great voices of fado - various (Arc Music)

great voices of fado - various

If we switch now to Portugal, not Spain we can revel in the fado, a graceful, melodic, blues-tinged style with an Hispanic and occasionally vaguely African undertow. Here we can sense the heartfelt saudade…that indescribable longing that lends a unique flavour to its more Afro-centric brethren in Brasil and the African ex-colonies such as Guinea-Bissau and especially Cabo Verde (see Le Son Africain). ‘Great Voices Of Fado’ presents a varied selection of what the title says, luminaries such as Jorge Fernando, Cristina Branco, Bevinda, Joao Braga inter al…and two selections from whom many consider to be the greatest singer of the fado, Amalia Rodrigues. RJ Feb 2003