Thursday 6 April 2017

Red night with Ana Moura

And Ana Moura is wornderful too! After attending her concert in Portugal in 2015, I was so lucky to be in London the same day she was performing at the Barbican and I did not miss the concert! Her new album (Moura) is marvellous and I cannot stop listening to it. Every time I find something new, a word, a chord, a sound...Songlines wrote the following about Ana Moura:


"Prior to Desfado, it was already clear Moura was not your average fado singer. She sang to a different beat and she welcomed unexpected collaborations, but if felt like she was allowed a couple of extravagances as long as she kept within a largely traditional setting. And she pulled off in such a powerful and amazing way, she was fast becoming a local fado star, quickly following Mariza's steps on the international runway and casting her own spell on the Rolling Stones and Prince."

Wednesday 5 April 2017

Blue nights with Carminho

Carminho is wornderful! She is a Portuguese fado singer of the new wage of younger fado singers and together with her musicians she is always full of innovative surprises. This was the second time I have seen her live, being the first in Paris. And it only gets better! In this concert in Portugal she sang one song from a Brazilian band which does not exist anymore, but whose singer Ney Mattogrosso, is one of my favourite musicians. Carminho did a great job at singing "O vira" in a Portuguese modern fado style.  Originally, the "vira" is a genre of music that is part of the Portuguese folklore and etnography.

Pink Theather in Manaus

The Amazonas Theatre (Teatro Amazonas) is possibly one of the most beautiful theatres I ever been. It opened its doors in the 31st December 1896. It was built at the peak of the rubber exploitation and trade in Manaus. I had the pleasure to listen to talented Brazilian musicians not yet known in Portugal. And by chance I sat next to a singer who told me about her work and interpretations. Curiously, I have been practicing "The Dance of the hours" on the piano which is a song from the first opera performed in the theatre: "La Gioconda" from Amilcare Ponchielli.