesia of Pena.
 |
| Batalha and Zé António (date unknown) from http://sylvielasserre.blogs.com |
Personal Impressions
I first heard Batalha singing live at the restaurant “Os Ferreiras”, on Rua São Lázaro em Lisbon, and I continued to visit there to hear him and the other excellent fadistas that sang under the late António Ferreira's stewardship (Batalha is third row down from the top, in the middle). (A complete list of my videos from these visits is here--just do a query on "Artur".) I can't make out exactly who is in all of the photos, but from top to bottom, left to right. they are probably (unknown), Júlia Lopes, José Cardoso; Joana Veiga, Jaime Santos, Kátia Santos; António Pinho, Batalha, Eduardo Leite; Ricardo Aires, António Ferreira, (unknown).
 |
| Montage of Artists Outside Os Ferreiras |
I was impressed by the quality of his voice, and also with his physical presence--particularly his ability to command attention in the room.
It is worth watching the video of Batalha singing a few years ago at A Barraca, with Carlos Gonçalves on the Portuguese guitar, and Lelo Nogueira on the viola. After an introduction by the manager, Batalha thanks everyone and dedicates the fado, "Noites Perdidas" to a friend who is there. The video is rare for showing how the fado happens in an intimate setting among friends, and is really one of the most emblematic I've found (sorry I cannot embed it).
One night I visited the Os Ferreiras with a friend from out of town, and as the hours waned we watched the crowd gradually diminish--until, at sometime around 2am, there were only about ten people left. Batalha asked what we would like to hear. Another client and I tried to convince him to sing "Meu Irmão Fora da Lei", but to no avail: it was "Sonho Tropical", a lovely fado but on a very different theme. Here are the two fados.
Meu Irmão Fora da Lei
Sonho Tropical
But on the other hand, I never heard Batalha participate in any of the desgrarradas that happened frequently at Os Ferreiras. Perhaps that is not a particular strength of his. The desgarrada requires a ready repertory of phrases that can be employed to challenge prior singers. I've never heard Batalha sing the kind of humorous stanzas that are the stock in trade of the desgarrada, so perhaps this is one factor. Fortunately, some friends were at Os Ferreiras one night when Batalha did in fact participate in a desgarrada at Os Ferreiras (with Jorge Fernando no less). Here is the evidence.
One thing I have to mention. The first night of fado after the death of Michael Jackson (yes, that one), I was at Os Ferreiras and talking with Batalha during one of the breaks. Batalha wanted to talk about Michael Jackson. "Morreu o nosso colega", he said ("Our colleague has died."). I was pretty floored, but I guess great music is great music.
04 December 2010
Fado essentials on the Internet
Here's my very subjective list:
Fado on the Internet
Listen/Watch:
Rádio Amália (live from Lisbon): www.amalia.fm/
Fado TV (in-studio performances): fadotv.com/
Videos on YouTube
www.youtube.com/{link}
Lisbon 2008-2009: mendodm
Amália: Alexcaruzdemalta2010, AmaliaNoel
Various: casadofado, Rosabranca2010
How to listen to the fado:
www.jose-lucio.com/Fado/Acontece.htm (Portuguese), www.fado-today.blogspot.com (English)
Lyrics:
Music:
How to play the three fundamental fados on Portuguese guitar:
People:
Poets, composers, singers and musicians associated with the fado
History and Day-to-day of the fado:
History
Day-to-day
22 November 2010
Fado in Newark, NJ--Report
Great night of fado. Everybody showed up, and there were a few surprises along the way.
The evening opened with a guitarrada (duo of guitars) played by Michael da Silva (v) and Pedro da Silva (gp). Michael da Silva surprised everyone (including the MC) by being the first to sing, then it was over to Nathalie Pires to sing three fados. Nathalie has been doing some really good work, singing all over the place (in NJ, other places in the US, plus Portugal). We then had a brief break for the changeover to the guests from Portugal.
