Nineteenth-century fado was sung in tavernas and brothels in the working-class port district of Lisbon; improvising choruses with satirical and often naughty lyrics. Bohemian aristocrats and intellectuals began to show interest, and with the advent of radio and film, fado spread throughout Portugal in the early twentieth century. The genre grew into a high-quality song form suitable for the middle
… class, with sheet music for home use and artistic performances by professional fado singers and guitarists in small restaurants. The expansion of the repertoire resulted in a canon of fado classics. On previous albums, the charismatic fado singer Mariza liked to modernize this genre by singing new compositions, modern instrumental line-ups and adding a touch of flamenco, jazz or Latin. On her fifth studio album Fado Tradicional, however, she returns to her roots, the tradition that instilled in her a love for fado as a child. Mariza also performs classical fados in an impressive way, briefly accompanied by three types of Portuguese guitars. (SvdP)more
