Fado singer Cristina Branco is deferring many of her strengths

Cristina Branco is one of the prominent members of the current wave of young fado singers who have been surfacing over the past decade in Portugal. Although she, like the others, has found her own way to connect with the music’s rich and varied history, there are some marked distinctions in the manner in which her art has evolved.

The primary difference -- apparent throughout her program at the Skirball Cultural Center on Thursday -- was her complete creative linkage with her husband and principal collaborator, guitarist Custodio Castelo. Branco sang material primarily composed by Castelo, framed by his often busy arrangements.

That’s not to minimize the strength or the quality of Branco’s singing.

But the undercurrent of the evening was established early, when Castelo, along with guitarist Alexandre Silva and bassist Miguel Carvalhinho, started the program with an instrumental number that ran on far too long to serve as a simple introduction to the program’s star attraction.

Once Branco arrived on stage, however, the partnership aspect of the music quickly became clear.

Frequently deferring to Castelo, often beginning her songs facing him rather than her listeners, she seemed less an independent presence than the visual manifestation of his musical views. One could only wonder why such an extraordinary talent seems to find it difficult to reach into the heart of her own creativity.