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Fado Ladino takes the increasingly well-known traditional Portuguese fado vocal elements and uses a rhythmic Arabic beat to complement it. Although fado has had renewed commercial success in Portugal of late, this version of the genre is unlikely to be recognisable to fans of its traditional sound.

Fado has been traced back to the 1820s in Portugal, but it probably has much earlier origins. It is characterised by mournful tunes and lyrics. Some enthusiasts claim that fado’s origins are a mixture of African slave rhythms with the traditional music of Portuguese sailors and an Arabic influence. So the strong Arabic influence upon the sound of this album is not totally out of place after all.

Whether Fado Ladino manages to appeal to fans of either its two fused genres remains to be seen but there is much to like on this album, particularly in the vocals of Carmo.