Coimbra Fado

While Lisbon has been the economic center of Portugal for centuries, Coimbra has retained some status as the cultural center. Fado may have been born in the streets and alleys of Lisbon, but it was refined in the academic realm of Coimbra. The group Verdes Anos (their name derived from a classic Carlos Paredes song) took the historic development of fado into their own microcosm, deriving their membership from musical groups in the Coimbra universities and taking fado into contemporary times with original compositions. The group does take a few steps into the classic composers' works, but the majority of items heard here are originals, modeled after the greats but with their own core musicality. The result, unlike a fair percentage of academic cultural troupes, is a surprisingly good one. The musicians use their guitars to just the right effect, accentuating the emotions where needed and providing a cadence for rhythmic movement where needed. The trio of singers, taking their respective shifts, are able to bring out the heartbreaking longing inherent in fado, mixing unwavering forwardness in their delivery while expressing sadness at the same time. There are historic stars of fado who should be heard by any fan of the genre in order to capture the most complete sense of the sound, but this album will make a nice introduction for newcomers and a welcome addition to the music libraries of existing fans as well.