So a Cantar

Three years ago, on his album Sem Dor Nem Piedade, Duarte dove deep into his mourning for a lost love; it was his way of addressing and overcoming his personal romantic grief. How does one follow such a statement? After asking himself this question, Duarte figured out he could only be left with singing about the aftermath. So he wrote a few original pieces that have the concept of rebuilding as a common thread, and placed them alongside a series of traditional fados that he collected with Aldina Duarte.

What is striking about Duarte's confident steps in his growth as a fadista is how particular and original his repertoire is. On poignant tracks like ‘Covers’ or ‘Que Fado É Este Afinal?’, he even voices his own thoughts on fado's authenticity - how each singer should follow in the footsteps of the greats, but with their own style. That is how So a Cantar manages to possess a clear contemporary lyrical approach, while its music only strays beyond fado's barriers in the more popular-tinged and excellent ‘Vai de Roda’, ‘às Tantas’ or ‘Maria da Rocha’.

But once you hear Duarte performing ‘Sobretudo Cinzento’ and ‘Mordi a Tua Mão’ it's obvious why his words rarely need more than the tradition. Everything is already there.