The sounds of Fado in Paphos

The European Capital of Culture Pafos2017 schedule of events this month may be somewhat laid back – with film screenings under the stars taking over – but the music events of the month stand out from the musical crowd all over Europe.

After two truly majestic concerts at the famous Petra tou Romiou (Aphrodite’s Rock), the organisers of this year-long event are bringing us a performance by the Japanese singer Misia under the name The Soul of Fado.

Mísia was born in Oporto, Portugal to a classical Spanish dancer. Her career began in 1991, during a non-favourable time for Fado – Portugal’s sad musical tradition – which recently has been declared as the ‘Intangible Heritage of Humanity’. At the time when Misia’s career was taking off, Fado only evoked the presence of the great Amalia Rodrigues, who introduced the world to this genre during a time when the phrase world music was still unknown.

Instead of following in the footsteps of the great artist she admired – Rodrigues – Misia decided to create her own repertoire. Today Misia is perhaps the most famous voice of Fado – after Rodrigues of course.

Utilising the traditional form of Portuguese music, the singer creates and constantly renews Fado with new material, bringing it closer to the new members of the audience.

She often performs in Europe and Asia and her recordings have sold hundreds of thousands of copies all over the world. She has released ten studio albums and is among the all-time best-selling Japanese music artists, having sold more than 30 million records. She is one of the top-touring artists in Japan, becoming the first female artist to play all five of Japan’s largest stadiums in 2004.

Misia is famed for her over-three-octave vocal range and is widely recognised as the first Japanese R&B superstar.

Misia – The Soul of Fado
Live performance by the singer. August 19. Paphos Ancient Odeon, Paphos. 8.30pm. €25/15. Tel: 26-55166

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