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Después de la desaparición física de Amalia Rodrígues, una nueva
generación de fadistas surgió en tierras lusitanas. Estas mujeres son las que
han emprendido el camino de una renovación musical que estaba haciendo
falta sin dejar de lado el espíritu que le imprimió la gran dama del fado
fallecida en 1999. Mafalda Arnauth es ya, a sus 27 años, una de las
principales referencias de esta nueva camada de jóvenes artistas.
Nacida en Lisboa en octubre de 1974, Mafalda Arnauth surgió como un
meteoro en el Circuito do Fado después de participar en 1995, invitada por
João Braga, en un espectáculo del Teatro San Luis, al lado de algunos de los
grandes fadistas. Desde entonces, prácticamente no ha descansado: se ha
presentado en distintos programas de televisión y radio y en los más
importantes escenarios internacionales de Luxemburgo, Alemania, Francia,
Grecia, España, Inglaterra y naturalmente, Portugal.
En 1996 entró como artista principal de la Taverna do Embuchado, uno de los
grandes lugares del fado lisboeta y participó en la Cumbre sobre Lengua
Lusitana, que tuvo lugar en Mozambique. Al año siguiente participó en un
Certamen Internacional de Poesía. De allí acudió a Londres donde concretó
varios shows junto a artistas argentinos. Ese mismo año, se presentó en
Frankfurt en la Semana Cultural Portuguesa, que se celebró en esa ciudad
alemana, junto al también fadista Helder Moutinho.
En 1998 grabó un concierto en la parisina Radio Alfa y participó en el Espacio
del Fado que se organizó con motivo de la Expo-Lisboa 98. Fue invitada al
Primer Encuentro Internacional de Fado y Tango y a uno de los festivales
europeos de más prestigio, Tanz & FolkFest Rudolstadt, el mayor de todos los
que se celebran en Alemania. Ese mismo año, participó en Innsbruck
(Austria), en el Festival "Voices", con el espectáculo "Duas gerações a cantar
o Fado" al lado de Maria Amélia Proença. Al siguiente año, puso su nombre
como título de su primer trabajo discográfico, que le permitió ganar el premio
a la mejor nueva voz otorgado por el prestigioso semanario Blitz.
Desde entonces su carrera internacional ha sido fulminante y unánimemente
reconocida, como se puso de manifiesto con su presentación en Madrid, en la
Casa de América, en noviembre del 2001, y también en otras capitales
europeas, Bruselas, Ámsterdam, París y Lisboa. Ese mismo año publicó su
segundo disco, "Esta voz que me atravessa" para la multinacional
discográfica EMI el cual recibió excelentes críticas de los principales medios
periodísticos del mundo.
- Mondomix
Ha iniziato a esibirsi per caso, all’università («Prima al massimo ninnavo il mio nipotino»).
Ora, al suo quarto album, la Arnauth è acclamata come una star. E, mentre sta per iniziare il tour italiano, spiega: « Sembrava che la nostra música fosse morta, ridotta solo a folclore. Lo invece riempio le sale...»
(Full interview in Repubblica, pages, 64 and 65 from March, 28th).
- Repubblica_Guiseppe Videtti
(...)Now comes Mafalda Arnauth – a powerful and passionate singer from Lisbon, who made her U.S. debut with last year’s Encantamento. While she may be a newcomer to these shore’s , she may be a newcomer to these shores, she has two European albums under her belt already and brings a seasoned performer’s canniness to the songs here. While the compositions are largely traditional Arnauth goes the usual fado custom of adapting poetry for her lyrics and instead chooses to pen her own material. (...) The result is a smart, updated sound that flirts with pop – (...) As well as writing much of the albu, Arnauth also acted as producer – a feat that Amália Rodrigues could only have dreamed of. - TP - SingOut
«Uma nova geração de fadistas surgiu nos últimos anos, disposta a assumir terreno e deixar sua marca pessoal, com artistas como Camané, Katia Guerreiro, Mafalda Arnauth, Cristina Branco, Pedro Moutinho e Mariza».
