Portuguese singer to perform blend of Gypsy, Jewish, Arabic and Andalucian music tomorrow
Saba Naseem
Issue date: 4/3/09 Section: Lifestyles
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Mariza is a Mozambican whose soul was forged in the old Mouraria district of Lisbon, according to a press release. It was there that she first heard fado singers - so many that their names and faces have merged into the mist of memory.
"I lived in a traditional Lisbon neighborhood and have also sung the fado," Mariza said. "I know what it is and I understand myself through it."
Fado, translated as destiny or fate, dates from the 1820s and is a blend of Gypsy, Jewish, Arabic and Andalucian influences. Fado is traditionally performed with only a singer and acoustic guitar, but contemporary fado singers have brought a greater variety of instrumentation as well as a more upbeat feel to the music.
"Mariza is the music's biggest star for a reason: She sings it not as musty nostalgia but as exuberant 21st century pop, with a low, mesmerizing alto that's as commanding as any pop singer today…remaking fado's ancient sadness into majestic modern sounds," according to a review in Rolling Stone magazine.
Mariza has a style of her own, which has earned her some comparisons to Madonna. She was influenced by traditional musicians such as Fernando Mauricio, Carlos do Carmo and Amalia Rodrigues, but her own style bears little resemblance to their works. The Portuguese artist respects the tradition of the past while also adding a bit of allusions to the future in her works.
The release of her debut album, Fado Em Mim, in 2001 marked the beginning of her international recognition. Following this release, she received the First Award for the Most Outstanding Performance and began performing in renowned places such as Central Park.
Her second album, Fado Curvo, expressed that "fado, like fate, isn't a straight line and is not enclosed by limits," according to the singer's Web site. It was critically acclaimed in Portugal and went quadruple platinum.
Her other albums include the Grammy-nominated Concerto Em Lisboa, which captured Mariza's dazzling hometown performance for an audience of 20,000, Transparente and Terra.
"This new album, I've decided to call it Terra, maybe because I always have my feet firmly planted on the ground," Mariza said.
She has performed on four continents at prestigious venues and music festivals, including Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Opera House in Sydney and the San Francisco Jazz Festival.
As one poet said, "Fado makes its way in the world through the transparency of its lyrics, and these Mariza sings with all her heart, because it's in the work of poets that Mariza seeks the words which she can make her own within a traditional form of music which is undergoing constant renewal," according to the Web site.
Mariza's performance will begin 8 p.m. tomorrow at the Walton Arts Center. Tickets range from $18 to $32 and can be purchased by calling the box office or by visiting Waltonartscenter.org.
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