Jorge Fernando (viola) and José Manuel Neto (guitarra portuguesa) opened with a guitarrada. After the closing by Neto, one of the guys at our table (a Portuguese) leaned over to me and said "You know, he really is quite good." Jorge Fernando had something similar to say later: "José Manuel Neto is, to me, the best living player of the guitarra portuguesa." JM Neto turned his head to indicate he was not comfortable with the comment, prompting J Fernando to say, "He doesn't like it when I say 'the best'. He would prefer I say 'the only'" All in good fun, I can assure you!
While I am on the subject of our neighbors at the table, my wife and I quickly discovered that the group was rather eclectic: a man from Lisbon and his wife from Montijo; one American guy who knows alot about the fado and owns more fado records than I'll ever have; his friend who was there via Israel, Germany and France; another friend of his; plus an opera singer and her husband. We spent alot of the night talking about Lisbon, the bullfights in Montijo, and anything else that came to mind. "The French cheese reminds me of the Portuguese cheese." To which our newfound friend replied "They [the French] would love that." His companion grew up with Dulce Pontes, so that was more food for conversation.
The next singer of the evening was Fábia Rebordão (left). Her choice of lyrics was pretty adventuresome. I did not recognize the lyrics, but they were not the usual fare. Must remember to check out her recorded output. She has a deep, earthy voice. Her version of "Chuva" was lovely. It is very easy to imitate Mariza in singing this song (written by Jorge Fernando), and I am happy to say she did not. Her singing instantly brought us back to the many, many hours we spent with the fado in Lisbon. For me she was the big discovery of the evening. I do not have a video of her, but here is a link to her in action singing "Meu amor, meu amor" at Casa de Linhares in Alfama, and here singing "Chuva".
The evening opened with a guitarrada (duo of guitars) played by Michael da Silva (v) and Pedro da Silva (gp). Michael da Silva surprised everyone (including the MC) by being the first to sing, then it was over to Nathalie Pires to sing three fados. Nathalie has been doing some really good work, singing all over the place (in NJ, other places in the US, plus Portugal). We then had a brief break for the changeover to the guests from Portugal.
 |
| Jorge Fernando |
While I am on the subject of our neighbors at the table, my wife and I quickly discovered that the group was rather eclectic: a man from Lisbon and his wife from Montijo; one American guy who knows alot about the fado and owns more fado records than I'll ever have; his friend who was there via Israel, Germany and France; another friend of his; plus an opera singer and her husband. We spent alot of the night talking about Lisbon, the bullfights in Montijo, and anything else that came to mind. "The French cheese reminds me of the Portuguese cheese." To which our newfound friend replied "They [the French] would love that." His companion grew up with Dulce Pontes, so that was more food for conversation.
 |
| Fábia Rebordão |
After Fábia, it was Jorge Fernando, then Filipa Cardoso. Her singing caused our Portuguese friend to get out of his chair (first time for the night). It was then Fábia, then Jorge.
Time for a surprise. Jorge Fernando made a very lovely speech about how events like this one serve to bring Portugal to the Portuguese living in the US, but also the other way around: with a visit like this, the musicians learn about how their fellow Portuguese are living abroad, and this helps strengthen the ties between them. He then invited Pedro Botas, a Portuguese American fado singer living near Newark, to sing. For some reason, Pedro took out his cell phone and was looking at it while just below the stage, at which Jorge said, "Pedro, there is no need to call--I'm here." Here is a brief sample of Pedro in action from another night.
I think it was during Jorge Fernando's second turn that he said "is there anything in particular that you all would like to hear?" It took me 50 miliseconds to respond "Boa Noite Solidão". To which he replied, very sternly, "Boa Noite Solidão", then played it. I'm not sure what it was, but his version seemed much stronger and more forceful than what I might have expected. Here is Fernando Maurício singing it; and here you can hear Jorge Fernando singing it (and also hear some of the other tracks from a recent album of his).
 |
| (L-R) José Manuel Neto, Jorge Fernando, Fábia Rebordão, Filipa Cardoso, Michael da Silva |
Then it was back to Nathalie Pires, who was followed by Hermínio Silva, who was a winner of the "Grande Noite de Fado" in 1973. That was really a blast. The night ended with Fábia, Jorge and Filipa.
