A Male Singer Shines In A Woman's World

By Betto Arcos

Published February 8, 2014 at 8:00 AM EST

Portuguese singer António Zambujo occupies a distinct place in the world of fado, a musical style better known for its female stars.

Portuguese-born António Zambujo sings fado, the style of music often called Portugal's blues. For decades, the genre's mournful songs have been associated with female singers — from the late Amália Rodrigues, whose role in popularizing the genre worldwide earned her the nickname "Queen of Fado," to current superstar Mariza. But Zambujo is starting to carve his own territory with a different approach to the music, one closer in tone to Brazil's João Gilberto, or perhaps America's Chet Baker. Hear his story at the audio link.

Betto Arcos

Betto Arcos is a freelance music journalist. He writes stories about music from around the world, with an emphasis on Latin America. He has been a contributor to NPR programming since 2009, when he began reviewing music for All Things Considered on the weekends.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

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