You spent your childhood in Mozambique. Did this blend of cultures influence you artistically ? Definitely. I lived there from age 7 to age 16, and think that’s why I sing Fado with the same authenticity and trueness as the native peoples there. I’ve retained that culture’s naturalness in relations with others and the very direct way of dealing with emotions. Africa is in my heart and soul. How did you discover Fado music ? I was an airline stewardess at the time, amd my friends invited me to visit Cascais, on the coast of Lisbon. I later learned that Cascais was home to a rather elite group of Fado singers. I knew nothing of Fado at the same, having had a very classical musical education. And yet, the first time I heard that music, it seemed so natural to me. I began singing almost immediately, since Fado is not a music that one can really « study ». Who were your favorite singers ? While at first I of course sang the Fado music of Amalia, those who influenced me most were Lucilia do Carmo, Carlos do Carmo et Alfredo Marceneiro. They really knew how to express the feeling of each word, rendering the true intensity and meaning of the texts. And they had an almost avant-garde singing technique for the time. When did you first meet America Rosa and Maria da Fe ? When I arrived in Porto, I began to spend time in the Fado clubs. During the yearly festival organised in one of the city’s large theatres, I met America Rosa, who instantly became my fado mentor. Then Maria da Fe invited me to sing the in Fado clubs. Deolina Rodrigues offered me my first opportunity to sing professionally in Lisbon. How did they help you ? While allowing me to perform in their Fado clubs, they also gave me the freedom to retain my own individual style of singing. From 1975 to 1987, you performed in a series of concerts abroad. They you moved to France, and gave up singing professionally. Unitl now, you had put your artistic career on hold. Why ? Before moving to France, I sang in the « O Faio » Fado club in Lisbon. It was owned first by Lucilia do Carmo and then by his son, Carlos do Carmo, who I had met at the time. That’s when a musician offered me a one-month contract in Paris, and I stayed. I continued signing here, but more discreetly. As there aren’t any real fado clubs in Paris like there are in Portugal, I performed in the venues possible – in restaurants and small concert halls. Why did you wait so long before recording an album ? Because no one really took the time to learn about me, except for my artistic qualities. And I must admit that I never wanted to compromise my art or to make concessions just in order to record. That only helped in preserving my integrity. And in fact it was only then, just when I really considered putting my career on hold, that I met that right person… Why did you call your album « Subtil » (« Subtle ») ? It was a joint decision. We were looking especially for a title that would be understood in both French and Portuguese. While the word « subtle » was chosen firstly for its elegance, it also reflects the way the album came about. I think my singing technique is subtle. Well before it became popular to do so, I had begun to « travel » within my Fado, adding slight touches of jazz and blues Fado, which was not always popular with the purists. This album has been enriched by these experiences and I hope now allows me to describe my music as « subtle ». How did you choose the songs for this album ? I’m tempted to say that I didn’t choose them ! We had to work fast. I went to Portugal to meet with the musicians I had decided to work with, as well as a singer/songwriter friend, Fernando Joao. They all know me well, they proposed a series of new songs. We also went over the choice several times. I accepted their suggestions, not just for their quality but also because they corresponded to my emotional state and to my perception of myself and my life. That’s why I’d say I didn’t choose them – not everything was my idea. Do you prefer any song in particular ? If so, why ? Besides those whose lyrics I wrote, for example « Encontro », if I had to choose a favorite I think it would be « Volta se queres « . It contains all the qualities I would want for a favorite song. The melody is new, and the lyrics lead me on trip to my interior self. The song arrived just when I needed to find myself again. In fact, that song is the first on the album… You asked two guitarists living in Portugal, Nel Garcia and Samual Cabral, to accompany you on the album. Why ? Aren’t there good guitarists in France ? As I mentioned, as we already worked together often, Nel and Sam know me well, and their talent matches incredibly well with my perceptions. We work together now in a way that is completely natural, it’s difficult to explain. Choosing them was also a way to thank them for their friendship and their faithfulness. I know some good fado musicians in France, but maybe not such great ones… What do you think of the new generation of Fado singers ? There are some real Fado singers in this new generation – the difference between them comes from the fact that there are those who « interpret » and those who just sing. Besides the power of a voice, this ability is the artist’s greatest quality. One could think that a « new generation » could mean a new way to sing Fado. But « new » Fado doesn’t exist. Some are able to infuse new qualities and a new life into Fado, as I try to do, while never changing its true nature. A good singer does nto necessarily make a good fado singer. And how do you see yourself compared with this new generation? It’s difficult, I have a hard time situating myself when I hear some of the new generation of artists. I have a hard time accepting that, while they sing very well, they refer to themselves as « Fado » singers, when in fact they don’t sing Fado at all. To counter-balance this tendency, even if sometimes I want to push myself musically, I really try to use my style and experience within the framework of authentic fado. Yet I’m not a purist, just a Fado singer. What does this album represent for you ? Rather than a goal, it represents my entire life, my desires, my love and fascinationm as well as the heart and soul that I devoted to Fado music. It’s the result of all fo that. It was also unexpected, something that I didn’t think was possible. After this new recording experience, how do you see the future ? While recording this album has made me want to do an enormous amount of things, I don’t know if I’ll have the opportunity to go further… So I live day to day, and I think that, after this great gift, I could stop professionally. And the future of Fado ? Last year, when I returned to Porto, I found exactly what I lived 20 years earlier. I found no change in the universe of Fado, no evolution, no renewal. Of the 20 Fado clubs that existed at the time, only two remain, including the « O Fado » where Nel Garcia and Samuel Cabro perform. Despite this, I hope that Fado does have a future and that young people will want to discover, besides the modern trends, what real Fado is. And to cme back to the real origins of this music, that I want to perpetuate.