Sara Correia

Occasionally, a new voice reminds us that traditional fado is still very much alive and proves that the pop or Brazilian-tinged approaches that have become a regular output for most fadistas nowadays have failed to harm this music's core quality. Sara Correia is such a voice. Correia was brought up in Lisbon's off-the-radar fado circuit, away from the city's tourist destinations and surrounded by the most passionate and heartfelt singers and musicians that cherish the traditional style. A year ago she released her first album as an adult at the age of 25 (her discography includes a record made in her teens). But listen closely to this release and you'll hear someone who delivers a weightier sound, that belies her age.

Sara Correia does not shy away from singing the repertoire of her personal heroes. Instead of trying to trick us into believing she is the result of her own invention, she lets it out into the open when she picks up songs from the repertoires of Amália Rodrigues, Lucília do Carmo and Beatriz da Conceição. But, when she interprets a more popular tune like ‘Zé Maria’ or plunges into the poignant ‘Veio a Saudade’ she beautifully claims her right to do so. And when she becomes more intense, as in ‘Sou a Casa’, ‘O Meu Bom Ar’ or ‘Hoje’, it's soon apparent that she's utterly irresistible whenever she deals with love's disappointments in such a grand way.