One of fado’s headiest voices, Gisela João, has now firmly established herself in the public eye as a leading contemporary performer of Portuguese music. She has already garnered a whole host of awards, from Blitz, Time Out and Expresso, and also a Golden Globe for best Portuguese singer.
Gisela’s near non-stop touring, both at home and abroad, and her utterly electrifying performances have rightly earned her a place alongside the giants of Portuguese music. Her contemporary fado style, which is straightforward and gimmick-free, is the product of both her classical training and her determination to fully immerse in the form. In rediscovering its authenticity, she questions its excesses and mannerisms and produces an art form that exudes genuineness.
Miguel Esteves Cardoso once said: “While Amália Rodrigues was the greatest fado singer of the 20th Century, (…) I know and feel that Gisela João is the greatest fado singer of the 21st Century.” And who are we to contradict him?
Press
“Portugal’s most widely acclaimed fado singer to emerge in this decade.” – New York Times, US