Madredeus could loosely be said to be a Portuguese folk band. They come from a tradition of fado music, which is a distinctive style of mixed guitar/stringed instruments, and depressing/beautiful female vocals. Take your pick.
The style is incredibly old, soaked through with centuries worth of tear-soaked tradition.
This one has a xylophone or marimba of some kind, adding further notes of pleasant but haunting contemplation.
The song has a soothing quality that is reminiscent of Muzak, or elevator music. Which isn’t to say that this song is bland – quite the contrary. It’s a very rich, full and deep song.
The piece was released in 1997 on O Paraiso.