With longer evenings and firesides beckoning, what better way to spend a few relaxing hours in listening by candlelight to Portuguese music; perhaps with a glass of wine and a bowl of roasted chestnuts to hand. I have given the catalogue reference after each title. All are available in CD and MP3 formats.

The Crazy Mallets (DXL1071) led by Pedro Carneiro give a rounded performance of Portuguese music which shows the versatility of the Marimba. This is a Bantu word used to describe an instrument that has been likened to an African version of the xylophone or glockenspiel. Originating from Angola and the Congo it was taken by slaves to Latin America and returned across the Atlantic to be used by popular artists such as David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Peter Gabriel. The keyboard consists of hardwood slats which are struck by mallets. Sometimes these are held four-in-hand to produce chords.

Credits: Wikipedia;

O Grupo Folclórico de Coimbra (EUCD2799) present with a compelling versatility of twenty pieces by anonymous composers of songs and dances with titles such as Camelias, Bailarico and Com a Pena. The group performs at international venues but always retains the Portuguese verve for this genre.

Radio Kriola – Reflections on a Portuguese Identity (EUCD2802) Composer, arranger and singer Catarina dos Santos hails from Barreiro, an industrial city with an ethnically diverse populace, where her father was a producer for the Cultural Centre. This has enabled her to create an album with contributions from Angolan, Cape Verdean, Brazilian and Portuguese origins with an expected liveliness.

Alfama (Naxos 8.572815) presents two symphonic works and a ballet suite composed by Joly Braga Santos who is thought to be one of the best contributors to Portuguese music of the 20th century. Already famed for his collection and arrangement of folk songs, this CD includes dances of sailors, fishwives, longshoremen and youths who fill the squares and bars of this colourful Lisbon Bairro.

Evora (PC 10304) During the 16th and 17th centuries the popularity of the Villancico (VillançetePT) songs spread across Iberia. Starting as a secular recitation with stanzas separated by refrain this format was adopted for religious festivals and was taken by adventurers during the Age of Discovery to the new worlds of the Americas. The CD records a fine choice of Portuguese Baroque as sung in Evora and Santa Cruz of Coimbra. The highly competent A Corte Musical directed by Rogério Gonçalves gives of its best.

Lusitano Imperium (PAS 1127) was recorded at the end of the year 2022 in the Mosteiro de São Bento da Vitória in Porto and provides a sumptuous exposition of hidden gems of the Portuguese Baroque. A very informative booklet accompanies the CD. Performed by Real Camara baroque orchestra under the direction of Enrico Onofri with fine readings by Ana Quintans, soprano and Hugo Oliveira, baritone.

Finally, our journey through Portuguese music is completed by From Baroque to Fado (Naxos 8.573875) with the deservedly famous Os Músicos do Tejo giving a sparkling performance at the Gulbenkian in December 2016. Solo performances by gifted singers and musicians add to the lustre of this piece which competently handles a seemingly impossible task with twenty selected tracks to guide us through the brilliance of our country´s musical legacy.

Roberto Cavaleiro. Tomar, 04 November 2024