by GABRIEL HERSHMAN
Cristina Branco’s concert on October 16 at Bulgaria Hall capped a succession of recent concerts by fadistas in Sofia, including Dulce Pontes, Deolinda, Mariza, Ana Moura and Cape Verdean diva Cesaria Evora. Each performance in its own way evokes life in Portugal and, in particular, Lisbon.
The previous fado concert at Bulgaria Hall, by the Deolinda quartet on June 11, was an altogether bouncier form of fado, not the melancholy and wistful lament associated with other performances.
Branco’s concert marked a return to the more traditional form. The 38-year-old singer re-worked pieces made famous by the late Amalia Rodrigues – Portugal’s queen of fado – although Branco says that she chooses not to emulate Rodrigues’ exuberance but prefers a more subdued lyrical style.
The Sofia Echo for more