Biography

A VOICE AWAKENED....

As the saying has it, "poets never sleep, and neither does the creator;" and how true it is! In March 2001, Mafalda Arnauth returned to performing and released the second contribution to her discography: "Esta Voz Que Me Atravessa." [This Voice Passing Through Me]

Released simultaneously in Portugal and the Netherlands by EMI, the album, produced by Amélia Muge and José Martins, features Ricardo Rocha on the Portuguese guitar, José Elmiro Nunes on viola, and Paulo Paz on double bass.

A delightful follow-up to her first album, "Esta Voz Que Me Atravessa" was inspired by the poetry of Hélia Correia and the warm tunefulness of Fausto Bordalo Dias. Without doubt, the recording reveals the profound artistic growth undergone by the singer. Shortly afterwards, Mafalda became the first Portuguese artist to be internationally represented by Virgin Records.

In October 2001, she gave her second concert in Lisbon. One year after playing the Belem Cultural Centre, the artist was right at home in the imposing Culturgest music hall, which was sold out weeks before the show. That concert marked the beginning of yet another tour around various European capital cities.

Returning to Portugal an even richer and more mature artist, this time she played in the heart of the Northern region, in the ‘Unconquerable City’ of Porto. At the Porto Fado festival, an initiative sponsored by the São Bento da Vitória Monastery, Mafalda was the very embodiment of the theme “Fado, the New Generation”. Vastly exceeding even the most optimistic expectations, the artist added Porto to her list of conquests with a performance that conveyed almost as much mystery as fado is itself.


ENCHANTMENTS...

The year 2002 was an intense one for the singer. She gave a series of concerts almost without taking a break, the natural result of her growing fame and the growing receptiveness of the public towards the fado musical genre. Conferences and lectures took place everywhere and new values arose. It was at this juncture that Mafalda Arnauth’s new album began taking shape.

When she started work on her third album, "Encantamento" [Enchantment], the artist almost totally abandoned the fatalism, misfortune, and darkness normally associated with fado. Sadness became fuel to feed her hope; suffering became inspiration; difficulties became her strength and encouragement.

Precisely because of this, 2003 was an unforgettable year of joy. Mafalda Arnauth embraced the satisfaction of those who have found peace of mind, a peace that is possible only for those who have found what they have been seeking.

On stage, with the strength of a maturity born out of experience, certain changes were plain to see. With every performance, Mafalda Arnauth expressed her emotions in a way that was ever more visible, conscious, and uninhibited.

Her courage, enthusiasm, and love evolved, as did her awareness of the artist’s greatest obligation: to be totally generous with the public. Her repertoire became ever more varied, with her compositions always appearing at the pace required to meet the public’s constant need for renewal.