Sept. 29, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: LISA WOSKE,
(805) 756-7110
Cal Poly Arts Brings Passionate Portuguese Music to Spanos Theatre Oct. 19
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Fado, Portugal’s passionate traditional
folk music, is considered to be the “blues” of that culture.
On Tuesday,
October 19 at 8 p.m., chanteuse Mariza -- Portugal’s “Voice
of Fado” –
will bring her lush vocals to the Spanos Theatre. “When Mariza sings,
time stands still,”
according to BBC Radio.
Cal Poly Arts presents the fado singer as part of their innovative
Director’s Choice Series. Known for her crystal voice and mesmerizing
stage performance, Mariza will make her San Luis Obispo debut backed by
a Portuguese 12-string guitar, a classical guitar, and a string bass,
Fado is an emotionally-loaded music, filled with the poetry of longing,
unrequited love, and romantic nostalgia. But Fado also exudes a great
joy in just feeling alive.
According to Billboard magazine, “It takes special gifts to perform
fado
and to garner acceptance as a ‘fadista’ in Portugal…Mariza
proves she
has the voice.”
The London Evening Standard reported, “Mariza is a soulful singer
who
seems unable to hit a wrong note…The audience fell silent, as if
under a
spell.”
Mariza was born in Mozambique and her family moved to Portugal when she
was a baby.She was exposed to fado directly in the “Fado Houses,”
where singing is
spontaneous and part of everyday life.
In her teens, Mariza was attracted to soul, gospel, and jazz; in her
twenties, Mariza’s “old” feelings for fado were rejuvenated.
In 1999, Mariza had her first major national exposure as one of the
guest performers in Tribute Concerts for fadista Amália Rodriques
in the
Coliseums of Lisbon and Oporto. These performances captured the interest
of the public and national media and she has been performing in Portugal
and throughout Europe and the U.S. ever since.
In 2000, Mariza received Portugal’s main radio station's “Voice
of Fado”
award more recently was nominated for the German Critics’ Award,
the
“Deutsche Schallplaten.” Her debut 2002 CD, “Fado em
Mim,” immediately
entered the Hot 100 album charts in Europe and garnered critical acclaim
and a wide fan base.
She recently released her follow-up CD, "Fado Curvo."
"Mariza (remains) firmly in touch with the fado roots while spreading
her own newly-blossoming creative interpretations." (Los Angeles
Times)
Tickets for the performance are $28 & $34, with student discounts
available, and may be purchased at the Performing Arts Ticket Office,
10
a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. To order by
phone, call 805/756-2787; to order by fax: 805/756-6088. Order on-line
at www.pacslo.org.
Sponsored by Scott and Barbara Radovich and KCBX 90.1 FM.
For audio and video samples of Cal Poly Arts events, visit
www.calpolyarts.org.
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