Nathalie Pires, uma fadista dos States

Almost like by the mystery of its origins, fado comes into little Nathalie’s life, who still cannot explain if fado elected her, or was that thirteen year old girl who elected fado. What is perfectly clear is that from the time she was accompanied by a Portuguese guitar for the first time, fado took over her voice and her senses, a fado-singer was born, and immediately began to be noticed by the bright tone of her voice, stage presence, and the feelings transmitted every time she sang the beautiful songs of traditional fado, quickly becoming a serious case of popularity among the Portuguese communities in the United States of America.
Nathalie Pires is proof that fado was already a World Heritage, long before recognized and declared by UNESCO in November 2011.
Born and raised in Perth Amboy New Jersey, in a family of Portuguese emigrants who always supported her in her desire to achieve her objectives.
A determined fighter, refused to have a serene life, and traveled from city to city, taken the ‘Soul Music Of Portugal’ to the most diverse communities and ethnic groups scattered throughout the United States, managing her time to comply with her studies, Portuguese, English, singing and piano.
Nathalie is fluent in English and Portuguese, has dual citizenship, American and Portuguese, has a degree in accounting from Rider University, graduated in May of 2009 and is currently working in the accounting business.
ARTISTIC PATH
Year 2000, with 14 years of age had the opportunity to sing at the legendary and popular “Adega Machado” in Bairro Alto, Lisbon. Despite being a brief performance of only two songs, it was remarkable for the young singer to share with the famous singer Maria Jose Valério, and step on the stage where so many dedicated singers have left their mark, including her idol, the nostalgic Amália Rodrigues.
Although Nathalie continued to sing fado, was in 2007 that her career as a singer strengthened with memorable performances such as her first time in Ontario, Canada, becoming an international artist. Massachusetts State House in Boston, W Hotel-Union Square in New York City, where she represented Portugal in a promotion event of Starwood Hotels of Spain and Portugal, United Nations in New York City, invited by the Ambassador of Portugal to the United Nations, among many other performances.
In May of 2007 recorded her first album, “Corre-me O Fado Nas Veias” (Fado Runs In My Veins), at the Digital Wave Multimedia Studio in Fall River, Massachusetts, and released on September 22nd of the same year, in her hometown of Perth Amboy, New Jersey. The album includes 11 traditional favorite fado songs, three originals and two “instrumentals” played by Viriato Ferreira (acoustic guitar) and José Vieira da Silva, who made de arrangements, played the 1st and 2nd Portuguese guitar and the acoustic bass. The press made favorable comments about the album, calling it one of the best fado albums recorded in the United States in 2007.
Had the honor of sharing the stage in Virginia and New Jersey with the great artist of fado, theater and television, “Anita Guerreiro”, creator of the immortal song “Cheira bem cheira a Lisboa”. On March 15 of 2008, the famous artist offered to be Nathalie’s “Artistic Godmother”, an old fado tradition.
In March of 2008, her debut album “Corre-me O Fado Nas Veias” (Fado Runs In My Veins), was awarded with the AUA (United Artists of America), “Prémio Lusíada,” for “Best Fado Album of 2007″ recorded in the USA.
www.nathaliepires.com was launched at the beginning of 2007. This website is intended to better communicate with audiences and maintaining updated information. Nathalie Pires is a very popular name in the Portuguese communities in the United States of America, with performances in various cities in the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Florida, California, and also in Canada in the cities of Toronto, Winnipeg, and St. John’s.
Met the pianist and saxophonist Tim Ries, at one of her many performances at “Alfama Restaurant” in Manhattan, resulting in a friendship, given her the chance to perform in New York and Klagenfurt – Austria with the famous Rolling Stones musician, as a special guest for the Tim Ries & The Rolling Stones Project, singing fado and songs of the legendary British band as well in Portuguese and English, sharing the stage with world class musician such as: Lisa Fischer, Bernard Fowler, Darryl Jones, Michael Davis, Jordi Bonell and Jukkis Uotila, an unforgettable experience.
Had the chance to sing in Lisbon once again, in one of her frequent trips to Portugal. “Sr. Vinho” in Madragoa, “Mesa de Frades” in Alfama and “Clube de Fado” also in Alfama, starting a friendship with the owner and famous guitarist Mario Pacheco. It was also on this journey in July 2009, that Nathalie had the opportunity to meet and sing with some of her favorite singers and guitarists.
In April 3th of 2010, was awarded with “Prominent Figure Award.” Lusomedia, 1st Great Fado Night in Newark, New Jersey.
In May 29th of 2010, was awarded with “New Prominent Figure of Fado in New England” and “Most Beautiful Voice of the New Generation,” during the celebrations of the “Portugal Day and the Portuguese Heritage” 2010, Pawtucket, RI.
It was also in May 2010 that she met Dr. Pedro Henriques da Silva, professor of music composition at New York University (NYU) and instrumentalist, who with his wife a pianist and composer Lucia Caruso, founded the “Manhattan Camerata,” an original and innovative orchestra, dedicated to create and perform many different music styles.
