Track Listing

1. O Silencio Da Guitarra
2. Cavaleiro Monge
3. Feira De Castro
4. Vielas De Alfama
5. Retrato
6. Fado Curvo
7. Menino De Barrio Negro
8. Caravelas
9. Entre O Rio E A Razao
10. O Deserto
11. Primavera
12. Aneis Do Meu Cabelo

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #42738 in Music
• Released on: 2003-05-26
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Those who loved Marisa's first album will probably feel very much the same way about Fado Curvo. However, just like Fado Em Mim, this album takes a while to reveal its subtle charms.

Though Madredeus mastermind Carlos Maria Trindade takes over production duties from Jorge Fernando, Fado Curvo is no great departure in sonic terms. The basic fado arrangement of Portuguese guitar, Spanish guitar and bass still predominates, with occasional piano from Tiago Machado, and only "Deserto" really pushes the new fado envelope.

The main difference is the way the album was put together and the material used. There's far less reliance on songs associated with fado's megadiva Amália Rodrigues. Keen to move on from comparisons with her, Mariza has only chosen one fado from Amália's repertoire, and certainly makes "Primavera" her own.

Most of the other songs are specially commissioned compositions which make use of Portuguese poets' work, both new and old. The cracking opener "Silêncio da Guitarra" is a very fine example of the fado castiço tradition in which melodies from the 200-plus body of traditional fados are given new words. Here the old "Zé Negro" fado gets that treatment by contemporary writer José Luis Gordo.

Mariza also looks beyond Lisbon, including "Menino do Bairro Negro" from the Coimbra tradition as well as sprightly folk dances from both the north (Fado Curvo) and south (Feira de Castro) of Portugal, which lighten the prevailing mood of melancholy.

A live-in-the-studio approach has effectively captured Mariza's powerful vocal charisma. She seems to extract maximum dramatic effect from each syllable, somehow without making things sound overwrought.

Fado Curvo is the sound of a very special singer at the top of her class and in full command of her art, with one foot in the past and her gaze fixed firmly on the future. --Jon Lusk

Customer Reviews

Nice music, pity its not a real CD
Nice music this, but unfortunately this isn't a proper compact disc so watch out, it may not play on your equipment - I can only play the first few tracks, so I'll be returning the disc.

Its got some sort of "copy protection" thing on it, which basically screws up any sort of advanced CD player.

Caveat Emptor
This CD employs one of the increasingly prevalent 'copy protection' systems.

This means that you may encounter problems when playing the CD in standard Audio CD systems, for example it won't play on my car CD player.

If you intend to play the CD on a PC or on a DVD/CD player then you will almost certainly encounter difficulties.

Excellent 2nd album - but see her live!
Mariza, faced with the usually difficult second album, came up with another gem. She has expanded further, introducing more upbeat fado to her followers, and extending the range of instrumentation. As magical as her recordings are, it is her stage performances which tower above her contemporaries (genre wide) and take her firmly into the realm of Diva. If you haven't experienced her live performance, do so. The Union Chapel DVD provides a flavour.

Her next album "Transparente" comes out soon, and with it another world tour.