Carlos Saura in interview - Globo.com
Discography
'Mafalda Arnauth' (Emi Valentim de Carvalho 1999)
'Esta voz que me atravessa' ( Emi Valentim de Carvalho 2001)
'Encantamento' (Emi Valentim de Carvalho 2003)
'Talvez se chame saudade' Best of (Emi Music Portugal 2005)
'Diário' (Universal Music Portugal 2005)
Photos
Bio
Born in Lisbon, on the 4th October in 1974, her passion for music manifested itself since the early days of her life. Nevertheless, in her youth, she never aspired for a career as an artist. Not withstanding, the show business world caught up with her while she frequented the last year of her Veterinary university degree. Through a series of chance events, what started as an academic performance ended up transporting Mafalda Arnauth to the world of stages, rehearsals and Fado houses, wherein she allowed herself to artistically grow from the energy of applause, public appreciation and a constant further self-discovery though the art of singing.
Owner of a captivating freshness which derived from her nature and life experiences never before connected to Fado music, she swept audiences with her youthful spontaneity and the correspondent unique way in which she reinterpreted old and classic hits of the genre. As naturally as she had begun her career, Mafalda Arnauth quickly went further on, letting her creative flame grow up to the point where she lent her own nature to the Fados spinal chord. The more she created her own original Fado themes, the more she revealed herself to be a new hope for the rebirth of the genre.
IN THE BEGGINNING THERE WAS THE FADO
The singular voice of Mafalda Arnauth and her unique way of dwelling in the Fado universe could not remain, therefore, aloof from the record industry. Disputed by many, she ends up signing a contract with EMI Music. In Portugal, the multinational record company was, at the time, the strongest publishing house for Fado and home for giants of the genre, like the mythical Amália Rodrigues.
Mafalda Arnauth, her debut record, sees the light of day in 1999. Side by side with Fado classic compositions, the album is also filled with her own compositions, mostly due to the informed persuasion of her producer, the acclaimed João Gil.
The debut record becomes an instant smash hit and best seller. Cherished by the public and acclaimed by critics, Mafalda Arnauth sees herself transported to the highest heights of popularity in her 24th year of life. She is awarded the New Talent Of The Year award from "Blitz" music newspaper and nominated, the following year, in the category of Best Singer in the Portuguese Golden Globe Awards.
Important as it was, Mafalda Arnauths debut album was not quite a first step. It should be and was seen as the crystallized result of hundreds of intimate performances in Fado houses and dozens of live concerts throughout the country and abroad, mainly in Europe. Born out of the maturity experience of those performances, the record was also a ground setter for a much more professional series of shows.
One year after the success of her debut album, following a long period on national and international tour, Mafalda Arnauth returns to Portugal, her biggest challenge yet to come: the first concert ever in Lisbon, home of Fado. She is to perform in the grand auditorium of Belém Cultural Centre and the hugely demanding concert hall is sold to full capacity, weeks in advance.
Utterly subdued and seduced, the audience toasts Mafalda Arnauth with the uncontained applause of pleasure, making it clear to her if there were still any doubts that all things next have to be even bigger and better. This is the public need and Mafaldas will and hope.
THE AWAKENING OF THE VOICE
A popular saying states that the poet does not sleep and neither does the creator. And how true this becomes, on March 2001. Mafalda Arnauth deals her cards once more, publishing her second album, Esta Voz Que Me Atravessa (roughly translatable as this the voice who crosses through me).
Simultaneously released in Portugal and the Netherlands through EMI Music, this record is produced by Amélia Muge and José Martins, both of them musicians with deep roots in the traditional Portuguese music. Ricardo Rocha plays Portuguese guitar, José Elmiro Nunes plays the viola and Paulo Paz goes on bass.
Esta Voz Que Me Atravessa is a happy folow-up to Mafaldas debut album. Inspired by the poetry of Hélia Correia and the genial music of Fausto Bordalo Dias, the record mirrors a profound artistic growth for the artist. Shortly after, Mafalda Arnauth becomes the first Portuguese artist to be worldwide represented by Virgin Records.
In October 2001, Mafalda Arnauth stages her second concert in Lisbon. One year after acclamation in the Belém Cultural Centre, she wins over the thorny concert hall of Culturgest - once again sold to full capacity, several weeks before the show. This new live success marks the beginning of yet another demanding tour that takes Mafalda Arnauth to several European capital cities.
Months later, an even richer and more mature artist returns to Portugal, for yet another challenge, in Oporto. She is to embody the theme Fado, the new generation, at the Festival A Port of Fado in the Monastery of S. Bento da Vitória. Both th
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