NEW YORK TIMES FEATURE ON FADO
On Sunday, March 27 2011, the New York Times published a feature article in the Arts and Leisure section on the international boom of Fado music. It was titled, "Carving a Bold Destiny for Fado." In conjunction with our fall tour of the East Coast and performance at the New York City Winery, the writer, Larry Rohter, attended the show, and decided to include our band in his article which included Mariza, Ana Moura, Ramana Vieira and some of the other fadistas making their mark in the music world. Read article

Feb. 17, 2011
Ramana Vieira: Fated for Fado
Bay Area singer draws on her musical family's Portugese roots  

Ramana featured on front cover of San Francisco Talent Magazine
Ramana Vieira: Fated for Fado

The Tribune - San Luis Obispo
Feb.17.2011  

Ramana Makes Cover of Macau Journal!

Ramana Vieira with Tuna Macanese group performing at the closing ceremonies at Fisherman's wharf in Macau, China at the 2011 "Encontro das
Comunidades Macaenses." 

Concert Review
Ramana Vieira Ensemble
City Winery
NYC 8/8/10
Evan Ginzburg
www.legendsradio.net

Ramana Vieira may not be a household name but she is most definitely a star.
Walking onto the elegant and intimate City Winery stage, she is a commanding yet personable presence. Exuding class, she belted out Portuguese Fado tunes which she explained, is Portuguese blues. And she was smart enough to give a little background on most of the tunes as not everyone in the audience spoke the gorgeous language. Whether they were traditional songs or originals penned by Ms. Vieira, we felt their power. These blues may not have come out of Chicago like the ones Im accustomed to, but they certainly struck a chord anyway.
It seems many of the songs are about lovers separated, sometimes because the Portuguese sailors had to go out to sea. Although they longed for their men to return, the ladies had faith in the power of their love. Hey, there were no phone calls, faxes, texts or e-mails for sixteenth century separated lovers. So those were some serious blues for sure.
Ms. Vieira clearly felt every one of her numbers and delivered them in a dramatic, and at times almost theatrical style, utilizing shawls and traditional hats and such to tell- and sell- the stories she sang so passionately. Simply put, she held the audience in the palm of her hands, having them repeatedly sing and even hum along.
Backed by a virtuoso ensemble, the instrumentals were as lovely as the vocals and they more than complemented each other.
It was a lovely night in a beautiful venue, perfect for my initiation into a form of World Music we dont hear enough of in these parts. And California based Ramana Vieira making her New York debut was just the vivacious ambassador to do the job.

"Ramana Vieira is a force in spreading awareness of fado, having developed her style in California, abroad in Portugal, and listening to its many modes." ~Andrew Gilbert, Boston Globe www.boston.com

Ramana Vieira Interview
By DENNY DYROFF
Staff Writer

Portuguese fado features some of the most soulful music in the world. Unfortunately for American fans of the centuries-old music style, opportunities to hear fado performed live onstage are few and far between.
Fortunately for area music fans, one of the brightest new artists in the genre is coming to town. Ramana Vieira will kick off her East Coast tour with a show tonight at the World Café Live in Philadelphia.
According to the www.visitportugal.com website, “Fado is the song that harnesses the Portuguese soul. Deep-seated feelings, disappointments in love, the sense of sadness and longing for someone who has gone away, everyday events, the ups and downs of life – inspiration for fado can come from almost any source.”
Singing fado music came naturally for Vieira. Born in San Leandro, California to Portuguese immigrants, she was exposed to fado before she even left the womb.
“When I was still very young, I can remember my mother listening fado in the kitchen when she was preparing dinner and cutting onions,” said Vieira, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon. “My mother forgets how much fado she played.
“And, she’ll swear she love male fado singers more but I know she was listening to a lot of female fado singers – especially Amália Rodrigues. We also listened a lot to the music of Bailinho Madeira, which is a dance of the Madeira Islands where my family is from.”
Amália Rodrigues, who is known around the world as the “Queen of Fado”, has been a major inspiration for Vieira.
“I cover a lot of Amália Rodrigues’ songs,” said Vieira. “I also sing my own compositions as well as other re-arranged fado classics.”
Vieira’s first recording was the EP “Sem Ti” (Portuguese for “Without You”). She followed with a full-length album titled “Daspi a Alma” (“Undressed My Soul”). Now, Vieira is touring in support of her brand new CD “Lagrimas De Rainha” (Tears of a Queen).
“My father and my grandfather were both musicians,” said Vieira, who was called “the new voice of Portuguese world music” by Mundo Portugues magazine. “When I was a child of 10, I was singing fado with my grandfather. It was like an evolutionary process.
“When I was a little older, I studied acting at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. I wanted to be a pop singer like Suzanne Vega or Sarah McLachlan -- to do the singer-songwriter stuff. A record producer listened to what I was doing and said to me – this is not your path…your path is to go back to your ethnic roots.
“Fado is very dramatic. It is musical and has all the drama of theater. When I was on a trip to Portugal, I was dared to sing fado at a club. I sang Amália Rodrigues’ “Estranha forma de vida” and it got a great response.”
One thing led to another. Vieira began singing fado more and was signed to a record deal by Pacific Coast Jazz. She also assembled a top-caliber band featuring Laura Boytz (cello), Jeffrey Luiz (classic and electric guitars), Stephen LaPorta (drums and percussion) and Alberto Ramirez (electric bass).
Fado, which has often been compared to American blues music, frequently has saudade as a theme. Saudade, which has no direct translation in English, is often defined as longing, yearning or homesickness. But, it is much more than that. It is a Portuguese word that conveys a feeling of nostalgic longing for something or someone that is often unattainable.
“I have that magic of the saudade,” said Vieira. “I have that fire burning inside me. I channel old world Portugal.”


