Introducing... fado singer Mariza, world music's latest flame.

Fado is Portuguese blues music, and Amalia Rodrigues was its long-reigning queen. Now there is a new voice, the mesmeric melancholia of Mariza, who will perform at the Harrogate International Festival tomorrow in one of only two British concerts in her 2004 diary. Charles Hutchinson catches up with her - by phone - in Palermo, Sicily.

How would you describe fado to those unfamiliar with this style of music?

"For me, fado is the music that makes a conglomeration between all the feelings. Fado is a unique style of urban popular Portuguese music. It arose in the 19th century in popular quarters of Lisbon, though it was also imported by aristocracy. Its origins are not clear, and there's more than one theory about them. It's absolutely certain all the philosophy of fado stands on the spirit of discoveries, the particular feeling of the Portuguese culture of quest, and the link to the sea."

What defines fado, a word that means fate or destiny?

"The base is melancholy, and you have that as the base to explain all the feelings: love, happiness, jealousy, lost love, death... everything. You will have a melancholic one, and then have one talking about joy, but at the end of the day, you feel very happy because you have taken out all your emotions."

Fado tends to be seen only as melancholic. Why is that?

"The idea that it's all melancholic is not right, but they do bring that image to it: black clothes, black hair, only singing melancholic songs. But after my parents came to Portugal from Mozambique when I was three and opened a restaurant in the Mouraria quarter, I grew up in the street with people singing fado and singing happily. In my community, the experience was that we were singing sad songs but having happy times when singing them."

Can fado bridge the language barrier?

"Music has its own language. You don't have to understand the words, you just have to feel. I remember when I started understanding music more; I was listening to Jacques Brel and though I didn't understand a word, I understood the feeling.

"And the English and the Portuguese have the bond of the sea. We have a lot in common: the love of port wine and the sea, so I think the English understand fado."

The Harrogate International Festival brochure calls you "world music's favourite cover girl". Are you the Madonna of world music?

"Terrible! That is really bad! I know that when you go into a supermarket your eyes go to something that is more beautifully packaged but for me it didn't work like that. People are used to seeing fado singers in black dresses and black shawls, but I'm different... and it wasn't deliberate. I have blonde hair, I always dressed in pink, and I have my own way of dressing, wearing gowns.

"But I know that it's important for the international market because you have to catch the eye."

When will you release a new album?

"Maybe spring next year. We're going to be in the studio in December - I know it has to be then because it's the only month I have free this year! We'll be recording in Lisbon because I like to re-charge my batteries in my fado roots. I learn a lot with the old fado singers; I need to be with them."

Are you an ambassador for fado?

"I don't feel like an ambassador, but I would love it to be more international than it's been before. I would love to put people in touch with this powerful culture, as there's a lot of poetry to it, but at the same time it's not easy music. Fado is a very cultural thing and you have more people looking for music that's more mainstream. This is not commercial music and I don't want it to be commercial but if I can be one of the persons to show the world this Portuguese music, I will be very happy."

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Updated: 15:51 Thursday, July 29, 2004