Fados
Renowned for taking the lead in creating exciting new hybrids of cinema, music and dance, Carlos Saura went to his neighboring Portugal to create Fados, a beautiful and exhilarating celebration of the "fado," a vibrant strand of contemporary world music sometimes referred to as "the Portuguese blues."
Tracing its African and Brazilian origins up to the new wave of modern "faudista" singers, Saura ingeniously deploys mirrors, back projections, lighting effects, and lush colors to frame each song, ranging from a campfire ringed by sinuous dancers to a balletic catfight between two jealous women, to a thrilling "desgarrada" (musical duel) in a "fado" café. The result is a ravishing fusion of cinema, song, dance and instrumental numbers.
Leading us through this musical journey are modern stars like Mariza, Carlos do Carmo, Catarina Moura, Argentina Santos, and Maria da Nazaré, along with guest appearances by Brazilian singers Caetano Veloso and Chico Buarque, and homages to legends such as Amália Rodrigues.
Saura expands the songs, traditionally involving a singer and a guitarist, with modern dance, hip-hop, flamenco and reggae. His non-purist approach conveys a grand vision of music's power to break down boundaries.
Between Spain and Portugal, Old World and New, white and black, young and old, rich and poor, Fados is a celebration of "fado" as World Music in the fullest sense of the term. Under the musical supervision of Carlos do Carmo, it features one of the finest "World Music" soundtracks to date.
Starring: Mariza, Camané, Carlos do Carmo, Cuca Roseta, Catarina Moura, Argentina Santos, Maria de Nazaré