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- country:Portugal
- region:Mediterranean
- style(s):Fado
- label:EMI Music Portugal
- type:Solo
- gender:female
- instrumentation:vocal
- artist posted by:ARTos & Theama
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The "Fado Goddess" as she has been characterized, does not need to be introduced. Born in Mozambique, she was very fortunate to grow up in the small streets of Mourraria, homeland and source of fado, where she was first introduced to what later would become almost herself. In the beginning she was interested in soul and funk, but soon she was discovered by the producer Jorge Fernando. Since then, her memories and the sounds of fado became one with her soul, her soul that does not only perform fado. She lives through them.
Resisting to the pressure by disc companies to sing fado in English, and denying blending fado with genres that do not match, only for commercial reasons, she has remained royal to the authentic spirit and traditional sound of fado. However, she acknowledges that traditional music should not be kept locked in a closet and therefore her affinity with also other genres gives her the opportunity for constant renewal (her collaboration with Brazilian Jacques Morelembaum indisputably proves it).
Being cosmopolitan she has performed almost in all European countries, and also in the United States, Australia and Asia. She has given live performances in the most important and famous venues worldwide, venues such as the Royal Festival Hall, the famous Olympia Hall in Paris, the Carnegie Hall in New York, the Barbican Centre in London, the Royal Carre in Amsterdam, the Palau de la Musica Catalana in Barcelona, the Manchester Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, the Finlandia Hall in Helsinki, the Sydney Opera House in Australia, the Hollywood Bowl and the Walt Disney concert Hall in USA etc and also at Pallas in Athens, where "the hands of the audiences were tired by applauding and their voices by shouting bravo" Ta Nea
The famous architect Frank Gehry, totally enchanted by her voice, designed and put together the scenery of a traditional Portuguese tavern in the greatest theatre of Los Angeles, especially for the concert of Mariza.
The fact that Mariza has received many Awards is not a coincidence. Awards such as the "Best European Artist" from BBC 3 for 2001, 2005 and 2006, the "European Border Breakers Award" (2004), and titles such as "&913;mbassador for Fado's candidature to UNESCO'S Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity programme" (2004) and "&913;mbassador for the Portuguese Tourism Institut" for her contribution spreading Portuguese tradition worldwide and many more awards and titles.
She has collaborated with the best musicians and producers. Most of her albums, "Fado em Mim" (2001), "Fado Curvo" (2003), "Transparente" (2005) and "Concerto Em Lisboa" (2006), as well as the DVD "Live In London" (2004), have become platinum.
Her last album "Terra" is a collaboration of great artist, such as Dominic Miller, Ivan Lins, Chucko Valdes, Ivan Lewis, Concha Buika and Tito Paris and under the umbrella of the Spanish producer Javier Limon (founder of the independent label Casa Limon, the person behind the excellent album "Lagrimas Negras" of Bebo Valdes and Diego El Cigala). "Terra" is the album that reveals Mariza's own truth, giving out everything she learned during her tour and by every civilisation she visited, one more album from the "Princess of the 21st century", a characteristic given by the critics that became platinum.
Apart from communicating her civilization
through fado in the form of music, she has also contributed to its communication through the screen, being chosen by the Spanish director Carlos Saura to participate in his movie tribute to fado, having the leading role. (Berlin Festival 2007)
Fado is Mariza's soul, integral part of her culture and she communicates the music with elegance and umiquely, fascinating the audience with every extraordinary performance of hers.