MARÉ

Fishermen and their special connection to the sea have always had a pull on literature and music. Maybe it's because of the want to defy the greatness of the sea, perhaps it's due to the loneliness of going out to sea, and surely it's as a consequence of ports attracting people on the move. The Portuguese popular repertoire is no stranger to this global fascination and is honoured by MARÉ's show, now adapted to record. MARÉ (tide) contains the works of Abílio Caseiro, Celina da Piedade, Quiné Teles, Sara Vidal and Zé Francisco, all of them key figures in Portugal's traditional music scene. Here, they present themselves as a band dedicated to singing the life and hard times of Portuguese fishermen and fishing communities. And they unearth a bit of everything: communal celebratory songs (‘Toma Lá, Dá Cá’ and ‘Não Vás ao Mar’), tavern-like tunes (‘Bóia de Sentença’), José Afonso's songs (‘Canção do Mar’ and ‘Tenho Barcos, Tenho Remos’) and moments of gloom (the stunning and spacey ‘Cantiga do Mar’). A fine plunge into an alluring world.