Portuguese Pride: Marta Pereira da Costa takes to the stage this weekend in Bengaluru for some fado music

Bengaluru is a city that accepts all genres of music. Therefore, it is not a surprise to see a lot of musicians from other countries coming to the city and performing the genre they specialise in. One such performance to look forward to this weekend is by Portuguese guitar virtuoso, Marta Pereira da Costa. She will be accompanied by João Jose Pita (7 string guitar) and Andre Sousa Machado (percussion). Marta is a pioneer in the world of fado, having carved a unique space for herself in a domain traditionally dominated by men. We get into a quick chat with Marta to uncover what she has planned for the two evenings in the city.

What can the audience expect from your performance in Bengaluru? You will be performing on two days consecutively here. Would there be any changes in the setlist for the two days?

The audience will be invited to come on a journey to Portugal by the sonority and the melodies of the Portuguese guitar. The audience will close their eyes and feel the Portuguese landscapes, movements and sounds of the rivers and waves, the ancient masters of the Portuguese guitar and the future, by building bridges to other sonorities, rhythms and styles. There is an unfinished set list that will be decided after I feel the room at the soundcheck. There might be different surprises between the two days.

How would you describe fado? It’s amazing to know that you play the Portuguese guitar, because it is mostly played by men. What made you pick up the instrument?

Fado is a Portuguese music style that was born in the poor neighbourhoods of Lisbon, by the end of the XIX century. Historically, it is sung by a female fado singer accompanied by a Portuguese guitar and a viola. Normally, only men used to play the Portuguese guitar in fado music, but after I started playing side by side with other musicians, I slowly changed the tradition. Today, you can see a few girls and women playing the Portuguese guitar. I started playing the Portuguese guitar when I was 18 years old. I used to play the piano since I was four and by then my dream was to be a concerto piano player, like Maria João Pires. My father loves fado music and the sound of the Portuguese guitar and he challenged me to learn it and I just fell in love on my first lesson.

What’s next for you following your performance in Bengaluru?

I will continue with several concerts in Portugal, promoting my new album Sem Palavras. I’ll participate as a special guest in some performances in Portugal and in November I’ll return to Asia and Costa Rica for more concerts. I am also preparing for some new challenging projects for the coming year.

INR 1,500 onwards. August 9 & 10, 9.30 pm. At Windmills, Whitefield.

Email: alwin@newindianexpress.com

X: @al_ben_so