Ramana Vieira
California
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. Ramana just returned this summer of 2023 headlining in her parents’ homeland of Madeira, Portugal at the Art’Camacha festival. She was also featured on the RTP international network while in Madeira.
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.
"...new age sensibility" -The NY TIMES
"...breathes new life into Fado,"-SF Chronicle
"...Fados with a contemporary Spin"-The Boston Globe
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/artistRamanavieira
INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/ramanavieira
YOUTUBE: youtube.com/@ramanaVieira
WEBSITE: www.ramanavieira.net
E-MAIL: fadodiva@gmail.com
Barco Negro
Barco Negro as originally performed by the legendary Fado artist, Amalia Rodrigues out of Portugal. We love paying tribute to the amazing Amalia. This song was about a young woman waiting for her long lost love to return from the seas. The villagers say, she is crazy (Sao locus) but she is convinced that everything she feels he is going to return. We have put our contemporary approach to this song that was first recorded in Brazil in 1954.
Artist: Ramana Vieira
Guitarist: Jeff Furtado
Bassist: David Parker
Violinist/Viola: Vincent Tolliver
Drums: Joe Sam
Performed by Ramana Vieira Ensemble in Los Angeles, CA (September 2023).
Trago Fado Nos Sentidos
ART CAMACHA festival | Camacha, Madeira, Portugal (August 2023)
The ensemble: Emanuel Faria on Violao and Ricardo Dias on Baixo and Pedro Marques on Guitarra.
Fado La La La
New original composition, "Fado La La La" by Ramana Vieira and Ensemble, is a new song featured on our upcoming album, "Tudo De Mim." We decided to create an urban-fado type of love song with elements of Portugal, soulful dance, nature, passion, pop, and romance.
Ramana Vieira Ensemble: Jeff Furtado on Guitarra and Guitar David Parker on bass Earl Jackson on drums Ramana Vieira on piano, strings, and vocals. Engineered, mixed and mastered by Denis Taniguchi
Nominated by X-Poze-ing Music Awards and #3 on EthnoCloud
"Ai Mouraria"
Fire House Art's Center (April 2011)
Nominated for “Best Fado” with the International Portuguese Music Awards in 2016.
FADO DA VIDA
Official music video filmed and directed by Helder Pedro. Original song composed by Ramana Vieira and lyrics by Euclides Cavaco.
