Portugal’s Queen of Fado, Mariza, to Perform at Kimmel Center on October 9
September 7, 2005
Portugal’s Queen of Fado, Mariza
Critically acclaimed, innovative Portuguese Fado singer Mariza and special guest Lila Downs are scheduled to perform at the Kimmel Center’s Verizon Hall on Sunday, October 9 at 7:30pm.
The concert is part of the Sovereign Bank World/Pop Mix series. The next concert in the series features the cabaret phenomenon Kiki & Herb on October 15, 2005 at 7pm and 9:30pm.
Tickets for Mariza and guest Lila Downs on October 9 are $34, $43, $48 and $56 and can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online or at the Kimmel Center box office, open daily from 10am to 6pm and later on performance evenings. (Additional fees may apply).
Mariza is the force behind the rebirth and popularity of Fado. Traditional Fado is a type of 19th century folk music from Portugal, characterized by its sense of longing and nostalgia, with lyrics usually about the sea or the lives of the poor. Since the original Queen of Fado, Maria Severa, reigned during the first half of the 19th century, Fado has taken the world by storm again. It is Mariza who is responsible for the surge of popularity in Fado music, as she effectively blends the sounds of traditional Fado with contemporary form and style. This renewal of the Fado form is a delicate process, one that Mariza takes very seriously. As she explains, “. . . fado is not limited… but it must be treated with the utmost care.”
Mariza’s musical start in Fado was a direct result of her experiences as a child, growing up in Lisbon. Today, in her albums, performances, and sultry voice, audiences can hear Mariza’s memories of the Fado singers of her childhood, intricately woven together with her own personal thoughts and experiences. Her most recent album, Transparente,, marks the turning point in Mariza’s musical career. Upon comparison with her earlier albums, Fado Em Mim (Fado in Me) and Fado Curvo (Curved Fado), the evolution of Mariza’s work is clear. Each album moves from beautiful, more traditional forms to more and more experimentation within the Fado form. Transparente, her most recent recording, produced by Grammy award winning producer Jacques Morelenbaum, evokes the ultimate Fado experience, with stripped back production and accompaniment. It is, ironically, the transparency itself that makes the album so full of complicated emotion.
Lila Downs, most well known for her performances on the soundtrack of the film Frida, began her musical career at the age of eight, singing mariachi music on the streets in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. Later, while studying at the University of Minnesota, Lila began the path to a career in opera singing, but became disillusioned and abandoned her study of music. Lila Down’s current, flavorful singing emerges from her days performing in small clubs in Oaxaca and Philadelphia with expatriate saxophonist Paul Cohen. Today, Lila Downs performs her own compositions, as well as traditional Mesoamerican music. The Los Angeles Times describes Lila Downs as an “[. . .]Exotic beauty and startling voice…she is a reflection of a 21st century world culture where ethnicity and national boundaries blur.” (“Una belleza exotica y una voz sobresaliente… ella es un reflejo de una cultura del siglo 21 donde las fronteras etnicas y nacionales se desvanecen.” ).
Tickets for Mariza and Lila Downs on October 9 at Verizon Hall range from $34 to $56. Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online or at the Kimmel Center box office, open daily from 10am to 6pm and later on performance evenings. (Additional fees may apply). For group sales call 215-790-5883.
A limited number of $10 tickets are available for every Kimmel Center Presents performance at the Kimmel Center. Tickets go on sale the day of the event and can be purchased at the Kimmel Center box office beginning 2.5 hours prior to evening performances and 11:30am for matinees.
Sponsors of the 2005/2006 Kimmel Center Presents season include Mellon Financial Corporation, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Sovereign Bank, The American Express Company, and Verizon Foundation. Special Student Matinees at the Kimmel Center are generously supported by Merck & Co., Inc. American Airlines is the Official Airline of Kimmel Center Presents. Toyota is the Official Vehicle of Kimmel Center Presents Jazz and World Pop programming. In-kind support is generously provided by Deloitte and Southern Wine and Spirit.
KIMMEL CENTER PRESENTS
Sovereign Bank World/Pop Mix series
October 9, 2005, 7:30pm
Verizon Hall
Mariza
Mariza, vocals
Luis Guerreiro, Portuguese guitar
Antonio Neto, acoustic guitar
Vasco Rodrigues Guerreiro de Sousa, bass
Antonio Barbosa Da Silva, violin
Ricardo Mesquita Mateus, viola
Paulo Pereira Moreira, cello
Joao Pedro Ruela, percussion
Lila Downs
Lila Downs, vocals
Paul Cohen, Music Director, piano, saxophone
Guilherme Monteiro, guitar
Yayo Serka, drums, percussion
Rob Curto, accordion
Edmar Catañeda, harp and cuatro
Booker King, bass
> index of news releases
> For more information, and to request high resolution images for press use, please
send us a message online.