Customer Reviews

Mafalda Arnauth

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have heard very few voices that sound so sweet and deeply emotional as Mafalda Arnauth's . Her singing stands firmly on the root tradition of Fado but she adds a magic touch of her own inspiration . The result is a beautiful , inspired collection of songs that hit one's soul helplessly . The portuguese word "saudade" ( longing , vivid sensation of nostalgia ) comes to mind all throughout the album .
An outstanding album , an outstanding voice . Besides , look at the cover art : she is beautiful ! As beautiful as the Lisbon landscapes she paints in her compositions . Especially the wonderfully painful "Meus lindos olhos" and the lovely "De quem dá" .

I thought Amalia was all there was to Fado until I heard Mafalda.
A sensitive, dramatic and penetrating voice. A must for Fado fans.

If you're a fan of Fado, especially the somewhat "modern" version--Mafalda belongs in your CD player along with Madredeus and Dulce Pontes and Misia. The dynamics of these songs are not as striking as some of Pontes' arrangements, but Arnauth's voice strikes right to the heart of the soul. Fado is a Portuguese tradition (Portugal's answer to Spain's flamenco, I guess) which is based on "longing"--that illusive joy just beyond the next horizon. Arnauth shows us that this tradition, nearly on the verge of dying out just a decade or so ago, is very much alive.

I just spent a couple of hours at the Castello in Lisbon when I heard this music. This was an immediate must buy. Now back in California I enjoy this touch of mediterranean feeling.