The passion of Portugal: Fado singer Mariza pours herself into the music

Bill DeYoung

Mariza says the emotion she puts into her fado songs is very real. "When you deal with art, if you're not being sincere with the people who support you, who come to see you, who try to understand you, it's better not to do it. It's not worth it."

At the end of every concert, Mariza is completely drained. An extraordinarily passionate vocalist, she sings fado, a fiery traditional Portuguese folk music, which swings between extreme emotional highs and lows.

"I have a Pandora's Box, when all my feelings come out," says the 35-year-old singer, who'll appear Saturday at the Lucas Theatre.

"And sometimes people don't understand that - after the concert they want a hug, and a kiss, and I want just to be alone and put all the feelings back in Pandora's Box, and close it again. And please let me stay a little while alone."

Like fado itself, this is often misinterpreted. "People don't understand; they think it's the diva thing, but it's not," Mariza says. "I'm not like that."

Born in Mozambique, Marisa dos Reis Nunes grew up in the Moorish section of Lisbon, where everyone sang fado - traditionally a mournful narrative form that blends elements of African rhythms with the folk music of Portuguese sailors (loosely translated, "fado" means "fate," or "destiny"). Fado singers also celebrate love and life.

"The singers, they learn to sing on the streets," Mariza explained. "We don't go to schools. The oldest ones pass the message on to the youngest. And you need to live in a traditional neighborhood - you need to see it, they don't explain nothing to you, you just have to listen. And if you get it, you get it. If you don't, maybe next time."

Mariza (pronounced Mah-REET-za) was 5 years old began picking up fado songs in Mouraria, the traditional neighborhood where she was raised. Her father would draw the storylines out as cartoons so his child could understand them. "I grew up in the most tradition," she says, "and among the most pure fado singers."

The international success of her four studio albums (there's a live set, too) has made Mariza something of a superstar outside of Portugal.

Her latest, "Terra," includes her first-ever recording in English - a sweet, blushing take on Charles Chaplin's "Smile." Her band, she says, tries to get her to sing American jazz standards. "I keep saying I'm not going to sing in English! Stop it!" she laughs. "So we have a fight in here. I say 'I can't do that - people come to hear a Portuguese singer.' "

Still, Mariza adds, "It doesn't matter what language you sing, because music can touch everybody. In eight years of traveling, I sing in Singapore, China, Australia, England ... I don't want to sound pretentious or arrogant, but more and more I feel like people are not going to see a fado concert, but 'Let's go see that Portuguese artist.' "

"For me the most proud thing is to show, in certain ways, the Portuguese culture. But my own way. With my own vision."