MARIZA

Mariza is a Mozambican whose soul was forged in the old Mouraria district of Lisbon. It was there that she first heard fado singers, lots of them - so many that their names and faces have merged into the mist of memory; but these “reminiscences live on in my singing”. On a succession of tours in Europe and North America she sold out the Royal Festival Hall in London, the Alte Oper in Frankfurt, the Belém Cultural Centre in Lisbon and the Théâtre de La Ville in Paris. Foreign journalists in Portugal noted her “excellence in the spreading of Portuguese culture, in its most characteristic manifestation: the fado” and voted her Personality of the Year 2003. 2005 came to a close with Mariza nominated for the Best European Artist in the category of World Music Award by BBC Radio 3. Mariza declared that she is “deeply moved and happy that Portugal is once again featured in these Awards”. She won the award for the first time in 2003.