Schimmel Center Presents Ricardo Ribeiro and Lula Pena

Schimmel Center presents two performances by acclaimed fado artists-Ricardo Ribeiro on Saturday, March 24 at 7:30 p.m. and Lula Pena on Saturday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m.-as part of the New York Fado Festival.

Called "one of the most distinctive artists in the new wave of fadistas" (Songlines) Ricardo Ribeiro is considered one of today's top male fado singers. He brings his powerful, emotion-filled songs to the Schimmel Center, and will perform alongside a trio Ricardo Ribeiro will perform alongside a traditional fado trio formed by Luis Guerreiro (Portuguese guitar), Carlos Manuel Proença (fado guitar) and Daniel Pinto (bass guitar).

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Lula Pena, described as "utterly transfixing" (NPR) makes a rare solo appearance, performing deeply emotional songs that cross borders from Andalucia to Greece and Sardinia to America. Pena's concerts blend her fado roots with colors of Portuguese folk music, French chanson, Cape Verdean morna, and Brazilian bossa nova.

About the Artists
Ricardo Ribeiro found fado at an early age, listening to the big names of that time, who would later became his references to the genre: Fernando Mauricio, Amália Rodrigues, Alfredo Marceneiro, Manuel Fernandes, Adelino dos Santos (guitar) and José Inácio (Spanish guitar). In 2001, Ricardo was invited to take part in several worldwide music festivals, including Alu Casa da Atriz María Casares, Badasom, Vocal Jazz Festival Crest, Córdoba's Guitar Festival, and the Santo Tirso Guitar Festival.

In 2004, his first record Ricardo Ribeiro was released by the CNM - Coleção Antologia label, which brought together guitar players José Manuel Neto, Jorge Fernando and Marino de Freitas. Ricardo also took part in the Tribute to Amália Rodrigues record (2004) on the World Connection label, singing the song "Quando se gosta de Alguém."

Ricardo was awarded the Male Revelation Prize by the Amália Rodrigues Foundation and the Revelation Award by Casa da Imprensa in 2005. In 2011, he was once again awarded with the Best Male singer prize by the Amália Rodrigues Foundation, and performed two sold-out shows at São Luiz Teatro Municipal in Lisbon, Portugal, dedicated to Lisbon and fado. He was additionally invited by Macau's Chinese Orchestra to perform at the Luso-Chinese music cycle at the Macau Cultural Center, directed by Maestro Pang Ka Pang.

Ricardo received the Henry the Navigator Award from Portuguese President Aníbal Cavaco Silva in 2015, and was nominated for Best Artist of the Songlines Music Awards in the same year. His latest album, Hoje é assim, amanhã não sei (Today is like this, tomorrow I don't know), was released in April 2016 and he was nominated for Best Artist 2017 for the second time in a row by Songlines magazine for this album alongside Aziza Brahim, Felix Lajko and Baaba Maal. For this same album, he additionally won the 2017 Carlos Paredes Prize awarded by the Vila Franca de Xira City Hal and got a mention for the 2017 José Afonso Award given by the Amadora City Hall.

On November 29th, Ricardo launched a new videoclip starring the well-known Portuguese comedian, actor and TV host César Mourão for the theme "Fadinho Alentejano". In 2018, he performs at the Fajr Music Festival, at the Vienna Opera House, and in Tehran, in France, and in the US, performing in Massachusetts, and for the first time at the New York Fado Festival.

Lula Pena's inventive take on fado and other styles of music has developed a devoted following worldwide, a kind of international secret society whose ranks grow with each of her too rare appearances. Born and raised in Lisbon, Portugal, Pena takes fado to every Mediterranean port, and also across the Atlantic to Brazil and Central America.

Her first album, Phados, released in 1998, won her immediate acclaim through her deep, commanding yet sensitive voice, her natural blend of fado roots with the colors of Portuguese folk music, French chanson, Cape Verdean morna, Brazilian bossa nova, and the stripped-down delivery of voice and guitar.

She re-appeared on the scene some twelve years later with the release of her second album, Troubadour, a collection of stories of passion and pain, mirroring her personal journey as an existentialist musician and a serendipitous poet.

Throughout the past few years she has performed in Cape Verde, Brazil, Chile, the United States, and around Europe, occasionally appearing in duo with Guinea-Bissau multi-instrumentalist, MuMbana, or the New Zealand saxophonist, Hayden Chisholm, but usually, on her own. In 2017, she released her third album, Archivo Pittoresco, by Crammed Discs that has gathered praise from international media and audiences around the globe.

Event Information

Schimmel Center Presents
RICARDO RIBEIRO
with
Luis Guerreiro, Portuguese guitar
Carlos Manuel Proença, fado guitar
Daniel Pinto, bass guitar

Saturday, March 24, 2018 at 7:30 p.m.

Curated by Isabel Soffer / Live Sounds

Part of the NY Fado Festival

Schimmel Center Presents
LULA PENA

Saturday, March 31, 2018 at 7:30 p.m.

Curated by Isabel Soffer / Live Sounds

Part of the NY Fado Festival

Ticket Information
Tickets are available at www.schimmelcenter.org, by calling 212-346-1715 or by visiting the box office located at 3 Spruce Street. The Schimmel Center box office is open Tuesdays through Saturday from Noon to 5:00 p.m. and three hours prior to performances.

About Schimmel Center
Schimmel Center, located in the heart of downtown Manhattan at Pace University, presents a unique and diverse array of internationally acclaimed artists, encompassing genres including dance, cabaret, music, comedy, world music, and family programming, in an intimate setting with affordable ticket prices. For more information, visit SchimmelCenter.org.

Location Information
Schimmel Center is accessible via the A, C, 2, 3, 4, 5, J, or Z to Fulton Street (William Street Exit), 4, 5, 6 to Brooklyn Bridge (Brooklyn Bridge Exit), and R to City Hall (Broadway Exit); via the Path Train to the World Trade Center stop; and via bus by the M1, M9, M15, M22, M102, B51 to Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall Stop or the M6 to City Hall/Broadway.

Image of Ricardo Ribeiro by Hugo Moura; image of Lula Pena by Buddhy

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