Lisbon's Mariza reveals art of fado

Striking the balance between elegance and passion as much in her dress as  her singing, Lisbon's Mariza brought fado, the Portuguese equivalent of the  blues, to the Jazz Fest's world music series yesterday afternoon.

Fado, an emotion-drenched, flamenco-like fusion of joy and pain, longing and  fulfilment, is enjoying worldwide interest, thanks largely to Mariza, the  reigning queen of the art.

Dressed in a swirling floor-length gown, her shoulders bare and her hair in  cornrows, the statuesque Mariza swayed and danced, chatted about fado's  romantic 19th-century roots and hiked her skirt to show off rainbow  stockings.

Mostly, though, Mariza sang, her voice, which doubtless carried to Kanata, a  deep well of sadness, a jet stream of pleasure, a pipeline into the heart.