A range of Portuguese music

Yes, Mariza is a wonderful singer, and fado music can be entrancing, but it isn't the only music from Portugal! To give a little musical context for the upcoming Mariza concert we'll be attending, here are music videos from other Portuguese artists. The group Dazkarieh is a sort of punk/folk ensemble, and the video for their song "Vitorina" has a distinctive nervous energy.


Rodrigo Lêao is a composer and keyboard player who specializes in a kind of deep cabaret, and "Voltar" is typical: silky and sultry.


Jorge Cruz sings a folk pop music with attitude. In this video of his song "Nada," he walks across various Portuguese landscapes. I recognize the green Zêzere river valley, the mountainous Serra da Estrela, the Dom Luis Bridge in Porto, the wheat fields of the Alentejo, and the sunny Costa da Caparica.


Finally, the great jazz composer and pianist Mário Laginha. This solo piece, "Fado," is from his award-winning CD "Cancoês & Fugas." The video is a slideshow of old photos of Lisbon, plugging into the deep love the Portuguese feel for their capital city.


So, enjoy! I'm a Portuguese music fanatic, and I'm really trying to restrain myself here, believe it or not. So don't get me started on Portuguese rock and roll, and the going-on-20-years-and-counting band Rádio Macau . . .

Okay, I can't restrain myself. Here's Rádio Macau: a lousy single photo video, but a slow, unsettling song, featuring the unusual voice of lead singer Xana: "Quando Entro Nos Teus Olhos," from their latest CD, "Oito."