The first woman to play Portuguese Guitar professionally at FADO worldwide.
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In a territory historically occupied by men, a woman stood out, made this instrument hers, and brought it to the forefront of music.
The Portuguese Guitar is closely associated with Fado, and Marta, not forgetting her roots and tradition, ventured into new sounds and sought to give her instrument a voice in the world of Jazz, World Music, Portuguese Music.
BREAKS BARRIERS BY UNITING BORDERS
Marta Pereira da Costa bridges borders through her music, combining the origins of Fado with different styles and sounds - creating her own record.
A different look at the usual instrument, which increasingly distinguishes Marta around the world.
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ROUTE
Marta Pereira da Costa begins her musical training on the piano at the age of 4; she studied 2 years of classical guitar at age 8; At 18, she started playing Portuguese guitar.
She graduated in Civil Engineering, and after working for 8 years, in 2012, she abandoned the activity and dedicated herself exclusively to music and the Portuguese guitar, thus starting her solo career.
In 2012, she recorded for Rodrigo Costa Felix's “Fados de Amor”, the first album in the history of fado where the Portuguese guitar on the record is played exclusively by a woman. The album was awarded “Best Fado Album of 2012” by the prestigious Amália Rodrigues Foundation.
In 2014 she was distinguished by the Amália Rodrigues Foundation with the “Instrumentalist Award”.
In 2016, she released her debut album through Warner Music Portugal, which featured
participation of well-known names from the world music scene, such as bassist Richard Bona or Iranian singer Tara Tiba, or from the Portuguese music scene, such as Dulce Pontes, Camané or Rui Veloso.
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She has formed the most varied partnerships in concerts: Tiago Bettencourt, Mayra Andrade, Tito Paris, Rui Veloso, Dulce Pontes, Toquinho, Hamilton de Holanda, Maestro Jaques Morelembaum, etc.
She performs several concerts around the world: Brazil, USA, Canada, Switzerland, Spain, Holland, France, Italy, Slovenia, Romania, Tunisia, Bulgaria, Israel, Peru, Ireland, Greece, Dubai, Senegal, Morocco, Luxembourg.
The following concerts stand out: Teatro Tivoli sold out (Lisbon, Portugal),
NOS Alive (Lisbon), São João do Porto (Portugal), MIMO Festival (São
Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Amarante), Festival de la Guitarra (Córdoba, Spain), Real Teatro Santa Cecilia (Palermo, Italy), SXSW Festival (Austin, Texas), Lincoln Center sold out, NY Guitar Festival (New York City), Sold out Kennedy Center (Washington, DC).
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2019 started off in the best possible way with a new US tour of 9 concerts, 8 of which were sold out, coast to coast, highlighting the Lincoln Center in NY, the South by South West Festival in Austin, and the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. The pandemic suspended concerts scheduled for the rest of the year.
The post-pandemic start could not have been better. In January 2022 Marta performed at Dubai Expo, on the day allocated to Portugal. In February, Marta participated as a guest artist in conductor and cellist Jaques Morelenbaum's show at the Trancoso Jazz Festival, Brazil. In March, she represented Portugal in Dakar, Senegal, at the 9th World Water Forum where she returned to perform on the 10th of June. In April, she returned to Brazil to perform with another huge name in Brazilian music, Toquinho, in São Paulo.
On national territory, she developed two new and innovative projects: Portuguese guitar concert and Jazz Orchestra, and Portuguese guitar and Alentejo song. In May, she performed 5 concerts in Tel Aviv, Israel. In June, she performed in New York at the Guitar Festival, in a luxurious lineup alongside names like Bill Frisell, Badi Assad and Vieux Farka Touré. In July, she traveled to Peru for two concerts as part of the opening of the International Book Fair. She performed a tour of 7 concerts coast to coast, passing through the National Gallery and the mythical Blues Alley in Washington DC to Hawaii and 3 more concerts in California.
Marta has increasingly represented Portugal in various official events, such as the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union, as well as events in Embassies around the world. She accompanied the President of the Republic on his state visit to Ireland where she also performed.
In the first half of 2023 Marta produced and recorded her second album. In this project Marta marks a meeting between the Portuguese Guitar and the Piano.
“These are Songs “Without Words” in a conversation between two instruments, in an intimate environment, where there is intention, sensitivity and feeling in each note, chord or silence.” (Martha)
A four-hand project, where Marta, bringing much of the pianistic language that she knows so well to her Guitar, designed a live show with complementary influences and arts, where the result is an intimate and vibrant concert, to the elegant sound of the Portuguese Guitar , the jazzy sound of the Piano, illustrated by surprises yet to be revealed.
After playing on important stages in the USA, this new project will have its presentation in Portugal, in 2024, followed by a tour.
It features several compositions by her, including “Verdes anos & Summertime”, “Aranjuez & Spain”, “Um Homem na Cidade”, among other surprises.
In the last quarter of this year she recorded the program TINY DESK on NPR.
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Marta Pereira da Costa has been praised throughout the world of Fado, but also outside of it, by several personalities who recognize her enormous value, effort and courage to dedicate herself to a demanding, difficult and hard instrument, and to an art that fascinates her.
REVIEWS
• "Stunning performance." Lincoln Center, USA
• "A richly chiming Lincoln Center debut by Fado guitarist Marta Pereira da Costa. She's funny, and kind of badass: she knew she owned the crowd, and she didn't try to hide it. In the world of fado, she's a rarity , as a woman instrumentalist, composer and bandleader" New York Music Daily, USA
• "Without fear, without shame, she visited Fado houses to learn from the best" Executive Magazine, Portugal
• "This young woman is worth her weight in gold" Diario El Correo, Spain
• "[Marta demonstrates] sustained and arduous growth, substantial musical maturity and, above all, courage to assume herself as a composer". -VIP Magazine, Portugal
• "She IS a woman in a man's world. She breaks with tradition. She has a contemporary vision for the Portuguese Fado guitar that will challenge lovers of the instrument." Vision Magazine, Portugal