Joana Amendoeira

Born in Santarém in Septembre 30^th 1982, since very young she initiated her voyage throughout Fado’s world by the hand of her parents and brother, Pedro Amendoeira, himself one of the grand and talented Portuguese Guitar players that Fado earned in these last years.

In 1995, she conquers the 1st Juvenil Prize in “Grande Noite do Fado” (Oporto’s edition). That award allowed her to start a series of shows all over Portugal.

It follows the unavoidable recording of her first album, “Olhos Garotos”, and she departs to the rest of the world, in representation of Portuguese Music. Abroad, she performs at the event "Dias de Portugal", organized by ICEP, at the cities of Budapest and Kesckemet (Hungary).

In 2000, she releases her second album, "Aquela Rua", which receives the best references from specialized review. She is invited to participate in the most prestigious national anthologies’ records, such as “Novas Vozes, Novos Fados” (EMI/VC); “Nova Biografia do Fado” (EMI/VC), an homage album to Moniz Pereira (Universal); and takes part in the soundtrack of TV series “Jóia de África”.

In 2003, she signs up with CNM and records her third album, “Joana Amendoeira”, which conquers immediate recognition from all Fado’s community, specialized review, and from the public.

This album’s tour takes her to several countries such as Holland, Spain, France, Austria, Japan. And allows her to be selected, among innumerous candidates, to present her show at professional fairs of World Music, like Mercat de Musica Viva de Vic (Spain) and Strictly Mundial (Canada).

Meanwhile, she participates in the homage album to Carlos do Carmo, “O Novo Homem na Cidade”, along with some of the most important interpreters nowadays: Ivan Lins, Camané, Sara Tavares, Mariza, Martinho da Vila, Tito Paris, among others.

Joana Amendoeira, the young lady once a promise, is now a certainty in the panorama of national and international contemporary music. A fact confirmed by the attribution to her of the 2004 Revelation Award from Casa da Imprensa and reconfirmed in her forth album, “Ao vivo em Lisboa”, released in July 2005 – her first solo show, recorded at one of the most prestigious rooms in Lisbon, Teatro Municipal São Luiz.

The success of this show can so be enjoyed and shared by all those who appreciate Fado and the talent of the artist Joana Amendoeira: in her voice, Fado reaches moments of sublime harmonies, subtle and sensual at a time. Joana Amendoeira is Fado in all its splendour!

With this new show, the years of de 2005, 2006 and 2007 where marked by a series of tours around the world, in some of the most prestigious national and international rooms and festivals, such as: Casa da Música (Oporto, Portugal), Atlantic Waves festival (London, UK), Eurocultured Street Festival (Manchester, UK), Millenáris Park (Budapest, Hungary), Pancirfest Festival (Croatia), Concergebouw (Amsterdam, Holland), International Book fair of Turim (Turim, Italy), Festival Île de France (Paris, France), Tour in Sweden (25 concerts), Festa do Fado (Lisbon, Portugal), Royal Opera House (London, UK), Cine-Teatro São Jorge (Lisbon, Portugal), and recently the participation at the 40 years of career commemoration show of the famous Hungarian musician Zorán, as his special guest.

“À Flor da Pele” appears in 2006 and “portrays an intense and truthful involvement”. With Pedro Amendoeira on the Portuguese guitar, Pedro Pinhal on the guitar and Paulo Paz on the double bass and acoustic bass, the fado singer extended the long list of shows, with tours throughout Europe, also guaranteeing the increasingly notorious recognition within the genre.

In November 2007, the singer performed a unique concert with the Orquestra do Algarve, which took place in the Municipal Auditorium of Portimão. Directed by maestro Cesário Costa, Joana Amendoeira presented a repertoire of fado in conjunction with classical music. “Joana Amendoeira & Mar Ensemble” (2008), in CD and DVD format, appears in the line of the show with the Orquestra do Algarve and reveals us in addition to the fado accompaniment quartet - Portuguese guitar, fado viola, bass and accordion , a string quartet and a brass quartet. This work, presented and recorded at Castelo de S. Jorge, within the scope of the “Festa do Fado / Festas de Lisboa 2008” program, has become a phenomenon of great success on the path of Joana Amendoeira.

Joana Amendoeira's discography is vast and always deeply rooted in Traditional Fado: "Sétimo Fado" (2010), "Amor mais que perfeito" (2012), a tribute to Fontes Rocha, and "Muito depois" (2016) were the albums that followed. Her tenth work, "Na volta da maré" (2020), is perhaps the most mature of all and has the collaboration of Pedro Amendoeira, on Portuguese guitar, João Filipe, on Fado guitar, Carlos Menezes, on double bass , Ruca Rebordão, on percussion and Nilson Dourado, on capira guitar, clarinet and cavaquinho, as well as Fred Martins.

Source:

http://joanaamendoeira.blogspot.com/ 

“Público”, March 7, 2003

Carita, Alexandra and Jorge Simão (2006), “Fados Nosso”, Lisbon, Aletheia Editores;

“Destak”, 02 February 2007

“Ípsilon”, December 19, 2008

www.joanaamendoeira.pt