Last evening, a piece of Portuguese soul – fado – was shared with the Tallinn audience by 2021 Latin Grammy Award nominee Sara Correia with her ensemble. She has managed to find some time for an interview after an 1,5 hour emotional, fascinating, and just a fantastic performance.
In this year’s Jazzkaar festival you are presenting to the audience a unique, beautiful, and special genre of music – fado. Although fado has become more well-known and was also added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2011, many people are still unaware of it. It may happen that some people from your Tallinn audience would hear fado live for the first time. How does it feel?
It is my mission, my message to the people. Fado is very intense and emotional. And it is also very hard. In the end, I think everyone would understand and enjoy fado, even if they do not speak Portuguese.
Is it your first time performing in Estonia?
Yes, it is. It’s amazing here.
Did you get a chance to explore the town?
Not yet, but tomorrow I will.
And tomorrow you’re already flying to the next concert?
Yes, to Poland. No, to Germany (laughs)! It is a non-stop traveling and busy time now, but it is incredible.
Today you were performing together with three talented musicians. How did you form as an ensemble?
We have known each other since childhood. We played and sang fado together in Lisbon fado houses since I was 12 years old. They (Diogo Clemente, Ângelo Freire and Frederico Gato) are my family.
In one of your interviews, you mentioned that fado was part of your life from the beginning, as your aunt was a fado singer as well. Can you say that fado for you is not only the opportunity to represent your culture, but also to continue your family tradition?
Yes, of course. I was born into a fado family and for me it was natural to sing it. Fado was always in me.
In the end, the main goal is to leave my message and to help people with my fado singing.
In 2021, your album Do Coração was nominated for the Latin Grammy Award as a Best Portuguese Language Roots Album. You are also the winner of the ‘’Best Fado Album’’ at Portuguese PLAY awards. This is an amazing achievement in a musician’s career, as well as a visible recognition internationally. Have you set a goal for yourself? Is there anything you would like to achieve in your professional music career, and then just say – checkbox, done?
My dream was to sing, and everything that comes extra is like a bonus. Somehow things happen naturally, and it is always a blessing if these things (awards and nominations) are coming.
For sure, it is a motivation to keep things going and meaning I’m on the right path.
What is your favorite song from today’s set list?
Porquê Do Fado. This song is a biography of my life, written in a very poetic way. My story is about being chosen by fado. I didn’t choose singing fado. It was the other way around.
What would be the best feedback from the audience for you as an artist?
Fado singers tend to sing with their eyes closed. It makes me happy to see people listen to my music with closed eyes, because it means they are feeling my music and understanding what I’m saying.
Regardless of whether they understand anything in Portuguese?
Exactly (laughs).
And last question – if you had one message to give to your Jazzkaar audience, what would it be?
I would like to thank everyone for coming to my show. Thanks to the audience for listening in silence, which is very respectful for a fado singer. I look forward to returning soon!
Sara Correia
27th of April 2023, 9 pm at Vaba Lava
The band:
Sara Correia – vocals
Diogo Clemente – acoustic guitar
Ângelo Freire – Portuguese guitar
Frederico Gato – bass
Check out the concert gallery here.