Ramana Vieira

Ramana Vieira has a deep, personal relationship to Fado music. Born in San Leandro, CA to Portuguese immigrants, she was raised on a diet of tradutional Fado music that has made its way into the very core of her being. With inspiration from Amália Rodrigues to Shakira and Dulce Pontes, Ramana and her ensemble play both classics and their own original music.

Fado is the most widely recognized genre of Portuguese music, dating back to 19th century.  The word Fado literally means destiny or fate. Musically, Fado is characterized by poetic lyrics related to the darker elements of love, loss, redemption, and occasionally humor--as heard on her original composition A Fadista from her album Fado da Vida. Fado contains Moorish musical roots and must follow a specific musical structure. Its eruptive ballads evoke the emotion of saudade – a yearning for something lost. During a grievous time and turbulent era in Portuguese history, Fado was popularized as it served as a means of cathartic lamentation for the mourning and sorrowful.

Ramana’s work captures traditional Fado and influences from the Portuguese diaspora in a musical tapestry that ranges from the whispering, haunting ballads of Fado, to American classics and jazzy blues. She also is a proficient pianist and a gifted songwriter having penned and composed her own original Fados, of which several have been nominated at the International Portuguese Music Awards.

In addition to Fado, Ramana has written masterful original compositions and compiled a synergetic repertoire that reflects the full scope of her identity by incorporating her background in American theater, blues, and soulful classics into her sets. Through this multifaceted fusion, Ramana Vieira has finally fulfilled her Fado (fate).