Fado Star Beatriz Felício Makes Dream Debut in Cape Verde
Rising Portuguese fado star Beatriz Felício is set to fulfill a career-long ambition this week as she makes her debut performance in Cape Verde. Speaking at a press conference at the Portuguese Cultural Center in Praia, the singer and composer expressed her excitement about finally bringing the traditional sounds of Portugal to the archipelago.
A Cultural Connection Across the Atlantic
“Coming to Cape Verde is a dream for me,” Felício told reporters. “I have wanted to come here for a long time to sing and bring my roots and my musical culture.”
Felício noted the profound emotional and cultural ties between the two nations, suggesting that the spirit of the Portuguese and Cape Verdean people is remarkably similar. “It is something that cannot be explained,” she said, hinting at future collaborations with local musicians to further bridge the gap between fado and Cape Verdean genres like morna.
A Tailor-Made Performance
For her debut at the Jorge Barbosa National Auditorium on Thursday at 7:00 PM (9:00 PM in Lisbon), Felício has curated a unique repertoire. She revealed that the setlist includes a special Cape Verdean song rearranged within the “fado universe,” a tribute to her hosts.
Her concert is a centerpiece of the second International Fado Festival in Cape Verde, which runs through Friday. The festival kicked off today with a screening of Diogo Varela Silva’s documentary, Do Bairro, and will conclude Friday with an educational “lecture-concert” titled “Fado and the Neighborhoods,” led by fado veteran Rodrigo Costa Félix.
Global Expansion of Fado
Since its inception in 2011 by production companies Everything is New and Alto e Bom Som, the International Fado Festival has expanded its reach to 21 cities across 15 countries. The mission is simple: to export Portuguese heritage to the world stage.
“The goal is to showcase our culture, our music, and our artists, while also creating opportunities for them to have international stages,” explained festival organizer Frederico Carmo. Following a sold-out debut in Cape Verde last year, Carmo said the decision to return to the Jorge Barbosa National Auditorium was an easy one, given the local passion for the genre.
Image: Pexels – Tiff Ng
