Queen of the Fado

There's a bewildering number of Rodrigues "Queen of Fado" collections out there, as you have probably seen. How to choose, especially if like me you are new to fado (I came to it via Ana Moura) and you keep hearing about Rodrigues at every turn, but you don't have a lot of money? And why choose this one?You can do what I did, and do the math: $5.99 for a download of 17 songs is a pretty good deal. I admit that this was a blind purchase; apart from some price comparison, I did no research. But not only do I have no listener's remorse whatsoever, even better, for the heirs of Rodrigues' estate and Amazon, is the fact that I want to buy another record or two of hers.One thing to be aware of: the recording quality varies from song to song, reflecting the relative ages of the performances. In all but a couple of instances, though, Rodrigues' voice is clear and precise-sounding (though the same can't always be said of the sound of her accompanists).Every (good) thing you've heard about Rodrigues is true. She was an extraordinary singer, period: she possessed an effortless, expressive voice (lighter than Moura's, but not fragile) that, somehow, calls attention not to itself but to the lovers she sings about. A song like "Nao E Desgrace Ser Pobre" is a case in point: She crescendos and decrescendos on a dime as she ranges up and down the scale, demonstrating (to me, at least) that she could have sung anything. Yet, amazingly, her technique doesn't come off as showy, and it's that combination of skill and lack of pretension that seems to me crucial to fado.Speaking of that last point: it's rare to have one singer in a genre who truly is THE definitive performer, the one who effectively establishes for everyone else how to perform songs in that genre. In a narrowly-defined genre like fado, the singer can't herself sound limited; perhaps the greatest compliment I can pay Rodrigues is that she'll make you forget how narrowly-defined fado is, even as she stays completely and comfortably within those boundaries. She's that good.

Certainly Evora and Mariza were heavily influenced by Amalia.Though from an earlier era, this traditional song form, the national one of Portugal, sounds as contemporary on this cd as those by current interpreters.And of course Amalia has never been surpassed by anyone, though I love Mariza.Though not as well known she is every bit on the level of Piaf.

Amalia was a great singer with a great soul. I am still discovering the gems on this recording.

"Queen of the Fado" -This is one of my favorite CDs. Amalia Rodrigues is the queen of Portuguese blues. She has a beautifully haunting and sexy voice. I love to listen to her while I'm preparing a meal for guests - her voice sooths my soul. If you love blues, you'll love Amalia Rodrigues. A must for Blues afficionadas and aficionados.

Amazing voice. Definitely the Queen of Fado. Cannot beat Amazon Value for the purchase price.

The entire genre is stylized to try and match the emotion Amalia brought to fado. This album is the "Seed" from which Fado reignited its passion without the political spoilings of the past.

Yes, without a doubt, Amalia Rodrigues was and still is the queen of Fado. Whether you're an avid Fado listener, or someone just discovering the richness of Portuguese Fado, this is what you should be experiencing.

I think there are much better cd's of Amalia Rodrigues out there. The sound quality of the recording is pretty bad in my opinion.