Cristina Branco

Cristina Branco's origins in the Portuguese countryside of Almeirim might seem at odds with a career in fado, the Lisbon-rooted genre whose title means fate and whose themes revolve around an enigmatic, poetic acceptance of life's hardships in a working-class vein. Yet she has emerged as one of the nation's leading fadistas while building an expanding profile abroad. Born in 1972, she absorbed blues, jazz, and sounds from many corners of the world during her early years, performing only for those closest to her without any thought of turning her voice into a profession. Enrollment at age 18 in social communications studies brought an unexpected turning point when a friend introduced her to a recording by the late Amália Rodrigues, Portugal's preeminent fado interpreter, igniting an intense commitment to the style. She nevertheless proceeded gradually, maintaining her academic path while beginning to sing on a semi-professional basis. Her recording debut arrived in 1996 with the live album Cristina Branco in Holland, a step taken at age 24 by an artist still unknown even domestically, though the release helped secure her footing and prepared the way for her initial studio effort. Issued worldwide in 1999, Murmúrios featured ongoing collaboration with the esteemed fado guitarist Custódio Castelo. The following year she completed the Europe-only cultural endeavor Cristina Branco Canta Slauerhoff, setting verses by Dutch poet J. Slauerhoff to music by Castelo. In 2001 she delivered her authentic follow-up, Post-Scriptum, which continued to sharpen the fadista expression of sorrow, pain, and joy.