Live in Amsterdam, Netherlands (ARC Music EUCD2351, 2011)
Cristina Branco is one of the leading figures in the new generation of fado performers that appeared in the 1990s. Live in Amsterdam, Netherlands was her first album and until now it’s been very hard to find. ARC Music has now made it available for international audiences.
With Live in Amsterdam, Netherlands you’ll be able to experience the live debut of this passionate singer who has taken fado worldwide. The songs featured in the album were composed by some of the top fado songwriters, including Custódio Castelo, Luís Vaz de Camões, Maria Manuel Cid, Manuel D’Andrade, César Oliveira, Rogério Bracinha, Mário Gonçalves, Arlindo de Carvalho, David Mourão Ferreira, Alain Oulman, Maria Duarte, and Pedro Homem de Mello.
Branco’s regular accompanist is guitarist Custódio Castelo. “Custódio Castelo composes the melodies to my voice,” says Cristina Branco in the liner notes. “There is a special interaction between us. We bring a slightly different ‘touch’ to the genre. In general you can say that our melody lines are slightly more flexible than in traditional fado.”
Live in Amsterdam, Netherlands is an essential album in any modern fado collection.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
