by Phillip Zonkel

Yup. She's got the blues. Born in Mozambique but raised in Portugal, Mariza has become one of the most popular fado singers (fado is Portugal's answer to the blues). She even garnered Portugal's "Best Fado Voice 2000" award. Mariza's "Fado em Mim" is full of passion, sorrow, jealousy, grief and often satire. It also possesses a poetic mystery and ability to fuse dichotomous traits: impossible pain and fervent joy, life's cruelty with love's intensity. Guess that's why they call it the blues.