If ever anyone earned the title "diva," it was the late singer Amalia Rodrigues, whose international career spanned six decades. Not "diva" in the popular sense of a stuck-up bitch, but diva in the original sense — a goddess of her artform. Born into poverty in 1920 in the Beira Baixa region of Portugal, Rodrigues began singing for neighbors as a four-year-old. As she matured, she specialized in traditional
fado ("fate" in Portuguese) songs, characterized by heart-breaking lyrics and melancholy music. Before she was 20, Rodrigues had made her professional debut at one of Lisbon's most popular
fado clubs. "The
fado demands a dark soul and a s...
Released:
1999
Rated:
NR
Length:
90 mins