Canto
Known for her deliberately artsy live performances and, of course, her exceptionally graceful take on Portugal's fado music tradition, Mísia is one of the leading lights of the music since the greatAmalia Rodriguespassed away. She toys with tradition in a different way onCanto, taking on the music of challenging Portuguese composerCarlos Paredes. Since these are not folk songs, the singer augments (and sometimes supplants) fado's traditional acoustic guitar trio with a classical string quintet. The results are stunning: the music here sounds like wildly passionate versions of baroque classics, particularly on the opening song "Presságios de Alfama." The singer maintains her fadista's soul throughout as she sings the dramatic lyrics of poet Vasco Graça Moura and others. As her voice soars, violins and the Portuguese guitar of José Manuel Neto compliment with delicate refinement. One of the more unique sounding efforts to come out of the fado tradition,Cantois a work of rare and tender beauty. --Tad Hendrickson