Mariza @ The Walt Disney Hall - March 18, 2009
Mariza: The word fado means destiny, it means fate. Fado is a music that come from the traditional neighborhoods where the working classes settled down centuries ago, like the Alfama in Lisbon. They were the ones who started singing in the beginning. Fado happened in the taverna, with wine and people sitting around tables just singing. Fado players weren't professional; they had other jobs -- a plumber, a taxi driver or something like that. But they knew how to play the Portuguese guitar and they knew another person who knew how to sing it.
Last night I was treated to an amazing performance by Portugal's leading Fado singer Mariza. She was accompanied by a group of gifted musicians. Angelo Freire on the pear-shaped, 12-string Portuguese guitar; Diogo Clemente on classical guitar; Marino de Freitas on bass; Simon James on piano and trumpet; and drummer-percussionist Vicky Marques. What was equally amazing is Angelo her guitarrista is only 19 years old.
She is a gifted and talented singer with an incredible voice. She moved me as she did everyone in the audience. She connected to the audience on many different levels. Her storries
and banter with the audience and her fellow musicians made the large
hall seem small and intimate.
She was gracious and honored to perform in the Disney Hall built by her personal close friend Frank Gerhy who was in the audience. In an interview Gerhy stated, "When I met Mariza and heard her sing I was immediately connected to a whole bunch of things and Lisbon became symbolic of the greatest place on earth". "Once she did a concert here, I was staggered by how she understood
this room quickly. She just got it," said Gehry as he sat with Mariza
on stage, the soaring ceiling overhead."I would like to see her more visible in the U.S. and I would like people to hear about and understand the connection between Southern California and Lisbon, the light, and the quality and the character of life." "When I hear her sing, she represents Lisbon to me. Maybe it's my own
fantasy and I've built it up into something. But she does. It's Lisbon
and Lisbon is a great story."
My favorite song of the evening was "Beijo de Saudade" (Kiss of Yearning), a song she did on the latest record "terra" with Tito Paris a famous Cape Verde singer. Introducing her rendition of "Beijo de Saudade" (Kiss of Yearning), she announced that "This song has a little perfume from Cape Verde." She concluded the number, sung half in Portuguese and half in Creole, by blowing a kiss to the audience. It reminded me of one of my favorite Cape Verde singer Cesaria Evora.
In her introduction to her song "Tasco de Mouraria" (Tavern in Mouraria), she cited her recollections of "the glasses of red wine, the smell of the chorizo" in the family tavern.During her encore she treated the audience to her rendetion of "Cry Me A River" she brought the house down.
Discography:
"Fado em Mim" (2001), "Fao Curvo"(2003), "Transparente" (2005), "Concerto Em Lisboa" (2006), Terra" (2008)
Links: Website Links:YouTube
