Fadista

Outside Portugal the fadista as a practitioner of the genre is called most evident of late is the 31-year-old Ana Moura, whose smoky contralto has drawn the attention of the Rolling Stones and Prince and who has just released a live CD called "Coliseu." ❋ By LARRY ROHTER (2011)

I did admire Martell's fierce, heartfelt Maria - she communicates a strong sense of willfulness and pride, and does a fair impression of a fadista with the material provided. ❋ J. Kelly Nestruck (2011)

In their playwrights' note, the composer and lyricist team describe being on vacation in Portugal six years ago and reading about the longing, urban musical style known as fado and the legendary fadista Maria Severa Onofriana in a Lisbon city travel guide. ❋ J. Kelly Nestruck (2011)

With her smoky alto, striking beauty and poised self-assurance, Moura is an ideal "fadista" for the 21st century. ❋ Unknown (2012)

Enter Jorge Fernando, former guitarist for Amalia Rodrigues, generally hailed as the greatest fadista ever. ❋ Unknown (2012)

It might be presumptive to say so, but one assumes while traveling in Lisbon, preferably with fadista Mariza's latest album, "Terra" (Earth), as background music, that understanding what saudade means without knowing Portuguese is definitely easier for the people of Turkey than it would be for people from other countries. ❋ Unknown (2009)

In a September 2007 interview with Sunday's Zaman, fadista Katia Guerreiro had said she deeply believed that if one chooses to live intensely, then he or she can easily find the simple and pure melody of Portuguese fado music in numerous aspects of daily life. ❋ Unknown (2009)

The title of fadista belongs not only to the fado performer on the stage, but also to those who listen to fado, Guerreiro had also said. ❋ Unknown (2009)

At midnight on a recent Saturday night, the heavy doors were shut, the lights were lowered and the famed fadista Ana Sofia Varela stood up to sing a set of sorrowful ballads in the candlelight.

Similar to a Portuguese fadista or a flamenco vocalist, Foster sings from the gut, but combines her vocals with passion that comes sometimes from a broken heart. ❋ Unknown (2008)

Moura, who at 20 gave up performing in a rock band to concentrate on fado, declares her allegiance to the form in Fernando's "Sou do fado, sou fadista": "I know my soul has surrendered/Taken my voice in hand/Twisted it in my chest/ ❋ Unknown (2010)

Fado came from the lament for our sailors who departed and never returned, "legendary fadista Amália Rodrigues once said. ❋ Unknown (2009)