Thursday November 19, 2009
8:00 PM
Koerner Hall
Genre: World Postlude Performance
Sara Tavares "The Portuguese-Cape Verdean singer-guitarist transforms traditional mornas and coladeiras into strikingly contemporary form with subtle infusions of rap, reggae and a sprinkling of jazz rhythm." (Los Angeles Times) "A fabulous voice, light yet full of colour." (Georgia Straight).
Tony Gouveia has emerged as an impressive voice of a new generation of fadistas (fado singers) in North America. "Tony Gouveia is a genuine fadista." (Portuguese Sun)
Sara Tavares, vocals/guitar Ivo Filipe Barros Costa, drums Luis Miguel de Carvalho Leal Caracol, bass Joao Baptista da Luz Monteiro, ukulele/guitar Geoclandio de Fatima Lopes, percussion
Tony Gouveia
Tony Gouveia has emerged as an impressive voice of a new generation of fadistas (fado singers) in North America. Born in Lisbon, he came to Canada at the age of 13, but never forgot his roots, nor the fados that his father used to sing at family gatherings.
Although he has been singing professionally for 20 years, it was only in 2005 that Gouveia released his debut fado work, O Nosso Fado , a compilation of standards in the genre. Critically acclaimed by the Portuguese -Canadian media, his work also won over many new converts to fado outside of the Portuguese community. Even if one does not understand all the lyrics, it is difficult not to be moved by Gouveia 's performance, which embodies the essence of the Portuguese soul.
His new album, Fado Ardente , offers a blend of new original material along with some fado standards. The recording is produced by Jorge Fernando, who also produced worldwide fado star Mariza 's award ¬winning debut album, Fado em Mim .
Well known in North America 's Portuguese community for his performances with the popular non ¬fado group Tabu, Gouveia received the prestigious Merit Award for Music, Portugal Week 2007, presented by the Alliance of Portuguese Clubs & Associations
of Ontario (A.C.A.P.O.).
Gouveia, who has become an ambassador for fado, has begun to attract new audiencesto the genre with his remarkable performances at the Brampton and Mill Race (Cambridge) Folk Festivals, as well as at many Toronto clubs with Nuno Cristo's Anima Fado series. In 2007, he performed at the "Fado Toronto" programme in the LuminaTO Festival, held at the Young Centre for Performing Arts in the Distillery District.
Sara Tavares Sara Tavares was only 16 years old when she was catapulted into the spotlight by
winning two of Portugal 's most prestigious TV music contests. Born to second generation Cape Verdian immigrants, she grew up between two cultures. Initially known as a singer and composer of gospel, funk, and soul, she gradually incorporated more of her African music in her compositions, and her music spoke to a new generation of Afro¬Europeans, seeking to define their hybrid culture.
Multilingual wordplay shows up throughout Tavares' music and she hops across cultural references as much as she embraces them. Her sweet voice and gentle arrangements have a great communicate power, even if the audience can not understand all of the lyrics.
Tavares's voice has a healing power, which comes from someone who has struggled with her place in the world and then accepted herself fully. This is the voice of a woman whose parents abandoned her. Her father left for America and her mother moved south, after which she was raised by an older Portuguese woman. It was through music that she sought out her family and cultural roots, helped along the way by veteran African musicians in Lisbon and in Cape Verde, where she travels every year.
Ms. Tavares's second album, Mi Ma Bô, produced by Parisian Lokua Kanza, reached gold in her native Portugal, and was a mix of African rhythms and melodic pop songs. After a long wait of five years, her album, Balancê, was released in February of 2006. On this record, which she herself produced, she wrote and composed all the songs and played many of the instruments.
'I want to be a part of a movement like the African Americans were, like the African Brazilians were," Tavares says. "Instead of doing the music of their ancestors, they have created this musical identity of their own. And it is now respected. It is considered whole and authentic and genuine. It will be a long time before the people from my generation do not have to choose between being African or European. I think you shouldn't have to choose. You should just be there.Celebrate that. Be that!"
Both Mr. Gouveia and Ms.Tavares are making their Royal Conservatory debuts.
