SAN FRANCISCO—In an interview with The Epoch Times , Ramana Vieira tells us about Fado music—a Portuguese form of blues. Fado has been around for about 200 years, a combination of Portuguese, Arabic, and Brazilian music performed by sailors far from home. It describes a sense of yearning, loss, and homesickness.
Vieira grew up in San Leandro and at an early age discovered her love for the stage. Her mother used to sang Fado music to her, in particular songs of the world-famous fadista, Amalia Rodriguez.
"That's how it got into my skin," explains Vieira.
After a producer and a recording company opened the door of success for Vieira, her band was formed and they continued to perform over the last 10 years. One of her more notable successes was her participation via satellite at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy with the song "United in Love."
"Sandy Miranda of KPFA asked me if I can write a song for the Winter Olympics in 24 hours and come to San Francisco to record it." Vieira did it and passed the audition and felt very honored for her song to be chosen for the 2006 Olympic Games in Italy.
"My divine path is to be singing in Portuguese. This is what my soul resonates with," continues Vieira, who will also be performing at the Human Rights Torch Relay (HRTR) at Union Square in San Francisco on Apr. 5. She plans to sing the same song that was played at the Olympics in Torino—"United in Love."
When asked about her performance at the HRTR, Vieira quickly answers: "Raising awareness of what happens in China is very important. When we do that, change does occur and people get motivated to act. If they don't know, then how can they help?"
The Human Rights Torch Relay, an event spanning 6 continents and 150 cities aims at raising awareness of the human rights violations in China, in particular before the Olympic Games, with the message: "The Olympics and crimes against humanity cannot co-exist"
Soon after the HRTR performance, Vieira and her band will play at the Jazz School in Berkeley on Apr. 11. This and future events are listed on her website at: www.ramanavieira.net
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