Mariza

Mariza is a fado singer and songwriter associated with folk and world music. She is from Maputo, Portugal, and was born in 1973. She is credited on the World Connection label.

Early life and background

Mariza Nunes moves to Portugal at the age of three and grows up in Mouraria, one of the most traditional districts of Lisbon. It is there that she learns to sing fado. She has a Portuguese father and a mother from Mozambique, and the song Transparente is a tribute to her African grandmother.

Career

Mariza becomes known for a contemporary approach to fado and is often compared with Amália Rodrigues, whose songs she covers. For the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, she collaborates with Sting on the duet “A Thousand Years”, which appears on the official Olympics album Unity. On that recording, fado is sung in both English and Portuguese.

Awards and recordings

In 2003, Mariza wins the Europe category of the BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music. Her discography includes Fado em Mim (2002), Fado Curvo (2003), Live in London (2005), Transparente (2005), Concerto em Lisboa (2006), Terra (2008), and Fado Tradicional (2010). Some of these releases appear in DVD and CD formats.