Search - Linda Leonardo :: Mystery of Fado

That Familiar Feeling: O the blues!

Dr. Debra Jan Bibel | Oakland, CA USA | 04/25/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Alas, I am new to fado and have little to compare among fado vocalists and traditional styles, but as for the genre, the similarity in feeling to Russian gypsy and to Greek rebetiko, with parallels in sound of the Portuguese guitar, of ancient mandolin family design, to the Greek bouzouki and laouto lutes, stand out. Tragedy, nostalgia, melancholy, loss, distance, sorrow are the themes. For such songs, you want a vocalist with deep voice (for a woman, a mezzo-soprano), a little coarse and aching. Linda Leonardo for over 20 years has sung with passion and has become a master of the art. This is a lovely recording, with support of classical and Portuguese guitars, piano, violin, bass, and cello. The lyrics are provided in the usual European translations. Fado, like the tango, like rebetiko, is music of the harbor and its lower socio-economic classes. We hear the blues and touches of Moorish flamenco in these seaside taverns. Listen to this album and you will feel the glory of melancholy. This is a fine album that I enjoy fully."