Mariza
Mariza, is one of Portugal's top fado singers or fadistas, who has helped to spread the popularity of the music beyond its birth place in Portugal.
Marisa dos Reis Nunes, born to a Portuguese father and Mozambique mother in the then Portuguese colony of Mozambique in 1973, grew up in Lisbon from the age of 3. Mariza experimented with a variety of musical styles as she was growing up before settling on fado.
Her first album Fad Em Mim released when she was 18 was a success and she followed this in 2003 with Fado Curvo, which brought her to international attention.
Mariza's later albums Tranparente and Terra were also huge hits both in Portugal and overseas and the singer has scooped a number of musical awards for her music and voice.
Mariza has been compared to the great fado divas of the past and also tries to bring other influences to her music including latin, jazz and African sounds.
Mariza has performed worldwide including at the 2002 World Cup, the 2004 Athens Olympics and at the Royal Albert Hall, Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall in New York.
Mariza, a natural beauty, with her trademark cropped blond hair, performs in beautiful dresses and is not static at the microphone, but moves around the stage. Her whole performance communicates the deep emotion of fado.