A hit in France, a hit all over the world
Fernando Forte | Lisbon, Portugal | 06/26/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This beautiful recording of a live concert by Amália is a treat not only for her fans but for those music lovers who also love pieces of musical and cultural history. Recorded, according to most accounts, in 1957, Amália's second great presence on the mythical French concert hall, it shows the powers of Amália's beautiful voice at still an early stage of her international career, consolidated by her appearance in Paris in 1956, at the same stage. The freshness, power and beautiful colour of her voice is clearly shown in this recording, allthough it might still be submitted to technical treatment here and there. Also as an historical note, though Amália had already sung many times abroad with great success (in Europe in 1950, London in 1952, The USA and Mexico in 1953, and later on many times) her international success took off after she sang and starred in a French picture called "Les Amants du Tage" in 1955, singing one of her hit songs "Barco Negro", and was invited by the Olympia's impresario Bruno Coquatrix as the star of the first part of the show celebrating Josephine Baker's "adieu" to the stage in 1956. Immediately after a tremendous and sensational success, she was invited to act on a show of her own, as the main star, something she would repeat many times, in a total of about 10 seasons at the Olympia (unequalled by any other artist), from 1956 to 1992. France always cherished this extraordinary singer, cummulating her with honours (the Medal of the City of Paris in 1959, the Order of the Arts and Letters in 1970, the Golden Medal of the City of Paris in 1989, and the Legion d'Honneur in 1991, among many others in the country). So, the importance of this recording at the outset of her great international success, is only increased by the symbolic and magical atmosphere lived by those who listened and saw her at the Olympia. A great, great cd."
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1