Mariza
With over 30 platinum albums and numerous national and international awards, Portuguese artist Mariza is a true ambassador of fado, a folk singing tradition associated with the pubs and cafes of Lisbon. She has made the world her stage, sharing the musical culture that has made her a singer in demand.
Born in Mozambique, but raised in one of the most emblematic and traditional neighborhoods of Lisbon (Mouraria), Marzia was influenced from a very early age by the musical culture that inhabits every corner: Fado. Heiress to the state of mind of the Portuguese people, Mariza transcends her own name. She is a latent memory of emotions and an ambassador in her own right of a country that admires her, and proudly assumes her a part of the Portugal's cultural fabric.
"Fado is the traditional music of Portugal - proud, austere and deeply melancholic. Mariza is the music's biggest star for a reason: she sings it not as musty nostalgia but as exuberant 21st-century pop, with a low, mesmerizing alto that's as commanding as any pop singer today... remaking Fado's ancient sadness into a majestic modern sound." - Rolling Stone