Concerto em Lisboa

admin — Tue, 22 May 2007 17:55:00 +0000

When I was in high school, I dreamt of having a voice like Janis Joplin; the yearning that she captured in her voice was simply extraordinary. I would drive down the freeway, stereo blasting, screaming out of the window of my rusty sedan in an attempt to make my voice, too, sound like the sandpaper vocals on “Cry, Baby.” Mariza’s album Concerto em Lisboa may make those who yearn to sing songs of, well, yearning reconsider a strict regimen of Southern Comfort and cigarettes. There is no crackling of vocal cords here, but rather the soft and passionately calculating tremolo of Fado, the national musical pastime of Portugal.

Fado, according to the accompanying DVD documentary, roughly translates to “fate” or “destiny.” The musical origins began in the cities of Portugal in the early 19th century. Originally sung by the impoverished and poor, who used the music as a way to express their melancholy and longing, Fado was later adopted (and tainted with propaganda) by Portugal’s fascist government. Sadly, it was subsequently abandoned in the 1970s after the introduction of democracy into the country. Mariza is a fabulous artist in a growing repertoire of new Fadistas who have embraced Fado once again.

Her vocals, dueling with the fiery tinkling of Portuguese guitar (courtesy of Luis Guerreiro) are utterly transfixing. Her voice is a rich vibrato that conjures the darkness and passion of the past, while still mesmerizing audiences in the present. The disc was recorded live, which absolutely blew me away. There are few rock bands that are capable of recording a live CD that is even remotely listenable. However, on stage Mariza sounds as if she has done take after take in a studio. Her music truly speaks a magical and universal language of longing and pain – even without that extra shot of whiskey.

Written by: Emily S. Dunster, May 22nd 2007

M’Bem di Fora

admin — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 18:37:00 +0000

By Lura

Times Square Records

If you wish to fully appreciate this album, I would recommend that you read about the artist and the music first. I was lucky in that I received a press release with the album. I listened to the music, which varies from slow, ethereal songs to finger-snapping, toe-tapping beats. Then I read about Lura, and the background of each song. I was able to go back and listen, again, for real. It reminded me of some advice an opera aficionado gave me years ago – if you want to fully appreciate music in a language you do not understand, read the script first!

Born and raised in Portugal, Lura discovered, almost by accident, the music of Cape Verde (her parents' birthplace), a collection of small islands off of the Northwest coast of Africa. I think Lura, in finding this music, found herself and her own destiny – to sing and dance her roots, teaching the world, through music, about the country.

That’s the reason why I wanted to listen to this album. My favorite songs on this album are the last three "Festa Di Nha Kumpadri," "Choro" and "Fitico Di Funana," mainly because I am partial to songs that make me want to dance!

Lura makes it obvious that she sings from the heart. I would recommend this album – just make sure you read about it, as well as listen!

Written by: Patricia Ethelwyn Lang, April 24th 2007