“Ramana Vieira, a contemporary singer of traditional Portuguese fado.”
-Steve Ispas of Epoch Times, (read more) (see video)

“Vieira’s songs are regal with exotic rhythms and warm esthetics that wrap the melodies in a beauty that appeals instinctively to the masses. Vieira’s vocals have a poetic resonance that makes the listener hang on every word and feel for the stories being told in the verses without possibly even understanding what is being said.”
-Susan Frances of Jazz Review, (read more)

"...instead of going out of her way to emulate her influences, Vieira demonstrates that she is her own person -- and she does that in Portuguese most of the time, although she performs mostly or entirely in English on "Amália" (a tribute to Rodrigues), "United in Love," and "My Country Portugal." This 50-minute CD has its share of traditional, time-honored fado gems (including "Maria Lisboa," "Fado Marujo," and "Coimbra"), but Vieira is far from a fado purist. A fado purist would not do any singing in English, and a fado purist would not incorporate jazz and American adult contemporary the way that Vieira does at times. But the fact that Vieira does all of those things is a plus; she is well aware of fado's rich history, although the expressive singer obviously isn't afraid to carve out an appealing identity of her own. And that willingness to take chances serves Vieira well on the promising Lágrimas de Rainha."
-Billboard Review, (read more)

“Ramana Vieira, a rising star in World Music.”
-San Francisco Examiner

“The new voice of Portuguese World music”
-Antonio Olilveira, Mundo Portuguese

“No one in the United States is doing more to breathe new life into Fado than Ramana Vieira, a sultry, dramatic singer.”
-Andrew Gilbert, San Francisco Chronicle

“The long and noble tradition of Portuguese Fado is ably updated by Ramana Vieira on this very good CD. Her fluid interpretation of low key lyrics brings out the melancholy soul of the music while never allowing the mood to become anything but uplifting. Some of the songs come from the established repertoire, some of them having also been sung by Amália Rodrigues, the singer to whom this album is dedicated and who is the queen referred to in the title. For anyone new to Fado, which has been likened to the blues for its lyrical tales of loss and separation, this CD will be an informative delight.”
-Bruce Crowther, Jazz Journalist and Author

“Vieira’s songs are regal with exotic rhythms and warm esthetics that wrap the melodies in a beauty which appeals instinctively to the masses. Vieira’s vocals have a poetic resonance that makes the listener hang on every word and feel for the stories being told in the verses without possibly even understanding what is being said. Vieira’s songs transcend language barriers through her expressive style and smooth vocal textures. This is music that you can imagine being sung in the streets of Lisbon, the commercial hubs of Madrid, and the piazzas of Florence. The songs appeal to the masses and infiltrate the senses in a way that breathes warmth into the soul and supplies a healing salve over wounds.”
-Susan Frances, Jazz Review

“A prominent influence on Lágrimas de Rainha (Tears of a Queen) is the late Amália Rodrigues (who, arguably, was to Fado what Edith Piaf was to French chanson and Celia Cruz was to salsa), and there are also hints of Dulce Pontes (who was born almost 40 years after Rodrigues) in Vieira's soulful, torchy performances. But instead of going out of her way to emulate her influences, Vieira demonstrates that she is her own person -- although the expressive singer obviously isn't afraid to carve out an appealing identity of her own. And that willingness to take chances serves Vieira well on the promising Lágrimas de Rainha.”
-Alex Henderson, Billboard & All Music Guide

“If you are a fan of Fado and are looking for something a little unusual, this may just be your album. Each song features Vieira’s rich, at times smoky, distinctive voice. Her traditional singing sustains notes that often end with a seductive growl. Vieira’s voice provides the expected warbling, soulful singing and roundness typically expected of a fadista, but the musical arrangements here are what distinguishes this album from a more traditional approach. This album will appeal to those appreciative of Fado’s sentimental, comforting romance, its familiar strains and its immortal tales of love, song and laughter.” 3 1/2 stars
-Cynthia Foo, MuzikReview.com

“I have had the opportunity to interview and listen to a number of artists in the Portuguese Community. I found by listening to Ramana's album a sense of deepest sympathy towards the "Fado" its roots and a commitment to keep Fado alive.”
-Joao Manuel Dias, KSQQ Portuguese Radio

“Portuguese Fado music is extremely melodic and beautiful and so are the talents of Ramana Vieira. Her voice and her music are as sincere and beautiful as the language and lands of the Acores. I was mesmerized by her …”
-Mayor Shelia Young, City of San Leandro

“While recent Fado successes have focused on the still, reflective side of the poetry-driven folk style, Ramana Vieira’s approach is kinetic and powerful. The singer’s stunning rendition of the late Amália Rodrigues classic “Estranha Forma De Vida” acknowledges the lineage amidst a stately piano arrangement.”
-Starbucks, Hearmusic.com

“She is gifted with a voice that is both breathtaking and intoxicating.”
-AK Music and Talent