.com One of the more aesthetically minded modern-day fado singers, Mísia has been carefully cultivating a distinct image and stage presence that stands out amid a field filled with stylish singers. But even with her piquant image, it's hard to ignore Mísia's spellbinding voice. Singing in Portuguese, this diva potently projects feelings of melancholy, sadness, and romantic longing, which are all cornerstones of this emotional strain of Mediterranean folk music. Ritual, the singer's third domestic release, matches the unbridled beauty of the amazing Paixoes Diagonais, which was issued in 1999. She scales back to a solid acoustic guitar trio (the typical lineup for fado) on Ritual and keeps them on a tight leash, but this only leaves more room for the singer to soar. She carries the load herself on a solo rendition of "Á Beira da Minha Rua," and it simply reaffirms how much passion and music is packed in this one special voice. --Tad Hendrickson
N**S
Dramatic, Emotional, Plaintive, Beautiful
Be prepared. This is a woman baring her soul. You don't have to understand the Portugese language to hear this in her voice. This isn't self-pitying, as much as opening up and letting the emotion show.I can tell you that these songs are fados, but I can't explain what fados are. This is a form of music which I believe has to be heard and experienced, not explained. I have heard other Portugese singers including the form in their CDs, but Misia has a special poignancy in her delivery. Her voice is controlled, but vibrant and highly emotive.This is world music at its most personal and its best.
A**R
No surprises
There are records, of which you can name all tracks in the right order and you can sing the first 10 seconds of each one of them. I think this can be a nice criterion for separating impressive from unimpressive items in a cd collection. In this sense, 'Ritual' turns out to be unimpressive to me.On the other hand, on some records all of a sudden only a handful of bars can take you to heaven for a split second. On 'Ritual', I have this experience at track 2 (Xaile de Silêncio) when Mísia sings the words 'Que os Fados te embalou, ...'. This sure is a personal thing, but it can fully justify the amount of money I paid for a record.You can skip 'Ritual' when you are in search for a cd full of innovations and surprises. Having said that, i think that the craftmanship of the album as a concept, the artwork, the arrangements and the singing is just second to nothing. Even the somewhat loosely sung 'Formiga' shows an outstanding amount of dedication and perfectionism.Mísia never fails to deliver top-quality records, and this one is no exception. For those people who want fado to the max, 'Ritual' will not disappoint.
C**0
A DISAPPOINTMENT, BUT...
I must agree, that this disc falls short of highlighting this amazing talented voice's true vocal range and capabilities.But don't worry. For the Fado fan and the Misia fan, try the CANTO disc to get a true feeling, and I do mean FEELING, of this emotional powerful talent.
W**A
Misia:Passion of Fado
Misia guides us through an amazing trip of her voice.Places whereonly a smooth and caress voice can be.
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