Portugese

Madredeus - Movimento (2001) {EMI 7 243 5 31590 2 3}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 445 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 184 Mb
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© 2001 EMI / Valentim de Carvalho | 7 243 5 31590 2 3
World Music / Fado / Western European Traditions / European Folk

On their ninth CD, this Portugese group's sound is pretty much the same as it has been since their 1992 debut: pan-cultural world music with a decided Brazilian influence. With the emotional resonance of the best Portugese fado, but an ear for melody that's downright universal, guitarist Pedro Ayres Magalhaes crafts gentle, ethereal compositions perfectly suited to Teresa Salguiero's heavenly voice, which floats above the airy tunes like a melancholy angel. With no drums to hold down the rhythm, the songs on Movimento all have a decidedly ambient sense of spaciousness, flowing smoothly along without so much as a ripple to disturb the peaceful waters. And with 16 tracks, the near-constant mood and tempo can get a bit monotonous at times. But the sad, serene beauty of songs like the opening "Anseio" and the lilting "Afinal - A Minha Cançáo" show that while Madredeus may do only one thing, they do it very, very well.

This album consists of five songs from Nothing Like the Sun… re-recorded in Spanish and Portugese. This was a well-done project – the translations are good and Sting manages the Spanish and Portugese pronunciations well. However, unless you are huge fan, or enjoy hearing the songs sung in different languages, this is an album you'll want to pass over.

Cristina Branco might just be the best fado singer since the great Amalia Rodrigues, the woman who defined the genre. There's a subtlety to her voice that catches the emotions and fado, like blues or flamenco, is about feel and she never becomes histrionic, letting things stay in check, with the understatement much more eloquent.