My Verse, My Voice

My Verse, My Voice reveals the collective strength of a growing number of women who give voice to fado not only as performers, but also as authors of their own poems. Amália Rodrigues, author of celebrated verses and foremother of women’s fado poetry, is joined by five extraordinary artists from the generations who followed her: Aldina Duarte, Mafalda Arnauth, Cuca Roseta, Carminho, and Teresinha Landeiro.

Not only do the verses included in this anthology bring us closer to the written voices of these women fadistas, along with their experiences, emotions, and reflections; they equally challenge the power of patriarchy, which has dominated the literary and musical composition of fado ever since its inception.

Portugal’s social and cultural transformations, in recent decades, are today reflected in the country’s most expressive and traditional musical genre. In this way, fado is renewed by the voices of the women who write it, as they open new paths for its future.