24 February, 2011
Os Fados da Alvorada
On March 3, the Fado Museum hosted the presentation of the compilation “Os Fados da Alvorada” (Movieplay). The presentation was made by José Manuel Osorio, responsible for organizing the anthology, Rui Vieira Nery, musicologist and Nuno Lopes, a journalist.
The three volumes of the collection are the result of a thorough investigation that reviewed over 20 years of sound recordings produced by Alvorada label. Includes songs of Amalia Rodrigues, Ada de Castro, Carlos Carvalho, Manuel de Almeida, among other
After the presentation there was a musical event starring António Chaínho, Chico Madureira, Maria Amélia Proença and Maria de Fátima, accompanied by António Parreira (Portuguese guitar) and Guilherme Carvalhais (spanish guitar).
“Alvorada” Label
The label “Alvorada”, owned by Radio Porto Triunfo, Lda., already existed in the first half of the '50s. Originally known as “Melodia”, was forced to change the name because already exists in Europe a label record with the same name. For several years the logo has changed color and kept always look the same graph.
The first editions of “Alvorada” will probably hit the negligible quantities. Runs a little over 1500 to 2000 discs were built with safe steps that it is probably the most significant record label in Portugal.
Was in 1957 that “Alvorada” released her first album of 45 revolutions per minute (rpm). With reference MEP 60 001, out this year a record of Amália Rodrigues where she sings: Lá Porque Tens Cinco Pedras”, with music by João Bernabé de Noronha and lyrics by João Linhares Barbosa, “Fado Alfacinha”, with music by guitar player Jaime Tiago dos Santos and lyrics by António Feijó, “A Minha Canção é Saudade”, with music by Joaquim Frederico de Brito and Vaz Fernandes lyrics and “Quando os Outros te Batem, Beijo-te Eu” with music by Armando Machado and lyrics by Pedro Homem de Melo.
As curiosity, here is the info from the issue of same age on the label Melodia, in 1952, a 78 rpm disc, with the reference 37009. The second, with reference 60 002 MEP, also published in 1957, is also a disc of Amália Rodrigues. Amália sings on this record the following topics: “Cabeça de Vento”, “Disse Mal de Ti”, “Tentação” e “Avé Maria Fadista”. That same year are edited with the references MEP and MEP 60 003 60 004 two more discs of “Alvorada” label. These two discs have the same title: “Fados de Coimbra”. The following is the fifth album of Maria Amélia Canossa, with reference MEP 60 005.
It seems to me reasonable to conclude that the first year of the “Alvorada” was a year of enormous wealth.
José Manuel Osório