Guia

It wasn't until Caetano Veloso spoke highly of him in his blog that Antonio Zambujo began getting the due recognition his distinctive fado truly deserved. Veloso compared Zambujo's take on fado to the delicate bossa nova of João Gilberto – the gentle strumming of the guitar accompanied by a smooth voice that refuses to embark on a complex singing more fit for a talent show competition. Zambujo sings the fado as if he were under the skin of João Gilberto or Chet Baker, driven around by a chauffeur that goes by the name of Tom Waits. Such is the freshness of his voice in a musical context where everyone's usually trying to stand out by singing louder or in a more flamboyant fashion. On Guia, fado goes hand in hand with Brazilian music, but it also lets cante alentejano (the traditional working songs from Alentejo, very much influenced by the Moorish heritage) and a couple of jazz elements in through the back door.

Some say fado was born in Brazil. If they're right, then Antonio Zambujo's Guia can easily be hailed as the substitute for the missing link between the two musical cultures. But instead of feeling academic and dead serious, this record is all about instinct, gut feeling and the marvellous directions fado can be headed without getting itself lost. Charming and delicate, each word is sung as if the world's most beautiful woman is Zambujo's only audience.