Event

Ramana Viera

An American Fado singer, Ramana Vieira was born with Fado music in her blood. Her grandfather was a famous musician and composer from Madeira Island in Portugal, and while born in San Leandro, CA to Portuguese immigrants, Vieira was exposed to traditional Fado music at a young age. To enhance her natural gift for music, Vieira later attended The American Conservatory Theatre to train under Faith Winthrop. It wasn't until a trip to Portugal, where she had the opportunity to perform with local Fado musicians, that Vieira decided to embrace her Portuguese roots and invest herself fully into Fado music.

Inspired by the Queen of Fado, Amália Rodrigues, Vieira has always loved the traditional Fado style and has created original music influenced by Rodrigues and many others. However, Vieira has found her place as a Fado singer of the 21st century by maintaining the tradition of Fado singing while forging a new path with new creative layers, textures and compositions.

This evening will be a lovely treat! Join us!

Vieira'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.

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 Fado da Vida album. Fado contains Moorish musical roots and must follow a specific musical structure. Its eruptive ballads evoke the emotion of saudadea 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.