V.A. - The Rough Guide To Fado (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Not to be outdone in Iberian song by their own flamenco albums, in 2004 the Rough Guide series released The Rough Guide to Fado, an album that consciously looks only at the Lisbon and Coimbra traditions, and focuses on their differences to a degree. The album opens with António Zambujo, one of the newer stars with a touch of the cante tradition included in his song. An Amalia protégé follows, as does guitarrada star António Chainho. The powerful Cristina Branco comes soon after, followed by traditional format singer Vicente Da Camara (a relative of the great Maria Teresa de Noronha, no less). Artur Paredes, the very inventor of the Coimbra guitar traditions, is given a prominent spot in the middle of the album, joined by the master Amalia herself. The iconoclast Maria Da Fe has a moment in the light, and after a few others the venerable Maria Teresa De Noronha takes a turn. The album finishes on some of the newer voices of the tradition, from both sides of fado. Between the old and new, and the traditional and revolutionary, the album finds a good balance of sounds. The vocals are constantly worthwhile, as they are really the soul of fado, a music known almost entirely for its soul. Likewise, the regrettably few tracks of guitarrada here hail from the greatest names of the tradition. There are a few other noteworthy fado albums to be had already on the market, but this one is easily included as one of the better compilations, particularly for beginning listeners. by Adam Greenberg  
Tracklist:
1 António Zambujo – Beijos De Fogo 2:58
2 Katia Guerreiro – Amor De Mel, Amor De Fel 3:05
3 António Chainho – Rotas Marítimas 3:18
4 João Pedro – Tudo Isto É Fado    3:11
5 Cristina Branco – Fado Perdição 2:47
6 Vicente da Câmara – Dois Cantares 3:32
7 Carlos Zel – Ponto Final 2:56
8 Artur Paredes – Variações Em Mi Minor    4:12
9 Amália Rodrigues – Fado Amália 2:58
10 Fernando Maurício – Confessando 3:09
11 Hermínia Silva – Fado Da Golegã 2:39
12 António Bernardino – Trova Do Vento Que Passa 3:33
13 Maria Da Fé–    Até Que A Voz Me Doa 3:52
14 António Chainho & Ana Sofia Varela – Tenho Ruas No Meu Peito    2:46
15 Carlos Do Carmo – Canoas Do Tejo 3:32
16 Maria Teresa de Noronha – Fado Em Cinco Estilos 2:58
17 Joana Amendoeira – Amor Mais Que Perfeito 3:42
18 António Chainho & Filipa Pais – Fado Da Desistência 3:18
19 Ana Moura – Amor Em Tons De Sol Maior 3:18

V.A. - The Rough Guide To The Music Of Portugal (1998) Mp3

The popularity of Brazilian music in jazz and pop-jazz circles has inspired some artists who aren't from Portuguese-speaking countries to learn to sing in Portuguese. In fact, some American jazz singers (such as Susannah McCorkle) can actually sing convincingly in that language. Most of them have learned Portuguese as it's spoken in Brazil, but as this CD demonstrates, there's a whole other world of great Portuguese-language singing -- Portugal itself. The liner notes for The Rough Guide to the Music of Portugal describe Portuguese music as "one of the great and overlooked joys of European culture," and it's hard to argue with that after listening to this collection of mostly fado music (a style that has some similarity to the music of other Southern European countries like Italy and Spain). Containing mostly recordings from the 1970s, '80s, and '90s, this compilation turns the spotlight on many of fado's important singers, including Amalia Rodrigues, Jose Afonso, Maria Da Fe, Jose Afonso, Teresa Silva Carvalho, Maria Teresa de Noronha, Vitorino and Dulce Pontes. Most of these songs are acoustic, emphasizing acoustic guitar, and have a traditional outlook, but Lendas & Mitos' "Barquinha Do Mar" provides an electric take on fado that incorporates both rock and Scottish/Celtic music. Lovers of Brazilian music will notice how different Portuguese and Brazilian singers are in their approach to the Portuguese language -- in fact, their accents and pronunciation are every bit as different as an American's English would be from that of a Londoner. If you've never experienced the joys of fado, this superb CD would be an excellent place to start. by Alex Henderson  
Tracklist:
1 José Afonso – Saudades De Coimbra 2:54
2 Dulce Pontes – Fado Da Sina 3:15
3 Realejo – Canção Go Gaiteiro/Dança Do Gaiteiro/Marcha Dos Foli~oes/Murinheira 4:56
4 Teresa Silva Carvalho – Verdes São Os Campos 2:19
5 Carlos Paredes – Despertar 3:52
6 Amália Rodrigues – Ai, Mouraria 3:11
7 Vai De Roda – Contra-Dança I (Auto Da Floripes - Tema Dos Turcos) 2:52
8 Terra A Terra – O Rapaz Do Casaquito 3:21
9 V Império – Décadas 4:13
10 Lendas & Mitos – Barquinha Do Mar 3:50
11 Anabela – Avenidas 4:14
12 Maria Da Fé – Quem O Fado Calunia 2:22
13 Margarida Bessa – Fala Da Mulher Sózinha 2:53
14 Vitorino – Menina Estás À Janela    3:14
15 Maria Teresa de Noronha – Fado Em Cinco Estilos 3:00
16 Lenita Gentil – Sou Um Fado Desta Idade 2:28
17 Carlos Zel – Maldito Fado 4:18
18 Manuel De Almeida – A Alma Do Ganhão (Fado Do Alentejo) 3:27
19 Ronda Dos Quatro Caminhos – Cravo Roxo 2:24
20 Grupo Cantadores Do Redondo – É Na Vila Do Redondo 2:00
21 José Afonso – Grândola Vila Morena 3:30

