The Jazz River—The Music of Spain and Portugal

The music unique to Portugal is called Fado. The word itself means fate or destiny, and its history, going several hundred years evokes deep passion. Often a mournful lament, an expression of the soul’s stirring and longing, it also was a type of music that allowed women singers to take center stage and become superstars and legends in their homeland. Fado is full of tenderness and exquisite passion.

The origins of Flamenco are much older, dating back to India, North Africa and the migration of gypsies. The Jazz River has explored the roots of Flamenco in earlier programs of Gypsy Jazz and Duende. Flamenco is also as much a dance as a music and as such is best experienced in person. The percussion of boots on hardwood in rhythm to the omnipresent guitars evokes its own passions of the heart. Both have inspired other forms of music. Fado has had an influence on Choros out of Brazil and Flamenco has impacted the world of Tango. Flamenco connects the body to the sounds and stirs a deep movement of the heart.

Tune in to The Jazz River at 5 pm this Sunday, January 3, for an excursion into the national music of Spain and Portugal and a deep drink from the wells of masters of Fado and Flamenco. Only on KUVO JAZZ.

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