Track Listing

1. Loucura
2. Poetas
3. Chuva
4. Maria Lisboa
5. O Gente Da Minha Terra
6. Que Deus Me Perdoe
7. Ha Festa Na Mouraria
8. Terra D'agua
9. Oica La O Senhor Vinho
10. Por Ti!
11. Oxala
12. Barco Negro
13. Bonus Track

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7561 in Music
• Released on: 2002-04-09
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
If the legendary singer Amália Rodrigues is the queen of fado, the national song genre of Portugal, this debut by Mariza announces her coronation as its crown princess of the 21st century. This twentysomething, Mozambique-born beauty of Portuguese, Spanish, German, African, and Indian descent rapidly rose from the Mouraria district of Lisbon to become fado's newest and brightest star. The 12 selections on this recording are arranged in chamber-style ensembles consisting of bass, piano, classical guitar, and its 12-stringed, Portuguese cousin, the Portuguese viola. Songs like "O Gente Da Minha Terra" and the traditional "Por Ti" ring with a haunting feeling of saudade well beyond Mariza's years. "Maria Lisboa," "Ha Fest Na Mouraria" (with cellist Davide Zaccaria), and "Barco Negro" are peppered with Iberian and African-flavored percussion. Mariza sings these songs of love, God, and country with a youthful vitality that proves that fado is alive and well. --Eugene Holley Jr.

Customer Reviews

wicked freaking good
On a trip to Portugal last year, my group inexplicably voted to go to a Leonardo DiCaprio movie (in Portuguese subtitles!) instead of a traditional Fado show. Well, now that I have finally discovered what Fado really is by listening to Mariza's Fado em mim, to say that I feel deprived would be a massive understatement. In short, this is some of the most breathtaking music I have ever heard. My great-grandparents' home country of Portugal is beautiful beyond description, and Mariza's music definitely does it justice.

I don't understand the exact words she's saying, but her emotions and passion are loud and clear. "O Gente da Minha Terra" sounds very mournful and pleading, while not by any means melodramatic. The guitars and instrumentation on this album is masterful and adds to Mariza's beautiful voice many more layers of emotion. It sounds traditional (no "new-age" Yanni synthesizer crap) without being hokey. The bass (I assume it is a bass) in the beginning of "Por Ti!" sounds very American Jazzy. Whatever that means. What I'm trying to say is it doesn't sound too "old-World-y," like the only people who would listen to it are your mother or grandfather. Dude, it's really good. Don't deny yourself.

"Terra d'Agua"
I have trouble describing the layers of emotion I hear in this song. It's just freaking beautiful.

"Oica La O Senhor Vinho"
The beat of this song is awesome. It totally makes me think of going to Rhode Island for a weekend family reunion - I know, you're like "family reunions suck, Rhode Island sucks-" but dude, I'm talking about Portuguese-American cuisine here! Hell yeah! This whole album makes me feel so good. It makes me want to learn Portuguese. Kind of ironic because all my family members who actually spoke the language have almost all died in the last decade. (Just when you thought we had assimilated...) Someday I will.

"Barco Negro"
This song has a very cool beat in the back, and just Mariza's voice, no other instrumentation. The beat almost sounds African, and definitely the long sweeps her voice does on this track have a middle eastern hint in them. It reminds you how we all really can trace our roots back to every which way all over the world, and how universal music is, and how all cultures seem to influence others all over the globe. Very good. Seriously, buy this album.

Magnificient in Every Respect
This is a beautiful album in every respect. The song selection is impeccable: the classiest of the classiest. The arrangements are wonderfully executed in every aspect and, even though the songs are well known to anyone with even the most casual familiarity with the Portuguese fado, the musicians deftly pay homage to the original interpretations while adding a modern (some would say "jazz") flavor. But above all is the beautifully delicate, yet powerful voice of Mariza. Mariza has been criticized in some circles for being too similar to a young Amalia. In the sports world, this would be roughly analogous to dismissing Barry Bonds as "just another Willie Mays". The range, the phrasing, and the sheer beauty of her voice transcends any differences in language and/or culture for even the novice listener. Even if you do not speak Portuguese, you can certainly appreciate the beauty of her voice and feel the pain and suffering that is fado. In particular, I point to "Maria Lisboa" and "Barco Negro", two of Amailia's signature songs. Mariza executes the vocal interpretations to perfection: while there is a definite 21st century twinge in her voice, she strays only so slightly from the classic Amalia performances. It's a little bit like watching your favorite classic movie or TV reruns on DVD; the beauty of the original combine with the technology of the present and create an exquisite fusion of the two ages.
If you are going to buy just one foreign language recording this year, make it this one. I absolutely guarantee that you will enjoy and appreciate it as much after the fiftieth plyaing as you did after the first. I certainly have.

She sings her soul out
I consider that Mariza has a very personal style to sing fado. She has a great voice and her songs display a wide range of vivid emotions.
This is the kind of CD I enjoy by myself with a cup of coffee at the end of the day.
If you enjoy fado, I would also recommend you to get CDs of Cristina Branco, Misia, and of course, Amalia R.