Mariza - Fado Em Mim (2011)

The Portuguese say that there is no literal English translation for the word "saudades". The is no word that exactly captures the emotional depth of anguish in its meaning. It's probably best described as the intense emotional ache and inconsoleable deep longing for a treasured-something lost - the love of your life, joyous times now unrecoverable or a child taken before her time.

So when you listen to Fado music, it's probably best to be prepared with with your heart and head in that place, or at least expcect to be trasported there quickly. Having a bottle of red wine, some candles to light and box of tissues on hand is also good preparation.

To that emotional preparation add the inriguing and beautifully aranged music of the fado's minor keys. A simple acoustic guitar trio is all that's required(Portuguese guitar - which is a complex mandolin-type instrument, acoustic gut-stringed guitar and acoustic bass guitar). Yet that simple instrumentaion finds innumerable ways to weave intricate chords, melody and counter melodic movement throughout each song.

If all that weren't enough to set the mood, imagine Mariza's voice, lyric, sullen, expressive, wide-ranging, lyric, expressive, at times powerful and phrased imaginatively. The woman is a musical genius with melodic instincts like no one I have ever heard.

There is no music in the world with the emotional impact of Fado and there is no singer who can express it better than Mariza. What a wonderful gift she and her music is to the world.