Since May I've spent my every evening from Monday through Thursday in Accounting classes. But yesterday I played hookie for a good reason; I went to Drom in New York City to see one of the most important figures in Fado, Helder Moutinho.I didn't find out he was coming to NYC until 2am, the morning of his performance, from an article I read on Fado.com which I read regularly. I called a group together last minute and we made our way to the venue. The venue describes its setting as "Located in the East Village area of Manhattan, DROM is a multi-event venue with a restaurant and lounge. With high ceilings, earthy colors and comfortable seating, we aim to provide a warm, inviting, sophisticated and informal atmosphere to relax and enjoy our multi-cultural and varied programming."-- And that they did. The location was intimate and appropriate for Fado.
A little after 10 pm, Helder Moutinho (Fadista), Ricardo Parreira (Portuguese Guitar), and Miguel Monteiro (Viola) began their performance with "Ha Festa Na Mouraria" followed by "Vielas De Alfama" then "Fado Isabel"... Each better and more intense than the next. Helder Moutinho is a captivating performer who takes notice of his audience. He spoke both in English and Portuguese for all to understand and even encouraged his American listeners to sing along with him in the international singing language of "Lalala!"
Besides from being a Fadista, he's written for other Fadistas such as Misia, Mafalda Arnauth, Maria Da Nazaré, Pedro Moutinho, Raquel Tavares, Joana Amendoeira, amungst others and also owns his own record label called "HM" which edits albums from such artists as Joana Amendoeira, Raquel Tavares, Argentina Santos, Jorge Fernando, Marco Oliveira, Ricardo Parreira, and other World Music performers, which he serves as an agent, producer, and manager.
I had the pleasure of performing with Helder during a few performances back when I was only 14 years old, but I was still learning and understanding Fado, so I appreciated his performance more so last night where he transmitted the emotions felt in Fado like only a true Fadista like himself is capable of accomplishing.
With him, the amazing guitarists that accompanied him, Ricardo Parreira and Miguel Monteiro, who treated us with two guitarradas! Ricardo Parreira (who like myself is 22) on the Portuguese guitar would effortlessly play challenging pieces while Miguel Monteiro responded to the Portuguese guitar while including unique passages in the traditional Fados that Helder sang. The connection between the three musicians on stage was satisfying to see.
After about an hour of Fado, and "Lisboa a Noite" (his closing Fado), all three where nice enough to talk to us for about 45 minutes. Helder Moutinho and I reminisced about our performances together 6 years ago and his plans and projects in production. Diogo Arésnio and Michael DaSilva who also came to the show were especially treated. Diogo and Ricardo traded "unhas," the nail picks used to play the Portuguese guitar, and played a little guitar together while 10 feet away, Miguel Monteiro showed Michael his guitarra made by Gracio which apparently is a big deal. (There is a 10 year waiting list for one of these guitars.)
We had a great time and I'm so glad I found out about the show. It was refreshing to hear a male Fadista of his caliber in the U.S. where the Fado market is more female driven. Especially in the summer, when Fado is slightly out of touch. I wish every Thursday was this fun!
Click the pictures to enlarge
Helder Moutinho's Biography from heldermoutinho.com
Helder Moutinho was born in 1969, in Oeiras, where the Tagus meets the Ocean, and maybe it was from this daily intimacy with the sea that came the major characteristic of his career: a multiple capacity of understanding and living his music, by singing, composing, producing, managing, constantly probing wider horizons, of solid and neat banks and rich, steady stream. From his family of old fado lovers, and from accompanying them to the traditional fado circles, he got not only his taste for this kind of song, but above all his determination to sing it, and so entering in fado's unique universe.
It was in Moutinho's late teens that, after getting familiar to other musical styles, fado began to take an increasing importance in his life. This is perhaps the reason to explain his enduring, inevitable relation with Lisbon… After the lifelong calling of the sea, now is Tagus River that requests him, revealing him Lisbon, the city of passions, of poetic and nostalgic nights, of high flying gulls that he will forever on sing and write about. He initially sang only to friends, but his gift could not remain hidden, and he soon got his first invitation to sing in one of Bairro Alto's fado bars.
By this time, Moutinho's all latent talents began to show themselves. In reunions of fado singers, all night long, among other fado lovers, he began to sing his own lyrics that he would later include in his first album, Sete Fados e Alguns Cantos (Seven Fados and Some Songs).
Concurrently, Helder Moutinho began revealing himself in other and important activities: those of a manager, agent and music editor. The transition from singing in fado bars and in concerts - one must mention his participation in projects like Fados Mãe de Água, organized by Lisbon City Hall and included in "Lisbon 94 - European Capital of Culture", the Festima Festival at "Expo' 98", along with performances throughout Portugal and abroad - is a process that Moutinho himself can't explain - but soon the stress-free approach of his beginnings turned to become a deeper, compromised one.
His first record, released by Ocarina in 1999, got flattering notice from magazine "Strictly Mundial" (of the "World Music International Exibition"), and very good reviews from Portuguese and international press. From all these motives, his new release was eagerly expected, knowing that its lyrics were written, in their vast majority, by the singer himself, and that its process of creation and recording was like in Moutinho's first one: in the middle of tours, reunions, planning, and an enterprise of his own to manage. For this is like Helder Moutinho is: a man of many talents, with a voice and a soul he must absolutely share with us.
It was in Moutinho's late teens that, after getting familiar to other musical styles, fado began to take an increasing importance in his life. This is perhaps the reason to explain his enduring, inevitable relation with Lisbon… After the lifelong calling of the sea, now is Tagus River that requests him, revealing him Lisbon, the city of passions, of poetic and nostalgic nights, of high flying gulls that he will forever on sing and write about. He initially sang only to friends, but his gift could not remain hidden, and he soon got his first invitation to sing in one of Bairro Alto's fado bars.
By this time, Moutinho's all latent talents began to show themselves. In reunions of fado singers, all night long, among other fado lovers, he began to sing his own lyrics that he would later include in his first album, Sete Fados e Alguns Cantos (Seven Fados and Some Songs).
Concurrently, Helder Moutinho began revealing himself in other and important activities: those of a manager, agent and music editor. The transition from singing in fado bars and in concerts - one must mention his participation in projects like Fados Mãe de Água, organized by Lisbon City Hall and included in "Lisbon 94 - European Capital of Culture", the Festima Festival at "Expo' 98", along with performances throughout Portugal and abroad - is a process that Moutinho himself can't explain - but soon the stress-free approach of his beginnings turned to become a deeper, compromised one.
His first record, released by Ocarina in 1999, got flattering notice from magazine "Strictly Mundial" (of the "World Music International Exibition"), and very good reviews from Portuguese and international press. From all these motives, his new release was eagerly expected, knowing that its lyrics were written, in their vast majority, by the singer himself, and that its process of creation and recording was like in Moutinho's first one: in the middle of tours, reunions, planning, and an enterprise of his own to manage. For this is like Helder Moutinho is: a man of many talents, with a voice and a soul he must absolutely share with us.
1 comment:
That's awesome! I wanted soooo badly to go see his brother Pedro Moutinho in Canada early July, but that didn't happen. I sang at Amigos da Terceira this evening, had dinner with Jose Carlos and Mary, and Jose Carlos said that he heard Helder Moutinho was going to be in Lowell this weekend. I of course didn't believe him, until now! I searched the Lowell Folk Festival and he's going to be there both Saturday and Sunday. Definetly going!
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