The Portuguese fado singer presents her music with a
theatrical flourish, communicating to listeners an overwhelming sadness, which cannot be resolved.

In a very short period of time she has gone from an unknown talent to world music superstar. Hailed as heir to fado legend Amalia Rodrigues, the 29-year-old singer has developed her own style by adding a fresh approach to the traditional genre.
At the end of this month, Mariza is scheduled to perform
in B.C. on the closing night of the Mission Folk Music Festival, an event not to be missed.

Born in Mozambique she moved to Portugal as a child. "I
grew up in a very traditional neighbourhood in Lisbon - Mouraria," says Mariza. "All the people that live in Mouraria have a life like fado. It's not just music, it's a way of life. I grew up in the middle of traditional people, in the middle of fado. I would never be able to make a separation between me and fado. To me it's not a profession, it's a pleasure." She began singing at the age of five in her parent’s
restaurant. Her father drew cartoons to help her learn the lyrics to the songs. Words are very important to Mariza's conception of fado and the initial source for generating material. "First, I like the words. Then I have to understand the meaning of the poem. Then I start working with music and the composers, but I think everyone has their own style of fado. I like to sing poetry from the best Portuguese poets. Normally, most of the fado singers like to sing popular poets, so I
 changed that a little bit. I like to sing Portuguese poets."
 
Mariza considers her new album, Fado Curvo, more personal
than her 2001 debut Fado Em Mim. "I had the opportunity to choose the poems I would like to sing on the second album. I researched many Portuguese poets and found about 34 I wanted to put on the record. From those I chose12 that were more connected with me and my feelings. I had more pleasure doing it."
 
Going into the studio was different this time around, too.
Mariza and her producer wanted to record the performances without losing the emotional rawness of fado. "This was a more organic record," she says. "Everybody was playing as I was singing. It was more natural and we had lots of fun. Carlos Maria Trinidade, the producer of the second album, decided not to do anything mechanical - he wanted it as natural as possible."

 Trinidade, a veteran producer (of bands such as Madredeus), gave all 12 songs a three-take treatment. "The first one was just to feel it, the second normally was the good one but we always went to a third
take and then chose," says Mariza. "We played all the fado until the
end - all three takes - and then we could choose which fado we liked more, which was the most appealing. Normally it was the second take."

Using writers from Portugal's past and present Mariza
creates a seamless mix of classic fado theatre. The presentation of the songs is important to her and the singer is as careful with her look as she is with the music. "I love fashion. I'm addicted to fashion. I think life without style, without beautiful things, would be a disaster. When I go on the stage I like to be very pretty. It's a special occasion to me. That's why I put on my best clothes, and I do my hair, because I think I must be pretty to receive my friends. It's my style."
 
Even before she had a record out Mariza had made an
impression on the Portuguese public from TV appearances and was known as the Blond Fadista. "I was different - normally traditional fado singers have black hair with the ponytail and black dresses. I love colours maybe it's because I have African roots. I decided not to have a fake image because it would not be me."