“The Fado has lost Maria da Nazaré,” wrote Margarida Balseiro Lopes on her social media page. “She was a great fado singer with more than half a century of career, who captivated many audiences both in Portugal and abroad. The country is grateful to her, and so am I. Farewell!”
The renowned fado singer Maria da Nazaré, twice winner of the Grande Noite do Fado in Lisbon, passed away today at dawn in Corroios at the age of 79.
Born Maria da Nazaré Martins on February 9, 1946, in Barreiro, Setúbal district, she moved as a child to the Lisbon neighborhood of Campo de Ourique.
With a professional career spanning over 50 years, Maria da Nazaré was awarded the Amália Prize for Best Interpreter in 2013. A decade earlier, the Casa da Imprensa had already honored her with a Career Award.
The fado singer was part of the casts of fado houses such as Lisboa à Noite, O Embuçado, Senhor Vinho, Clube do Fado, Bacalhau de Molho, and Arreda, and also performed on various foreign stages.
In 2007, she was part of the cast of the film “Fados” (2007) directed by Carlos Saura, alongside artists such as Mariza, Carlos do Carmo, Vicente da Câmara, Ana Sofia Varela, Carminho, Ricardo Ribeiro, Pedro Moutinho, and Chico Buarque.
She recorded with Fernando Farinha (1928-1978) and bullfighter José Mestre Baptista (1940-1985). Her last album, “Regressos” (2019), was recorded with her friend, fado singer António Passão.
