Fafá de Belém, born Maria de Fátima Palha de Figueiredo in Belém do Pará on August 9, 1956, is a Brazilian singer considered one of the great female singers of MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira). She took her stage name from the city of her birth and in addition to a successful recording career that spans over three decades, it is fair to say that she has been one of the great sex symbols of Brazilian pop music. Her husky mezzo-soprano voice is known for its extensive emotional range, from tender ballads, to sensual love songs, to Portuguese

fado Fado (; "destiny, fate") is a music genre which can be traced to the 1820s in Lisbon, Portugal, but probably has much earlier origins. Fado historian and scholar Rui Vieira Nery states that "the only reliable information on the history of fado ...

s all the way to energetic

samba Samba () is a broad term for many of the rhythms that compose the better known Brazilian music genres that originated in the Afro-Brazilians, Afro Brazilian communities of Bahia in the late 19th century and early 20th century, It is a name or ...

s and lambadas.

Biography

Born in

Belém Belém (; Portuguese for Bethlehem; initially called Nossa Senhora de Belém do Grão-Pará, in English Our Lady of Bethlehem of Great Pará), often called Belém of Pará, is the capital and largest city of the state of Pará in the north of B ...

in 1956, she made her public debut in her home town in 1973. In the next year she performed shows with Zé Rodrix in Rio de Janeiro and with Sérgio Ricardo in Belém and

Salvador da Bahia Salvador, meaning "salvation" (or "saviour") in Catalan, Spanish, and Portuguese may refer to: * Salvador (name) Arts, entertainment, and media Music *Salvador (band), a Christian band that plays both English and Spanish music ** ''Salvador'' ( ...

. In the same year she hit the charts with "Filho da Bahia", then recorded for the soundtrack of the

TV Globo TV Globo (stylized as tvglobo; , ), formerly known as Rede Globo de Televisão (; shortened to Rede Globo) or simply known as Globo, is a Brazilian free-to-air Television broadcasting, television network, launched by media proprietor Roberto M ...

soap opera '' Gabriela''; she also released her first single that year. In 1976 Fafá de Belém recorded her first LP; ''Tamba Tajá'', which was praised by critics. In 1984 she became the muse of the movement in favour of free elections in Brazil, singing "Menestrel das Alagoas" ( pt), written by Milton Nascimento and Fernando Brant, before a million people in Rio de Janeiro. In the same period her highly popular interpretation of the

Brazilian National Anthem The "Brazilian National Anthem" () was composed by Francisco Manuel da Silva in 1831 and had been given at least two sets of unofficial lyrics before a 1922 decree by president Epitácio Pessoa gave the anthem its definitive, official lyrics ...

at mass gatherings got her into trouble with the ruling military regime that was soon replaced by a popularly elected president. In 1993 her album ''Meu Fado'' went platinum in Portugal, one of the countries where she is widely popular. Though not a composer herself she has recorded memorable covers of Brazil's greatest composers, notably her all- Chico Buarque CD ''Tanto Mar'' released in 2004. Fafa's 2005 release ''Novo Millennium'', a compilation of hits and some new material, sold 500,000 copies in its first month in stores. Her album ''Humana'' was considered one of the 25 best Brazilian albums of the first half of 2019 by the

São Paulo Association of Art Critics SAO or Sao may refer to: Places * Sao civilisation, in Middle Africa from 6th century BC to 16th century AD * Sao, a town in Boussé Department, Burkina Faso * Serb Autonomous Regions (''Srpska autonomna oblast'', SAO), during the breakup of ...

. In 2015, Do tamanho certo para o meu sorriso marks his 40th career anniversary, having been released after ten years without recording in studio. It is an album that celebrates Pará brega, bringing together classic songs and some unreleased ones, such as the track Asfalto Amarelo (Felipe Cordeiro, Manoel Cordeiro and Zeca Baleiro). In 2019, his album Humana was elected one of the 25 best Brazilian albums by the Paulista Association of Art Critics.

Discography

* 1976 – Tamba-Tajá * 1977 – Água * 1978 – Banho de cheiro * 1979 – Estrela radiante * 1980 – Crença * 1982 – Essential * 1983 – Fafá de Belém * 1985 – Aprendizes da esperança * 1986 – Atrevida * 1987 – Grandes amores * 1988 – Sozinha * 1989 – Fafá * 1991 – Doces palavras * 1992 – Meu fado * 1993 – Do fundo do meu coração * 1994 – Cantiga pra ninar meu namorado * 1995 – Fafá – ao vivo * 1996 – Pássaro sonhador * 1998 – Coração brasileiro * 2000 – Maria de Fátima Palha Figueiredo * 2002 – Voz e piano – ao vivo * 2002 – O canto das águas * 2004 – Tanto mar – Fafá de Belém canta Chico Buarque * 2007 – Fafá de Belém – ao vivo (CD e DVD) * 2015 – Do Tamanho Certo para o Meu Sorriso * 2017 – Do Tamanho Certo para o Meu Sorriso - Ao Vivo * 2019 – Humana

References

External links

Official Web Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fafa de Belem 1956 births Living people 20th-century Brazilian women singers 20th-century Brazilian singers Brazilian people of Portuguese descent Brazilian actresses Brazilian mezzo-sopranos Música Popular Brasileira singers People from Belém 21st-century Brazilian women singers 21st-century Brazilian singers Women in Latin music Brazilian Roman Catholics