Maria Mendes | “Close To Me” on Justin Time Records

“A symphonic Jazz approach to Fado,” is how the singer-songwriter describes the music on her new album. “It is not Fado,” she immediately emphasizes. “I only used the music and poetry from this genre, but made a completely personal interpretation of it, with new arrangements.” In addition, she wrote her own songs, all in the spirit of the genre of her motherland. Although Mendes has been living in the Netherlands for several years, her connection to Portugal remains strong: it is where Fado is anchored, in the soul of the country.

Her love for the genre began at an early age, when as a child she heard the melancholic, dramatic sounds every day on the bus that took her home from school. “The first time I was really touched by it was when I was 18, when I heard Mariza sing “Barco Negro,” says Mendes. It is one of the most loved Fado songs and known especially in the voice of Amália Rodrigues, the greatest Fado queen. “Fado is in our identity,” Mendes says. “It is our way to evoke ‘saudade’: longing for the past and hoping it becomes present once again. But it is also universal, we all have those feelings in life.”

The idea for Close To Me gained shape at a festival in the Netherlands: the Dag van de Rotterdamse Jazz. There, in the context of a musical assignment commissioned to her by the festival, Mendes combined the harmonies and melodies of two folk songs: the Portuguese “Barco Negro” and the Dutch “Ketelbinkie”. The reactions from the press and the public were so enthusiastic that the singer decided to investigate whether she could also master other Fado songs through jazz arrangements. She started working on the repertoire of the Portuguese greats such as Carlos Paredes and Amália Rodrigues and, inspired by their work, also wrote her own songs in which she explores her love for Jazz along with her affection for Portugal. Moreover, one of her musical gurus, the Brazilian legend Hermeto Pascoal, wrote a Fado especially for her.

With her new project, Mendes hopes to attract a wider audience. “This album is a gift for the avid listener. For people who have an eclectic taste,” she says. “I don’t know what the Fado audience will think of it, but I hope they’ll listen and appreciate the respectful and refreshing approach I have given to these beautiful songs.”

Justin Time Records · Release Date: October 25, 2019

For more information on Maria Mendes, please visit: Maria-Mendes.com

For more information on Justin Time Records, please visit: Justin-Time.com

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