Music at the Museum: Ramana Vieira

 is known as a contemporary Fado artist. 

This music is sometimes called “Portuguese Blues”. Ramana’s work captures the essence of Fado and well beyond. She performs and records music that ranges from the soulful haunting ballads and catchy playful songs of Fado, to her own original compositions.

Fado is a performance genre, incorporating music and poetry. In 2011 Fado became a part of UNESCO world Heritage.  Ramana is an internationally acclaimed recording artist and a northern California native of Portuguese descent. She also is a stunning vocalist, a proficient pianist and gifted songwriter who has composed, performed and recorded many of her own original Fados. Several of these have been nominated at the largest Portuguese music awards organization: International Portuguese Music Awards (IPMA).  She has performed throughout California, San Francisco, Los Angeles, the Central valley, SLO, in Portugal, Macau, China, East Coast including New York, Hawaii, Florida the Pacific Northwest and Mexico.

Over the course of her 20 plus year musical career and five album releases, she has opened for Mariza, and headlined at several World Music festivals. Performed for the President of the Azores, Portugal at the invitation of Congressman Jim Costa. Her original composition, “Unido Para Amar,” was played at the awards ceremony for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.  Her music has been chosen to be featured on TAP Airlines, the flag carrier of Portugal with over 2500 nights per week to 34 countries.. Her new album, Tudo De Mim will be out early spring of 2023. Most recently her new single, Fado La La La, ranked #4 for song  and her latest new video ranked 3# in North America on the Ethnocloud music platform.

The critics have heaped praise upon Ramana. The San Francisco Chronicle said “Ramana is the rising star in World Music” and “No one in the United States is doing more to breathe new life into Fado than Ramana Vieira, a sultry dramatic singer.” Andrew Gilbert of The Boston Globe said “Raman Vieira deserves a prominent place in the front rank of today’s Fado singers” Vieira was born in San Leandro,

California with the beat of Portuguese rhythms coursing through her veins. Her parents had immigrated to the United States from Portugal, where her grandfather was a well-known musician and composer from Madeira Island. She grew up listening to American pop, alongside traditional Portuguese music. “During my childhood, I sang with my mother to Amália Rodgrigues and other fabulous fadistas that were part of her special record collection,” said Vieira. 

Early in life, it was apparent that Vieira possessed exceptional musical talent and went on to study at The American Conservatory Theatre. But a spontaneous trip to Portugal shifted her professional vision and catalyzed an exploration deep into the world of fado. 

In Portugal, Vieira connected with her roots and found that fado ignited her spirit and set her soul aflame. She began to study intensively with local fado musicians and had the opportunity to perform. She was loved by her fans in Portugal; her authentic and individual style was refreshing and well-received. 

Vieira’s brilliant musicality and colorful heritage appeal to a global audience. In addition to the traditional fados, and her masterful original compositions, Vieira has now compiled a synergetic repertoire that reflects the full scope of her identity by incorporating her background of American theater, blues, and soulful classics into her sets. Through this multifaceted fusion, Vieira has finally fulfilled her fado, fate. 

In her own words, “I love being Portuguese and singing my roots. I just feel now is the time for Ramana to embrace “all of me”–my American and Portuguese heritage. I am sitting at the precipice of something amazing and excited to see where this is going to take me and my group. Yes, it’s time.” 

Website: http://ramanavieira.net