For many of those outside of Portugal their introduction to the deep and complex musical genre known as Fado was through Mariza whose musical career has marked her out as the most successful and widest-reaching of any Fado singer since the late Amália Rodrigues. In the 14 years since her debut album she has travelled the world performing at some of the most prestigious venues, performing with some of the biggest names, supported by some of the most well known orchestras while her records have gone on to sell over one million copies worldwide attracting over 30 Platinum awards.
That envious track record has kept her fans keen for more and now the wait is nearly over with the announcement that she is to release her sixth studio recording and her first of entirely new material in five years. The album called Mundo (World) is in many ways a reflection of the journey she has been on and, from reading the press release, a new beginning. Throughout the press release are hints about its diverse and contemporary approach… “because Fado is always in Mariza’s voice, it’s always there even when it doesn’t conform to its traditional image….Mariza’s Fado is a different, adventurous Fado that expands beyond the Portuguese borders in search of a new cosmopolitan identity. A new beginning, if you like…”
Many of the songs featured on Mundo were written specifically for Mariza’s voice. Among the exceptions are a cover version of a 1930 tango originally sung by Carlos Gardel; one Fado made famous by Amália Rodrigues and another created by the legendary Alfredo Marceneiro; and a Cape Verdian “morna”.
That ‘new cosmopolitan identity’ she seeks to build in Mundo will unravel like “a travelogue, a diary, a record of a journey, from Cape Verde to Spain, from Argentina to Portugal….a world that has grown in the past five years, enriched by new landscapes, new places, new people, new influences.”
The suspense has certainly been raised and you won’t have too long to wait as Mundo is released on October 9th.