By Joao Ferreira

Mariza may well be the new sort of Portuguese conqueror.

But instead of sailing the world's oceans in elegant caravels in search of spices and gold, the bleached blonde songstress is conquering through music.

Fado, to be more specific.

From the taverns of Lisbon and the steep alleys of its Mouraria district, Mariza is delivering the soul of the Portuguese people to the world through fado in a way not seen since fado legend Amalia Rodrigues.

And the world seems to be enjoying it.

"I am looking for fado from a different perspective, because I now travel a lot. One month I am at the Sydney Opera House, another month I am in China or Thailand," Mariza says in press materials.

"I am starting to find that this music that belongs to Lisbon, to Portuguese people, is starting to feel more and more universal. It speaks about universal feelings. Each country interprets it in its own way. We are crossing cultural lines now. And I feel so proud about it"

A request for an interview with Mariza with American promoter Rock Paper Scissors wasn't fulfilled by deadline.

Mariza is delivering her seductive brand of fado at two unprecedented performances in New Bedford this weekend, Saturday and Sunday evenings at the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center. She is expected to perform with a simple traditional ensemble of two musicians playing Portuguese and classical guitar.

The stops here -- the Zeitedon's season opener -- are part of a 16-date North American tour this month that also includes an appearance on "Late Night with David Letterman" Oct. 11.

Other dates include Carnegie Hall Oct. 12 and Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles Oct. 28. At that venue, renowned architect Frank Gehry is recreating a Lisbon taberna for the show.

The one-month tour is promoting Mariza's latest release in the United States, "Concerto de Lisboa," a live performance with the Sinfonietta de Lisboa orchestra in 2005 on die banks of the Tagus in Lisbon before 25,000 people.

The release includes a limited-edition version with a bonus BBC documentary in DVD format about Mariza and history of fado.

Fado, which means fate in English, is the soulful, melodic urban song of Lisbon that emerged in the city's bars and brothels more than two centuries ago. Typified by the crystalline, scintillating sound of the Portuguese guitar, and the longing and love-tinged lyrics delivering in an emotional and mournful tone, fado is undergoing a major resurgence in the small Iberian country at the edge of Europe and attaining an international acclaim not seen since Amalia Rodrigues three or four decades ago.

Mariza, a Mozambique-born child of a Portuguese father and Mozambican mother, grew up singing fado in her father's taberna in the Mouraria district in Lisbon.

She leads a generation of young fado stars in the genre's resurgence.

With three studio albums and two live recordings to her name, Mariza's latest studio CD, '"Transparent," incorporates subtle African and Brazilian influences, as well as a certain tone of American jazz into the signature genre of fado, according to her Web site.

She has also drawn inspiration from Portuguese literature for her work and has worked with composers and musicians of international acclaim.

Her work has earned a nomination for a Latin Grammy in the best folk album category.

Mariza has also earned a BBC World Music Award in 2005 and has been tapped for Germany's "100 most important women in Europe." She performed a duet with Sting for the Athens Olympics album, and became a UNICEF Ambassador.

She is also playing the lead role in a new film called "Fado" by Carlos Saura, whose past works include the Oscar-nominated "Tango" and "Flamenco." Tickets for the Zeiterion shows this weekend are $45 to $55. The Saturday show starts at 8 p.m. and the Sunday show at 7 p.m. For more information, call the Zeiterion at (508) 994-2900 or visit www. zeiterion.org.