Leva-me aos Fados

Even if you missed Ana Moura's first three albums, this disc is an excellent introduction to her art and her reinterpretation of fado. The first thing that hits you is her voice: textured, powerful, possessed of extraordinary clarity. And in fado the singer really is exposed, for in essence the genre is an amalgam of words, subtlety of vocal expression, emotion and personality. The effect here is enhanced by the intimacy and detail of the recording – every breath, guttural sound and shade of colour can be heard – and the tact and adroitness of the small backing group.

Here also is Moura's characteristic blend of the traditional and contemporary. Her earlier musical aspirations centred on a rock band until her potential as a fadista was discovered by the great Maria da Fé. But while fado has gained the upper hand, Moura hasn't entirely discarded her pop sensibility. It so happens that she numbers Mick Jagger and Prince among her fans. ‘Rumo ao Sul’, for example, has all the idioms of a pop ballad, though to some tastes its sincerity might jar with this somewhat hackneyed form. ‘Não é um Fado Normal’ (This is No Ordinary Fado) is altogether more successful: witty, ironic and full of original musical ideas. The choice of words is, of course, another Moura innovation (and the translations in the CD booklet come in handy here). Traditional lyrics are generally eschewed in favour of new ones – many written by her long-term collaborator Jorge Fernando – and reflect modern relationships and women's roles.