Mozambican jazz artist wins prestigious international award
File photo: Lusa
An eponymous album by born in Mozambique singer Mariza, produced by Spanish Javier Limón and released in May this year, has been listed by UK world music magazine Songlines among its top 10 of this year.
The publication cites the opening song “Triguierinha”, on “a joyful love”, as “setting aside any prejudices that fado is always melancholy”, and highlights the “wonderful” song “Quem Me Dera”, penned by Angola’s Matias Damásio, “Prayer”, Mariza’s own debut as a songwriter, and the duet, with Maria da Fé, of “Fado Errado” as all helping to “give a very special personal touch to the album”.
Mariza began singing fado on a regular basis at Senhor Vinho, the fado venue run by Maria da Fé and her husband, the poet José Luís Gordo, in the Lisbon neighbourhood of Madragoa.
The single “Quem Me Dera” has had more than 12 million views on the online platform YouTube, according to data from her promoter, Ruela Music.
Songlines also mentions “the transparency and delicacy of the production of Javier Limón”, who had already produced Mariza’s album “Terra” (2008).
Mariza is currently on a European tour presenting her new album that has already taken her through Germany, Spain, England, the UK and Switzerland. It ends on Saturday in Guimarães, at a concert that is already sold out, according to Ruela Music.
This is not the first time an album by Mariza has been listed in the Songlines top 10. Her 2015 ‘Mundo’ was also included, along with Lura’s ‘Herança’.
Mariza this year also won the Portuguese-Spanish Art and Culture Prize, jointly awarded by the governments in Lisbon and Madrid.
ALSO READ: Mozambique-born Mariza opens up about her early struggles and overnight success
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