21st July 2023
Royal Albert Hall, London, United Kingdom
Mariza (singer)
Luís Guerreiro (Portuguese guitar)
Phelipe Ferreira (guitar)
João Frade (accordion)
Adriano Alves ‘Dinga’ (bass guitar)
João Freitas (percussion)
London Contemporary Orchestra
Starting the season off with something slightly different - the Portuguese fado. When we did GCSE Music, there was this little module towards the end in which we had to get acquainted with several "ethnic" music genres, and the Portuguese fado was one of them. That's how I came to know Mariza, who is apparently the biggest modern fado star in the world. I only have one of her albums, "Fado Tradicional" from 2010, which I put on every now and then. My understanding of fado is very shallow, but that was sufficient to get completely blown away by this incredible Prom. It is basically a type of Portuguese popular song, with the key musical element being the intricate interactions among the singer, the Portuguese guitar and the guitar with the help of some bass and percussion. It's mostly melancholy music singing about regret and loss (i.e. the untranslatable word "saudade"), leading to the requirement of a very expressive, rich, decorated and nuanced vocal line reminiscent of modern day soul and gospel music. This is precisely what was on display for 1.5 hours straight tonight. Mariza has a deep, naturally captivating, soulful voice that keeps you hooked. There were several uplifting "dance" numbers which was unexpected. The sheer emotional range of the singing was astonishing. Let's put it this way - at this same spot in this same festival over the years, I was previously spiritually transcended by Schiff's "Goldberg Variations" and Rattle's Mahler 2. This was up there with those past experiences, even though I did not understand a single Portuguese word. The hall was filled with many passionate and emotional Portuguese expats who gave her the sort of applause one usually sees after a BPO Mahler, and surely that is saying something. Otherwise, all I saw was people of different backgrounds and skin colours coming together to celebrate and respect culture, clap, sing and dance when they feel like it. Every time I go to an ethnic music concert I walk out saying the same thing - diversity is so beautiful and what London is all about. Brexit and isolationism can go to hell.
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