Mariza is a Portuguese and African singer in the fado tradition, a genre that can be traced to early 19th century Portugal and characterized by "mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor, and infused with a characteristic sentiment of resignation, fatefulness and melancholia (loosely captured by the word "saudade", or longing)." (source)
She has a wonderfully emotive voice, but is also known for theatrical stage shows. Of a London performance back in May of last year, The Guardian's Robin Denselow said:
"Fado includes dance pieces along with pained ballads, and she treated both styles with the same declamatory intensity. It worked well for many of the songs, but she would have been helped by greater variety and quieter passages, as with the changes of mood, and dramatic silences, in her partly unaccompanied treatment of the pained Amália Rodrigues song, Ai, Esta Pena De Mim. At the end she really did return to basics, performing without a microphone and then walking out to sing in the audience. A standing ovation was guaranteed, but she would have sounded even more impressive if fewer of the songs had been tackled full tilt."
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