Track Listing

1. O silencio da guitarra
2. Cavaleiro monge
3. Feira de Castro
4. Vielas de Alfama
5. Retrato
6. Fado curvo
7. Memino do Bairro 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: #13721 in Music
• Released on: 2003-05-06
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.com
Those unfamiliar with fado--that exquisitely mournful strain of balladry that is to Portugal what tango is to Argentina and flamenco is to Spain--will probably want to acquaint themselves more intimately with the genre after hearing Mariza's gorgeous album Fado Curvo. Following up on her 2001 debut, Fado em Mim, which catapulted the young singer from Lisbon to a pinnacle of worldwide critical and popular acclaim, Fado Curvo will delight fado aficionados and novices alike. The album showcases Mariza's startling vocal agility—almost operatic in its power and range on songs like "O Silencio de Guitarra" and "Calaleiro Monge," and yet playful on the title song and starkly expressive on "Retrato." The music, like Mariza's debut, is gorgeous-the chiming 12-string Portuguese guitar and acoustic guitar are enough to transport the listener to a smoke-filled Lisbon tavern. But the real joy of Fado Curvo is that it's a more personal and distinctive album than its predecessor. The production, this time by Carlos Maria Trindade, breathes more organically, with surprising touches like the muted trumpet on "O Deserto" and the stark cello and piano accompaniment of "Retrato." Meanwhile, Mariza herself, singing a collection of beautiful Portuguese poetry, sounds even more as if she is baring her own soul on songs like "Vielas de Alfama" and "Primavera," making this forward-thinking album both an excellent document of modern fado and a sign that bodes well for the world's next great fadista. --Ezra Gale

Customer Reviews

Fado Curvo
Mariza does it again - her second album is a work of art - she transfixes you with that voice that has so much depth and emotion. There are some fados, which are true to the traditional style both melancholic and in the Portuguese Folklore style - Primavera, Vielas de Alfma, Feira de Castro and Fado Curvo. This will please those who are purist. However, she also pushes the fado style to a new level and dimension, that has jazz influences - this can be heard in O Silencio da guitarra, Retrato, Entre o rio e a razao.

The last track Aneis do meu Cabelo is my favourite - very much in the genre of fado - melancholic, she sings about not mourning her death or visiting her grave, but instead to keep forever the curls of her hair. In this 'fado' Mariza sings accompanied by a piano - her voice is so exposed and she expresses every word, emotion and breath - the song is so emotionally moving. Shut your eyes when you listen to this fado and you could almost imagine that she is sitting in your room singing to you.

This is a must album for any Mariza fans or anyone wanting to be introduced to Portugal's most treasured art form - Fado.

The Queen of Fado, Amalia lives on in Mariza.

Princess Mariza
I fell in love with her voice when I heard her "fado tango" Por Ti on "Fado: Exquisite Passion" compilation. I was fascinated by her expressiveness, by her delivery built on contrast (i think CONTRAST is the best word to describe Mariza)- now her voice is so heartrending and dramatic that it pierces your heart, and then, at the very next note, soft as silk, smoother than smooth, effortlessly following the lovely melody, and the intonation even a bit flirtatious...

Fado Curvo, produced by Carlos Maria Trindade from Madredeus, is full of intoxicating, catchy tunes with extremely beautiful arrangements, often with notable influence of jazz and African music, when you listen to them you can almost see lonesome roads along the sea at sunset, red-roofed houses of Lisbon, vast sandy beaches and moonlit valleys... My favourite song is, perhaps, Cavaleiro Monge, sombre and melancholic, with lyrics by no less a person than Fernando Pessoa. Vielas de Alfama is dark and velvety like the nights of Lisbon, Retrato is sheer sensuality, Entre o Rio e a Razao is life-asserting and sunny, Deserto, with an incredible muted trumpet and fliscorn, is deeply dramatic... in this last one, Mariza's voice is most expressive. She is not only a marvellous singer but also a good actress, and her only drawback is that - perhaps due to the lack of experience - she often overacts. With a vocal agility like that, she can attain a better command of her voice (and her temperament)and find the best way to convey the mood of each song. She just needs a bit more sense of proportion and, as it has already been said, better choice of material. And with all that, Princess Mariza is sure to become the true new Queen of Fado.

Resounding performance
Having seen Mariza perform twice from her first album Fado em Mim, this album hasn't skipped a bit from her last. The voice remains stunning, resonant and controlled and the music evocative. Almost all the songs are original and Primavera stands tall in an elegant collection. If you can, try see her in her N. America tour this year. . .that will blow you away