MADREDEUS - Os Dias Da MadreDeus [1996] EMI

Os Dias da Madredeus, Madredeus' debut album on the Portuguese market, offered for the first time the group's appealing and remarkable compositions. The record exposed the sole musical mission of the Portuguese ensemble. Providing sole compositions, Madredeus settled their musical course in between the original Portuguese fado and influences ranging from Brazilian music to classical musical inflections. Leaded by the voice of Teresa Salgueiro and by the delicate and melodious creations of Pedro Ayres Magalhães, Gabriel Gomes, and Rodrigo Leão, the ensemble started gaining their legion of followers precisely after the record originally hit the record stores in 1987. "A Vaca de Fogo," the record's third track, swiftly became the group's most recognizable theme due to its joyful rhythmic features and exclusive arrangements. Still, the whole of the work expressed through the album mostly reveals Madredeus' nostalgic musical endeavors, strengthened by way of their gloomy musical direction and enlightened by the sorrow and hurtful lyrics unveiled by Salgueiro's unique vocalizations. "Fado do Mindelo," "Maldito Dia Aziago," and "Amanhã" are just three of the album's most noted tracks, again sustaining the unique character of Madredeus' conceptions, initiating a musical path that eventually conquered fans all over the world.  by Mario Mesquita Borges 
Tracklist
1 As Montanhas (Instrumental) 2:25
2 A Sombra 5:31
3 A Vaca De Fogo 5:02
4 Os Pássaros Quando Morrem Caem No Céu (Instrumental) 2:24
5 Adeus... E Nem Voltei 5:50
6 A Península (Instrumental) 4:05
7 A Cantiga Do Campo 6:28
8 Fado Do Mindelo 5:06
9 A Marcha Da Oriental (Instrumental) 5:59
10 A Cidade 6:00
11 Maldito Dia Aziago 5:10
12 A Andorinha (Instrumental) 4:44
13 O Brasil 5:34
14 O Meu Amor Vai Embora 3:20
15 Amanhã 4:53

Credits
 Featuring – Francisco Ribeiro, Gabriel Gomes, Pedro Ayres Magalhães,
                    Rodrigo Leão, Teresa Salgueiro
Lyrics By – António Jorge Pacheco (tracks: 8), Francisco Menezes (tracks: 10),
                Gomes Leal (tracks: 7), Pedro Ayres Magalhães (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 13 to 15)
Music By – Gabriel Gomes (tracks: 3, 15), Pedro Ayres Magalhães (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15),                          Rodrigo Leão (tracks: 7, 8, 10, 11, 13 to 15)
Producer, Arranged By [Direction] – Pedro Ayres Magalhães

MADREDEUS - Os Dias Da Madredeus [1996]
EMI / 1996 / CBR320 / scan

O Púbis da Rosa