Raising her slender arms over her head, Fado sensation Mariza began clapping out the rhythm to her next song "Maria Lisboa." Catching on to her enthusiasm, the audience continued the rhythm while Mariza launched into song.
Mariza, a popular Portuguese vocalist, entranced her audience during her concert at Jorgenson on Saturday evening.
Mariza used her mesmerizing voice to make the music that for over a century has been at the heart of Portuguese culture. Maintaining this passion throughout the performance and combining it with her endless talent as a singer, Mariza proved again and again to the audience why she is being hailed as the current "queen of Fado."
Fado, which is closely translated to "destiny," is commonly known as the mournful, blues like music of Portugal. During the performance Mariza showed the wide variety of feelings and styles Fado music has. Whether it was the soulful "Minh' alma" or the pop jazzy feeling of "Rosa Branca," the audience's excitement never seemed to fade.
"My favorite song was 'Rosa Branca,'" said Susana Ulloa, a director at UConn's Center for Academic Programs, "It is her deep, almost sad voice that makes the songs come alive."
Even though all the songs were in Portuguese, the language barrier was not an obstacle for non-speakers in the audience.
"I didn't understand a single word, but I still loved it completely," said Archna Khattar, a doctoral student in the School of Family Studies.
Mariza's vocal artistry allowed anyone listening to know exactly which emotions are at the core of each song, regardless of the words being sung. Besides, the catchy Latin rhythms accompanying each song would be worth listening to on their own.
Making up the rhythm section behind Mairza were musicians on bass, acoustic guitar, Portuguese guitar, and piano. Hugo Antonia E Silva Carreira Marques was on drums and percussion and broke into electrifying solos during a number of songs. Yet, not even the thundering of the drum set matched the power of Mariza's voice when she performed the song "Primavera," where the auditorium could barely contain her soaring vocals.
Many of the songs performed were from Mariza's latest album "Terra." "Terra" combines other world music with the Fado genre. Mixing cultures is something Mariza knows well as she was originally from Mozambique, moving to Portugal when she was 3 years old.
With her magical talent and ability to touch people with her music, Mariza showed that the emotions of Fado music do not just represent the Portuguese, but the human soul.