In her dedication to show the Portuguese culture to the world, Nathalie joined this orchestra as the vocalist for the fado projects, accompanied by several musicians of great international projection, such as Japanese violinist Machiko Ozawa, Argentinean bassist Pedro Giraudo, Argentine bandoneon player Daniel Binelli, and Uruguayan pianist Polly Ferman among other musicians, in live performances and studio recordings.
In March 2011 she had the privilege of being invited to sing the US National Anthem for more than 20,000 people in the NY Red Bull Arena, at the opening of the professional soccer league.
Among hundreds of performances over the past years, several with the Manhattan Camerata, and recorded five traditional fado songs with the orchestra, as part of the ” Tango Fado Project.”
In June of 2011 Nathalie had the great honor of being part of a historic event. The 1st ‘Portugal Day’ celebration in New York City, attended by over 20,000 people. Nathalie Pires sang the USA and Portugal national anthems, and fado in Central Park, invited by the Portuguese Circle.
Represented Portugal and its musical culture among 25 groups from other countries, at the “International Festival of Music and Dance” in St. John’s, Canada, with a live concert in July 2011, having also presented an educational program at the Arts Center Memorial University in the same city, on which exposed the history of fado.
Nathalie was invited by the “Amália Rodrigues Foundation”, to perform at the “VI Gala Amália,” singing with some of the most prominent artists of the fado community. The event took place on Saturday November 26th of 2011, at the “Voz do Operário” in Lisbon, with a cast composed by Camané, Maria Amélia Proença, Ricardo Ribeiro, Ana Marta, Deolinda and Nathalie Pires among others, with musical accompaniment by José Manuel Neto on the portuguese guitar, and Carlos Manuel Proença on the classical guitar. Several outstanding singers and groups received the “Amália Award” at this gala. This invitation comes based on the “Enchanted fado” project, created by producer Dr. João Calado, inspired by Nathalie, during one of her many performances at the Clube de Fado in Alfama. With the Portuguese-American singer in his original idea as the basis for his project, the producer followed the singer’s career for two years through her website, inviting her eventually to sing for this project, as part of the “VI Gala Amália”.
“Enchanted Fado” is a project composed by foreign singers, representing the seven most outstanding countries in the international career of the eternal Amália Rodrigues. After brief segments of classic Amália Rodrigues songs, in the voices of performers from Brazil, Spain and Japan, Nathalie Pires closed the “Enchanted Fado” project, singing “Estranha Forma de Vida” (Strange Way of Life) for being considered the most successful fado-singer out of Portugal.
On Sunday November 27th of 2011, Nathalie celebrated the declaration of fado as “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”, at the “Museum of Fado” in Alfama. The people and their artists gathered to sing and share their joy and excitement for this historic event.  Nathalie was in the audience enjoying the art of some of the biggest names in fado, when she was invited by fellow fado-singers Cuca Roseta and Miguel Capucho to sing, receiving warm applause from the audience.   Anita Guerreiro, Maria Armanda, Nuno de Aguiar, Joana Amendoeira, Miguel Capucho, Cuca Roseta, Ana Maria Bobone, Celeste Rodrigues and Nathalie Pires, were the fado-singers who gave voice to the poets, that afternoon that the “Soul Music of Portugal” became part of the whole humanity. The connection among the people and their artists, was simply exciting and memorable.
On Monday November 28th of 2011, Nathalie was invited by the president of the “Amália Rodrigues Foundation” for a guided tour to the “Amalia Rodrigues House-Museum,” which was closed to the public that day. And it was in the room where Amália received her guests and close friends, that seated on the couch of the nostalgic ‘Fado Diva,’ in conversation with the foundation’s president Dr. João Aguiar, spoke in the possibility of future opportunities, ending that important meeting awarding Nathalie with the “Amália Rodrigues Medal of Merit” on behalf of the foundation, for being an “ambassador of fado and represent Amália with dignity outside Portugal.” The singer lived moments of great emotion, and came to know more details about the life of the one that was, and is the major reference in her artistic career.
Returning to the United States on Friday December 2nd of 2011, integrated in the celebrations of 150 years of BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), and in conjunction with the “BAM Next Wave Festival” in the “Tudo Isto É Fado” (All This is Fado) concerts, with a cast composed by Lisboa Soul, Camané, Nathalie Pires, Deolinda, Amália Hoje and Ricardo Parreira, Nathalie had her own sold-out concert at BAMcafé Live, adding another night of great success to many achieved over her artistic career.
Recorded a rock ballad with Manuel Cabral (Manel dos D’Alma), for his new album, gave several interviews to newspapers, radio and television. Nathalie also served as the inspiration for painter and longtime friend Vivian Francisco, participating by singing in some of the artist’s exhibitions. Sang the National Anthems of Portugal and the USA in several events of high importance, also presented educational workshops in English about fado and the Portuguese culture, in universities and colleges in the USA and Canada.