Nearly two centuries old, Portuguese fado comes as close as any to being a national folk music. But it wasn't always that way. Fado -- literally, fate -- flourished during the first half of the 20th century, particularly in the hands of
Amalia Rodrigues, who died a national heroine in 1999. In the post-WWII era, fado's dominance began to wane, though, and it became increasingly frowned upon, considered a music of the lower classes, unfitting of a nation pushing its way into modernity. That's all changed in recent years, though, as a few young fadistas have revived the soulful style. Singers -- mostly women, such as
Mariza,
Misia and
Cristina Branco -- have held onto fado's aching, keening melodies and sorrowful lyrics of loves lost and forgotten. Indeed, nearly every song on
Ana Moura's divine, alluring second album finds the singer heartbreaking. In "Cumplicade" (Complicity), one of several tunes co-penned by producer/guitarist
Jorge Fernando,
Moura laments, "When I call for you no one's listening/No one else has the power to hear me/You are the love within me dissolving in the water of my aging soul." In "Hoje Tudo Me Entristece" (Everything Makes Me Sad Today), she's at the end of her rope: "Today my sadness won't relent/Leaving deep marks in my unkempt face." In a full-bodied, commanding voice, with minimal, guitar-dominated support,
Moura (singing in both Portuguese and Spanish) deftly displays the requisite over-the-top emotion of fado, sounding utterly natural doing so. There's a sense of foreboding here, yet an undeniable sweetness as well. Count on
Ana Moura to be among those elevating fado back to its once-evacuated spot as something for Portugal to be proud of. ~ Jeff Tamarkin