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Portuguese Fado Sensation:
RAMANA VIEIRA
Performances and New Release
"Làgrimas De Rainha- Tears Of A Queen"
Ramana Vieira & Her Ensemble to Perform at Yoshi's in Oakland - May 26, 2009 8 & 10 PM
Ramana Vieira and her Ensemble will perform music from the new record "Lágrimas De Rainha," at Yoshi's in Oakland
May 26, 2009 $18 ticket, 2 shows at 8pm & 10pm
Yoshi's in Oakland
510 Embarcadero West, Jack London Square, Oakland CA 94607
phone :: 510.238.9200
website :: www.yoshis.com
ALSO:
May 19 5:20 p.m ., Radio interview on KKUP 91.5 FM with Afrikan Jahmal Dayvs show May 19th at 5:20 p.m.
Tune In and take a listen to cut's from the new record "Lágrimas De Rainha."
Billboard Album Review
When American musicians see song titles in Portuguese, the first thing that comes to mind is Brazilian music. That's certainly understandable; Brazil is the largest country in South America, and a lot of great pop and jazz has come from Brazil. But there is a whole other world of rich Portuguese-language singing: fado, which comes from Portugal itself. And in the United States, one singer who has been a strong proponent of fado is Ramana Vieira (who grew up in Northern California but has Portuguese parents). 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 -- 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.
~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
Muito Obrigada
ABOUT RAMANA VIEIRA
"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
"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
Ramana Vieira sings with such a wide range of emotions one cannot help but be mesmerized by images of "old world" Portugal that emerge from the depths of her soul. Her extraordinary gift of bringing this 15th century style into modern times is her unique trademark. Often referred to as the "New Voice of Portuguese World Music," this powerful vocalist is making her mark as one of the premier contemporary Fado artists. According to the Portuguese, Fado is a melancholy and often-mournful music similar to the American blues as it tells stories of heartache and disappointment. The essence of the poetry is the quality of "saudade," a word that is difficult to translate as it expresses a myriad of feelings.
In her new release, "Lágrimas De Rainha (Tears Of A Queen)," Ramana has solidified her place as an artist who understands the tradition of Fado singing and continues to creatively construct a path into the future by combining new musical textures and original compositions. Many of the songs on the CD are inspired by Ramana's main influence, Amália Rodrigues, known as the "Rainha do Fado" ("Queen of Fado") and who is attributed to popularizing the Fado worldwide. According to Ramana, "Nobody else is doing what we are doing with Fado. Take the feel and groove of Shakira and the melodic textures of Dulce Pontes and that is how I would describe our music." Even the emotional concept of "Lágrimas De Rainha" paints sonic pictures that support Ramana's desire to invent a fresh Fado sound blooming from the ground of her own family roots. Her grandfather, a famous musician and composer from Madeira Island, Portugal, left her a rich musical legacy that Ramana quickly embraced after experiencing the profundity of the Portuguese culture.
Ramana brings her singing, dancing, and theater studies (from the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco) to her performances which include: opening for Grammy nominated fadista Mariza; performing her original song "Unido Para Amar" for the 2006 Winter Olympics video montage; making her international debut with RPT TV Portuguese network; and chosen to sing for the Grammy's 50th Awards special Music Cares benefit to honor Aretha Franklin. Her two prior recordings, "Despi A Alma (I Undressed My Soul)" and "Sem Ti" helped her to gain recognition, win awards, and appear on the cover of "Mundo Portuguese" Magazine.
However, Ramana's truly magical spirit comes alive in "Lágrimas De Rainha (Tears Of A Queen)" which features an outstanding group of musicians, lyricists, and arrangers such as Marcie Brown (cello), Jeffrey Luiz (classic and electric guitars), Stephen La Porta (drums and percussion), Alberto Ramirez (electric bass), and special guests, Helder Carvallheira (guitarra or Portuguese guitar), Didier Bouvet (guitar), and Golden Reel Award winning film composer and arranger, Robert Randles ("The English Patient," "The Talented Mr. Ripley," and "Amadeus").
