Portuguese singer Cristina Branco has been receiving a warm welcome in Dutch concert halls for years. Together with her husband, composer and guitarist Custódio Castelo, she pushed the boundaries of traditional fado and developed her own style. The concert recorded in the intimate Leidse Schouwburg on 1 July 2006 is surprising in several respects. Firstly, Branco sings a repertoire that was sung
… by the great fado legend Amália Rodrigues, but interpreted in its own way. Second, the absence of Castelo (divorced?) Is striking. His playing on the Portuguese guitar has been taken by José Manuel Neto. Furthermore, Branco is accompanied by pianist Ricardo Dias and guitarists António Pinto, Alexandre Silva and Fernando Maia. (SvdP)more
