And The Favourite Portuguese Songs Of BLITZ Readers Are...
Monday, 9 November 2009
Readers of Portuguese music magazine BLITZ have been participating in a vote to determine the "30 ultimate Portuguese songs of the last five decades." To reflect the vote, BLITZ have now put together a page detailing videos of some of those songs.
The list includes everything from José Afonso to Linda Martini and Rui Veloso. If you'd like to have a look and a listen, visit the winner's page here.
Posted by Lusa Alternativa 13:03 0 comments
Labels: music news
Sónia Tavares Thinks Fado Is Boring
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
How is that for an incendiary headline? I confess, this might be a quote from an interview, taken out of context. Next on the agenda is an attempt to translate from the interview itself...
According to Blitz Magazine:
After the album Amália Today, Sónia Tavares (of The Gift) confessed: "I'm still not a fan of fado."
In an interview with Bairro Alto, (RTP2 programme), the singer spoke of the success of the album Amália Today and the future of The Gift.
In the interview conducted by José Fialho Gouveia, broadcast last night, the singer spoke about the future of The Gift as the members being "anxious" to start writing a new album, and she confessed that even after giving voice to several Amalia Rodrigues songs, she still continued to not like fado, because she thought this style of music boring.
If you'd like to watch the interview, there is a link here.
Source: Blitz
Posted by Lusa Alternativa 19:43 0 comments
Labels: music news
Noiserv Tour The United Kingdom
Thursday, 29 October 2009
Noiserv are to visit the UK for the first time beginning next week, with a mini tour taking in cities in Scotland and England, including a gig on the 13th of November at The Angel, in London.
Noiserv's debut album One Hundred Miles From Thoughtlessness (Merzbau) was released this past October. Noiserv is David Santos, who creates melodic melancholia with vocal, electronics and a host of effects. His music runs the gamut from singer-songwriter contemplations to Depeche Mode electronica-fests. You can get the full equipment list and a bit more biography on the MySpace.
They have quite a lovely official website published in both English and Portuguese, composed of sweet line drawings and some clever interactive soundscapes. Have a look here.
Posted by Lusa Alternativa 17:25 0 comments
Ana Lains Sings Fado for Boy George
Friday, 23 October 2009
The Boy George interview with Jonathan Ross was just broadcast here in the UK, and at the end of the interview (a quite fascinating detailing of his prison stint), Boy George promoted his upcoming single "Amazing Grace". The single will include a vocal contribution by the fado singer Ana Lains.
According to the website BoyGeorgeUK.com, it appears that Lains' vocals will be integrated with George's on the single. Visit BoyGoergeUK.com if you'd like to hear a sample of the track.
To learn more about Ana Lains, visit her MySpace.
Posted by Lusa Alternativa 23:51 0 comments
A Landmark Called Por Este Rio acima
Thursday, 22 October 2009
I am positively gutted that I can't get to Portugal to see the "os três cantores" gigs (José Mário Branco, Sérgio Godinho and Fausto) in Lisbon and Porto. This is a collaboration which may never happen again. It has been described as "a concert without a unifying theme, other than this clear conceit: the reunion of three artists who worked to modernize Portuguese popular music. 'We are the heirs of Zeca Afonso, of Edmundo Bettencourt and all who came before, but we are modernizers of our cultural legacy,' said Fausto."
Diario de Noticias have published a few articles on this landmark get-together, which is specifically in celebration of the Fausto album Por Este Rio acima.
Briefly, the Angolan background of Fausto deeply influenced his work: he spent his childhood and adolescence in the former Portuguese colony, where he formed his first band, Os Rebeldes. In 1968 he was attending college in Lisbon, where he got closer to the student movement and the political activism of the time. It was there that he would feel the influence of musicians like José Afonso and Adriano Correia de Oliveira. "Shortly after landing in Portugal on 30 April 74, I met Fausto," said José Mário Branco. "At the time, I heard some songs that he had just finished recording for the second album, and I felt a great complicity, musically and poetically."
It is through Jose Mario that Fausto would know Sérgio Godinho, in 1974. "Although we played together in many shows, but I didn't know his music before his arrival to Portugal," says Godinho.
In 1982, Fausto edited Por Este Rio acima, the first disc of a trilogy about the Lusitanian diaspora (which would continue with Terra Ardente, the second disc, in 1994, after a wait of 12 years). Por Este Rio acima was a work that would mark irrevokeably Portuguese popular music. A Ópera Mágica do Cantor Maldito (2003) is the last record of originals from the composer, who is currently finishing the last chapter of this trilogy. "[The third of the trilogy] will be a double album, with more than 20 songs," said Fausto. "The disc will have orchestrations by José Mário Branco. It's a thing we never did before."
Um marco chamado 'Por Este Rio acima'
Um palco para três lendas da música portuguesa
Posted by Lusa Alternativa 17:58 0 comments
The End Of You Should Go Ahead
Wednesday, 14 October 2009
Sadly, You Should Go Ahead have decided to call it a day as a band, as reported by Santos Da Casa. Here's a quick translation of their statement:
"YSGA have reached the end of their road. After nearly five years of togetherness, two albums and many concerts, we divulged musically and this dictated for us the end of our path.
Thanks to everyone who accompanied us on this adventure and we hope to see you soon. All the band members continue to make music, none of them are to become fisherman...
See ya later!"
Posted by Lusa Alternativa 16:15 0 comments
X-Wife Tour America
Friday, 9 October 2009
Cotonete entitle the X-Wife tour a "mini-tour" but eight cities in total is sizeable, if you ask me. The Portuguese trio visit the following cities and venues:
16th October - Springfield MO (Outland Ballroom)
17th - Kansas City MO(Czar Bar)
18th - Chicago IL (Abbey Pub)
20th - Philadelphia PA(The Barbary Philadelphia)
21st - NYC (Union Pool)
21st - NYC (Public Assembly)
22nd - NYC (88 Palace)
23rd - NYC (Littlefield)
The band have been nominated for the European MTV Awards for the category of Best Portuguese Act (naturally). The full list of nominees is:
* Buraka Som Sistema
* David Fonseca
* Os Pontos Negros
* X-Wife
* Xutos e Pontapés
Cotonete
Posted by Lusa Alternativa 23:28 0 comments
Labels: news