Ramana sincerely believes that her progressive and unconventional style of juxtaposing different instrumental layers and nuances will open new doors for Fado music while continuing to maintain the integrity of a time-honored tradition. With her incredible artistry and devotion for Fado music there is no doubt this bright-eyed beauty will accomplish her dream. For more information go to: www.ramanavieira.net
I
RAMANA VIEIRA
Performances and New Release
"Làgrimas De Rainha- Tears Of A Queen"
Ramana Vieira & Her Ensemble to Perform at Yoshi's in Oakland - May 26, 2009 8 & 10 PM
Ramana Vieira and her Ensemble will perform music from the new record "Lágrimas De Rainha," at Yoshi's in Oakland
May 26, 2009 $18 ticket, 2 shows at 8pm & 10pm
Yoshi's in Oakland
510 Embarcadero West, Jack London Square, Oakland CA 94607
phone :: 510.238.9200
website :: www.yoshis.com
ALSO:
May 19 5:20 p.m ., Radio interview on KKUP 91.5 FM with Afrikan Jahmal Dayvs show May 19th at 5:20 p.m.
Tune In and take a listen to cut's from the new record "Lágrimas De Rainha."
Billboard Album Review
When American musicians see song titles in Portuguese, the first thing that comes to mind is Brazilian music. That's certainly understandable; Brazil is the largest country in South America, and a lot of great pop and jazz has come from Brazil. But there is a whole other world of rich Portuguese-language singing: fado, which comes from Portugal itself. And in the United States, one singer who has been a strong proponent of fado is Ramana Vieira (who grew up in Northern California but has Portuguese parents). 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 -- 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.
~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
Muito Obrigada
ABOUT RAMANA VIEIRA
"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
"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
Ramana Vieira sings with such a wide range of emotions one cannot help but be mesmerized by images of "old world" Portugal that emerge from the depths of her soul. Her extraordinary gift of bringing this 15th century style into modern times is her unique trademark. Often referred to as the "New Voice of Portuguese World Music," this powerful vocalist is making her mark as one of the premier contemporary Fado artists. According to the Portuguese, Fado is a melancholy and often-mournful music similar to the American blues as it tells stories of heartache and disappointment. The essence of the poetry is the quality of "saudade," a word that is difficult to translate as it expresses a myriad of feelings.
In her new release, "Lágrimas De Rainha (Tears Of A Queen)," Ramana has solidified her place as an artist who understands the tradition of Fado singing and continues to creatively construct a path into the future by combining new musical textures and original compositions. Many of the songs on the CD are inspired by Ramana's main influence, Amália Rodrigues, known as the "Rainha do Fado" ("Queen of Fado") and who is attributed to popularizing the Fado worldwide. According to Ramana, "Nobody else is doing what we are doing with Fado. Take the feel and groove of Shakira and the melodic textures of Dulce Pontes and that is how I would describe our music." Even the emotional concept of "Lágrimas De Rainha" paints sonic pictures that support Ramana's desire to invent a fresh Fado sound blooming from the ground of her own family roots. Her grandfather, a famous musician and composer from Madeira Island, Portugal, left her a rich musical legacy that Ramana quickly embraced after experiencing the profundity of the Portuguese culture.
Ramana brings her singing, dancing, and theater studies (from the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco) to her performances which include: opening for Grammy nominated fadista Mariza; performing her original song "Unido Para Amar" for the 2006 Winter Olympics video montage; making her international debut with RPT TV Portuguese network; and chosen to sing for the Grammy's 50th Awards special Music Cares benefit to honor Aretha Franklin. Her two prior recordings, "Despi A Alma (I Undressed My Soul)" and "Sem Ti" helped her to gain recognition, win awards, and appear on the cover of "Mundo Portuguese" Magazine.
However, Ramana's truly magical spirit comes alive in "Lágrimas De Rainha (Tears Of A Queen)" which features an outstanding group of musicians, lyricists, and arrangers such as Marcie Brown (cello), Jeffrey Luiz (classic and electric guitars), Stephen La Porta (drums and percussion), Alberto Ramirez (electric bass), and special guests, Helder Carvallheira (guitarra or Portuguese guitar), Didier Bouvet (guitar), and Golden Reel Award winning film composer and arranger, Robert Randles ("The English Patient," "The Talented Mr. Ripley," and "Amadeus").
Ramana sincerely believes that her progressive and unconventional style of juxtaposing different instrumental layers and nuances will open new doors for Fado music while continuing to maintain the integrity of a time-honored tradition. With her incredible artistry and devotion for Fado music there is no doubt this bright-eyed beauty will accomplish her dream. For more information go to: www.ramanavieira.net
I
