Sorrow wrapped in guitar filigree, elegant romance with a tragic undercurrent – that’s the tradition of Portuguese fado that Ana Moura joins. – The New York Times

Her melancholic intimacy dominates the moment... setting a mood of mesmerising sorrow. – BBC Music

When Ana Moura sings, one can feel a sense of strength and passion that has no maps or roads – a mysterious soul wrapped in the words of poets and spread through the astounding beauty of her vocals.

While living in Carcavelos in Portugal, young Moura found recognition for her musical talents, in particular, in a genre of traditional Portuguese music called fado. She was soon invited by various Portuguese guitar players to sing in fado houses there, and was subsequently hired to sing at Lisbon’s Sr. Vinho, an emblematic fado house owned by renowned fado singer, Maria da Fé.

Moura’s debut album, Guarda-me a Vida na Mão (2003), was warmly lauded by critics and the listening public. One of the tracks, Sou do Fado sou fadista, became an instant standard. In contrast, her 2004 album Aconteceu was a conceptual adventure, a double CD divided into traditional fado and new paths evolving within and around the fado style. To reinforce this new approach, she collaborated with musicians and songwriters from different musical quadrants, such as Tozé Brito, Tiago Bettencourt and Blind Zero’s Miguel Guedes.

She was also invited by Tim Ries, the Rolling Stones’ resident sax player, to record two reinterpretations of Rolling Stones songs as arranged by singer-composer Jorge Fernando and the famous Portuguese guitar player Custódio Castelo for Stones World: The Rolling Stones Project Vol. 2 (2008). She later met the venerable band and performed a special duet version of No Expectations with lead singer Mick Jagger during their concert in Lisbon.

Moura’s 2007 double-platinum album, Para Além da Saudade, features collaborations with Amélia Muge, Fausto and Patxi Andion, as well as the massive hit, Os Búzios. Her new album, Leva-me aos Fados (2009), is another step forward – as evident in the title track, a worthy successor to Os Buzíos in terms of popularity, and Não é um Fado Normal, which was written by Amélia.

Besides her extensive touring in Europe, she has also conquered Mexico, the USA and many global cities. Her merit was recognised with an award for Best Performer of the Year, given out by the Amália Rodrigues Foundation in 2007. In the Netherlands, she received a nomination for an Edison, the Dutch world-music equivalent of a Grammy.

At Moura’s much-anticipated show at Mosaic Music Festival, she will enchant you with her fado repertoire, buoyed by her singing style that’s breathtaking whether in the navigation of melodies or silences.

7.30pm
(1 hr, no intermission)

$30
(Limited concessions for students, NSF and senior citizens: $20)

Exclusive savings for Mosaic Friends and other packages available.