Dulce Pontes, Cadogan Hall, Sloane Square, London (GB) - Nov 9, 2022

The reception from many in the audience indicated how much this Portuguese singer is appreciated. I thought I was going to a fado performance but it was much more than that. Dulce Pontes is an eclectic singer, originating in fado perhaps, but basically someone who straddles across a variety of genres/styles: you can hear classical and you can hear pop. She even worked with Ennio Morricone. There is a modernist element to some of her singing and playing. She accompanied herself on piano for a while, with a cellist (or was it some kind of electric bass?) and drummer, then with the additions of another pianist and a couple of musicians playing the traditional fado instruments of guitarra (a kind of large-bodied multi-stringed instrument) and viola (a kind of guitar). Her voice has a huge range and is particularly attractive in the lower register though I found the higher register sometimes rather shrill. Quite a performance though.