- Portuguese Fado singer Mísia died
Popular Fado singer Mísia has passed away at the age of 69. The artist, renowned for revitalizing the melancholic music from Lisbon's working-class neighborhoods and singing about life's tragedies, lost her battle with cancer on Saturday, according to the Portuguese news agency Lusa.
Portugal's Minister of Culture, Dalila Rodrigues, paid tribute to Mísia, describing her as "a fundamental voice in the renewal of Fado" and expressing her sadness at the singer's passing. Mísia, whose real name was Susana Maria Alfonso de Aguiar, was known for her long career and experiments with new sounds and unconventional approaches.
Mísia had a challenging childhood. Born to a Catalan mother and a father from Porto who separated when she was four, she found solace in her Catalan grandmother. She spent her teenage years in Porto before moving to Barcelona and then Madrid. She returned to Portugal in 1991 and settled in Lisbon. Her debut album, 'Mísia', was released that year, followed by 'Fado' (1993) and 'Tanto Menos Tanto Mais' (1995).
Mísia's path to success was fraught with obstacles. Her innovations faced resistance from traditional Fado circles. "They called me a communist, a lesbian, off-key, and said I only succeeded horizontally," she wrote in her 2022 memoirs, as quoted by 'El País'. She referred to these critics as the "Khomeinis of Fado".
Throughout her 34-year career, Mísia performed on stages worldwide and received numerous awards. She won the French Charles-Cross Academy Prize for her album 'Garra dos Sentidos', which featured poems by Natália Correia, Mário Cláudio, Lidia Jorge, José Saramago, Lobo Antunes, Fernando Pessoa, Mário de Sá Carneiro, and António Botto, according to Lusa.
Mísia's funeral will be held on August 6 at the Basílica da Estrela in Lisbon. She will be buried the following day at the Alto de São João cemetery.
The European Union expresses its condolences upon learning about Mísia's passing, honoring her significant contributions to the revitalization of Fado music. Despite facing criticism from traditional Fado circles, Mísia's innovative approach to Fado music gained recognition beyond Portugal, earning her the Charles-Cross Academy Prize from France.
