Customer Reviews

Women's Voices of Portugal

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

 

 

It's a shame that the first reviewer felt that many of you would be "put off" by this excellent ethnomusicological exploration of Portuguese folksong, though I'm sure he's largely correct. Yet his one-star rating could deter the fence-sitters who might otherwise make the leap and discover some remarkable music. // I'm reminded of the Nonesuch release of the Bulgarian Women's Chorus recording back in 1987. Stunning music, but NOT by any stretch pure folkloric, being sung by conservatory-trained professionals and arranged by established "legitimate" composers. When Nonesuch followed up with a record of Bulgarian village field recordings, it was a total flop. // If you're hoping for a CD of "fado" and the glamour of such cultivated artists as Cristina Branco, Mariza, or the legendary Amalia Rodrigues, this CD is not for you. On the other hand, if you are adventurous, if you are curious about how a culture expresses itself in song, if you are eager to dig down to the "roots", then you'll find much to enjoy on this disc.

If "deep blues" exists, then we may talk about "deep folk", this cd is very dense, it is only for collectionists of music from Portugal (like me).