20 November 2010
Fado in Newark, NJ
Tonight (20 Nov 2010) there is a great looking fado show happening at the Mediterranean Manor in Newark, NJ. The event has been put together by Michael da Silva, a fado empressario who also has an annual gig in Lisbon playing at Casa de Linhares/Bacalhau de Molho. His site is here.
The two obvious heavy hitters here are Jorge Fernando, who composed "Boa Noite Solidão" along with alot of other music, and who has played with approximately everybody; and José Manuel Neto, a tremendous guitarist who also has played with approximately everybody. I do not know Filipa Cardoso or Fábia Rebordão, but understand that they are up and coming fadistas. Nathalie Pires is a luso-american fado singer who I have heard sing twice and who is good. I've only heard Michael da Silva once (when Pedro Galveias and Rodrigo were here in Newark not so long ago), and never heard Pedro Henriques da Silva. Given Michael's excellent taste, I expect this will be a great evening. Let us pray that the /intervalos/ are not /maratonas/!
Here is the lineup for the evening:
Fadistas
Filipa Cardoso
Fábia Rebordão
Nathalie Pires
Musicians
Jorge Fernando (viola; voz)
José Manuel Neto (guitarra portuguesa)
Michael da Silva (guitarra portuguesa)
Pedro Henriques da Silva (guitarra portuguesa)
Location
Casa Seabra Mediterranean Manor
255 Jefferson St.
Newark, New Jersey
Time
7pm (I will be shocked if the music starts any time before 9pm though!)
The two obvious heavy hitters here are Jorge Fernando, who composed "Boa Noite Solidão" along with alot of other music, and who has played with approximately everybody; and José Manuel Neto, a tremendous guitarist who also has played with approximately everybody. I do not know Filipa Cardoso or Fábia Rebordão, but understand that they are up and coming fadistas. Nathalie Pires is a luso-american fado singer who I have heard sing twice and who is good. I've only heard Michael da Silva once (when Pedro Galveias and Rodrigo were here in Newark not so long ago), and never heard Pedro Henriques da Silva. Given Michael's excellent taste, I expect this will be a great evening. Let us pray that the /intervalos/ are not /maratonas/!
Here is the lineup for the evening:Fadistas
Filipa Cardoso
Fábia Rebordão
Nathalie Pires
Musicians
Jorge Fernando (viola; voz)
José Manuel Neto (guitarra portuguesa)
Michael da Silva (guitarra portuguesa)
Pedro Henriques da Silva (guitarra portuguesa)
Location
Casa Seabra Mediterranean Manor
255 Jefferson St.
Newark, New Jersey
Time
7pm (I will be shocked if the music starts any time before 9pm though!)
11 November 2010
Mariza??!
Yes, Mariza. Looks like the new record is going to be traditional fado, and will include one fado with the great Artur Batalha. Thanks to the excellent blog, fadocravo (http://fadocravo.blogspot.com/), for pointing this out!
http://www.hardmusica.pt/noticia_detalhe.php?cd_noticia=6896
Here is Batalha:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzI-KJj7o4U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdIau16PpTE
little update. Here is Mariza (without Batalha, but with Ângelo Freire on guitarra portuguesa) singing this "Promete, jura" (aka, "Estas a pensar em mim"):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plwa373Mc0Q
http://www.hardmusica.pt/noticia_detalhe.php?cd_noticia=6896
Here is Batalha:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzI-KJj7o4U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdIau16PpTE
little update. Here is Mariza (without Batalha, but with Ângelo Freire on guitarra portuguesa) singing this "Promete, jura" (aka, "Estas a pensar em mim"):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plwa373Mc0Q
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