http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.56865&rws=%2Fmariza%2Fmusic-videos.rssThe eccentrically-coiffed Mariza was born in Mozambique and grew up in a Lisbon neighborhood purported to be the birthplace of the fado. Of course, no neighborhood can claim that distinction with any truthfulness, but it might now legitimately claim to be the <i>re</i>birthplace of fado, considering that Mariza grew up singing there and has almost single-handedly resurrected the classic music from its untimely grave. While new fadistas abound -- including the likes of Christina Branco and Mafalda Arnauth -- it was Mariza's voice that made BBC 3 and other world music programs sit up and take notice. Her debut, 2001's <I>Fado Em Mim</I>, succeeded because she didn't treat the fado as a relic or as an elegant staging ground for her marvelous vocal talent. Instead she adhered to an old school of thought which says that to be any good, a singer needs to connect emotionally -- maybe even spiritually -- with the lyrics. Not to put too fine a point on it, but Mariza does: her fado is the sound of bereft sailors' wives, of loneliness and of little port towns set against squalling seas. She also experiments with other Portuguese folk forms -- she can even sing upbeat songs -- and has turned increasingly to original compositions with each successive album. - Sarah BardeenFlamenco/Fadoen720Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:10:55 -0800 http://static.realone.com/rotw/images/logo_rhapsody_113x22.gif http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.56865&rws=%2Fmariza%2Fmusic-videos.rss The eccentrically-coiffed Mariza was born in Mozambique and grew up in a Lisbon neighborhood purported to be the birthplace of the fado. Of course, no neighborhood can claim that distinction with any truthfulness, but it might now legitimately claim to be the <i>re</i>birthplace of fado, considering that Mariza grew up singing there and has almost single-handedly resurrected the classic music from its untimely grave. While new fadistas abound -- including the likes of Christina Branco and Mafalda Arnauth -- it was Mariza's voice that made BBC 3 and other world music programs sit up and take notice. Her debut, 2001's <I>Fado Em Mim</I>, succeeded because she didn't treat the fado as a relic or as an elegant staging ground for her marvelous vocal talent. Instead she adhered to an old school of thought which says that to be any good, a singer needs to connect emotionally -- maybe even spiritually -- with the lyrics. Not to put too fine a point on it, but Mariza does: her fado is the sound of bereft sailors' wives, of loneliness and of little port towns set against squalling seas. She also experiments with other Portuguese folk forms -- she can even sing upbeat songs -- and has turned increasingly to original compositions with each successive album. - Sarah Bardeen