Ana Moura, at the age of 27, has become one of the most powerful new voices of fado, a Portuguese genre of music that is gaining a worldwide following.
Years after giving up rock ’n’ roll to focus on the moving, mournful music of her native Portugal, Ana Moura still fields this question: “Why?”
“They ask me … ‘Why did you choose fado? Don’t you miss the other music, the other styles?’ ” the singer said, quoting fellow musicians puzzled by her career choice. “Actually, I don’t miss it so much.”
At age 27, Ana Moura has become one of fado’s most powerful new voices—a top-selling artist who counts The Rolling Stones among her fans.
“Her lush alto voice can be smoky and hesitant or clear and pointed, working up to a tremulous insistence,” Jon Pareles of The New York Times wrote in a March 31 concert review. “Ms. Moura’s fado never forgets about the music’s past, but it lives in the moment.”
Fado, which literally means “fate,” is the soulful soundtrack of Portugal’s cafés and taverns.
A passionate genre with roots in sailors’ shanties, African slave songs and Arab music, it’s traditionally sung by women in Lisbon and men in the northern city of Coimbra— accompanied only by the round-bodied Portuguese guitar.
As Moura recently told The Tribune, her silky contralto softened by travel, she can’t imagine life without the familiar melodies and heartfelt lyrics of fado.
“Fado is really my destiny,” Moura said.
Born and raised near Lisbon, Moura spent her childhood in a musical household fond of fado and traditional Portuguese music. On special occasions, her family would sing as her father played guitar.
“I always felt that singing would be my future, since I was very, very young,” Moura recalled.
Exactly what Moura would sing was another question. As a teenager, she listened to modern pop stars like Michael Jackson and Portugal’s Fausto, and headlined a pop-rock band.
Yet the performer never strayed far from her heritage. Once fans discovered she sang traditional Portuguese songs, they insisted she include one fado song with each concert.
When Moura began recording a rock album, a producer urged her to “ ‘Please sing rock with the intensity that you sing fado,’ ” she recalled.
At age 20, the singer received an invitation to sing at a Lisbon fado house owned by renowned singer Maria da Fe. Moura began singing there every night, meeting the countless poets, musicians and fadistas that call the capital home.
“I thought, ‘OK, this is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life,’ ” she recalled.
It was at the fado houses that Moura met her closest collaborator—composer, producer and musician Jorge Fernando. He worked for years as guitarist for the so-called “Rainha do Fado” (“Queen of Fado”), singer Amália Rodrigues.
“For me, it’s a big honor to work with him,” Moura said, describing the guitarist as a tireless perfectionist.
“When he writes me something… he tells me, ‘Ana, I think you will like this,’ and most of the time I really like it,” she said with a soft laugh.
Fernando’s influence can be heard on Moura’s first two fado albums: “Guarda-me A Vida Na Mão” (“Keep My Life in Your Hand”) and “Aconteceu” (“It Happened”).
Her latest album, “Para Além da Saudade,” also features the work of guitarist Custódio Castelo and Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Tim Ries. Spanish singer-actor Paxti Andión appears on one track.
The title, which loosely translates to “Beyond Sadness,” also refers to one of the guiding principles of fado, “saudade.”
Although there’s no direct translation in English, the term can be interpreted as nostalgia or longing for a long-lost person or place.
“It’s very hard (to explain) because it’s a mix of feelings,” said Moura, adding that she’s drawn to fado’s introspective nature.
Most fado songs are laments, expressing sorrow, anger and loss. Others reveal an upbeat, flirty side.
When Moura sings, she said, a wealth of emotions pour through her.
“I used to say that sometimes it feels like it’s not me,” said the singer. “It’s like some kind of energy has come to me that takes my body and my voice to say something.”
Moura’s blossoming career comes as fado is enjoying a new wave of popularity.
She attributes some of that success to the end of the authoritarian regime known as the Estado Novo (“New State”), which ruled Portugal for more than four decades.
“At that time, we were afraid of everything that was ours. We had this preconception about old Portuguese things because we lived in this closed (environment),” Moura explained.
Now, she says, the nation is eager to embrace its heritage.
In order to keep the genre fresh, Moura said, she seeks out songs with lyrics that speak to today’s listeners — paired with familiar melodies.
For instance, she recorded a fado version of the Rolling Stones’ “No Expectations” for Tim Ries’ tribute album to the band.
Although few of overseas audiences may understand Moura’s Portuguese-language songs, she said the music transcends language barriers and cultural differences.
“People can feel fado in a very special way, even if they don’t understand the lyrics,” Moura said. “You can pass on the message.”
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Listen to a song from Para Além Da Saudade