Mãe

Cristina Branco has always been a bit reluctant to call herself a fadista. And it is not hard to understand why: fado’s gatekeeping – as with any other musical tradition – can be cruel and Branco was never one to restrain her freedom. But she always kept fado close to her, whether on record or on stage, and without shying away from her own singing style. So, it is somewhat unexpected to find her releasing Mãe, an album partially devoted to, and entirely inspired by, traditional fados. Albeit with new lyrics and, quite relevantly, with the trio that Branco has been working with for years now: jazz musicians Luís Figueiredo on piano and Bernardo Moreira on double bass, and the quite original choice of Bernardo Couto on Portuguese guitar.

With this trio, Cristina Branco has developed a style of contemporary Portuguese popular music. And that is precisely what we hear on standout tracks like ‘Folha em Branco’ and ‘Fado de Uma Mulher Feliz Sozinha’. They’re both based on traditional fados, with new lyrics. The former is feisty, the latter poetic, but they both have a charged intensity and freedom in the way they are played. A similar level of intensity takes over ‘Senhora do Mar Redondo’ and ‘Essa Tristeza’. When Cristina Branco chooses to, she is a stunning fadista. Just not an orthodox one.