Offering this CD on BuzzFlash happened by chance.

We turned on PBS in Chicago and there was this exuberant, joyful, charismatic singer performing in some castle like ruins, swirling about -- and she just totally enchanted us.

Sometimes we wonder how people who don't understand English become ardent fans of American or British singers. Now we know.

Mariza is a vocal artist (and that she is) who sings Fado, a Portugese ballad that has a storied history in that nation.

This concert takes place in her native Lisbon. You don't need to understand a word of Portugese to fall under Mariza's spell.

And the accompanying DVD that provides a history of Fado will fill you in on the tradition from which Mariza comes.

But if you can see the Lisbon concert on PBS, catch it.

Mariza is radiant and filled with a remarkable passion for the full range of emotions that song can convery.

An online reviewer:

"If you like Mariza, if you like the Fado, you will love this combination. The CD is rich and pure, the DVD is wonderful, like being there."

An online reviewer:

"The concert CD is lovely, with Mariza soaring over a band led by Brazilian cellist Jaques Morelenbaum (known for his recent live work with Caetano Veloso...) They work through a variety of fado styles, from the weepiest love songs to giddy folk dances, each style performed with good humor and power.

The added bonus documentary film DVD is a real treat, not only for the glimpses of Mariza and other contemporary fado stars, but for its look back at the roots of the genre and its meaning to Portuguese society. Particularly interesting is its examination of fado's political and social significance -- originally the fado was type of left-wing protest song, but it was subverted in the 1930s by the dictatorship that ruled Portugal until the mid-1970s. The junta made fado music into a propaganda tool, emphasizing romantic love and family values, to the exclusion of older themes about hard work and hard times. After the dictatorship toppled, fado fell into disrepute, but regained popularity in the 1980s and '90s when a new generation cast about for a way to guard Portuguese culture from the encroachments of globalized (American) popular entertainment. A fascinating story, laced with many soulful performances."