Rodrigo Costa Felix- Portuguese Fado

Rodrigo Costa Felix started singing Fado at the age of 17. 6 months after his debut singing Fado at a Fado house in Lisbon, he got his first invitation to perform as a hired singer at one of the trendiest venues in the business: São Caetano. Music was now his life, his passion. Later, another invitation to perform at one the most historical ones, Taverna do Embuçado, and has been, since 2001, guest star every Thursdays and Saturdays at Clube de Fado, the most renowned Fado house in Portugal.

Never neglecting his studies (he’s a Sound Engineer at RTP television station), he started participating in major Fado events throughout the country, mainly with one of the biggest names ever, João Braga. Garcia de Resende Theatre in Évora was his first.

Many followed: São Carlos National Theatre, São João Theatre, both Lisbon’s and Porto’s Coliseums, São Luís Theatre, Belém Cultural Centre, Aula Magna, etc.

In 1995 he had his first recording experience in “Alma Nova”, together with Maria Ana Bobone and Miguel Capucho, the first album from the so called New Generation of Fado singers.

He appeared in some TV shows, like the tributes to the queen of Fado, Amália Rodrigues, in Lisbon, Oporto, Panteão Nacional, Café Luso, and in many concerts also broadcasted like Fados no Parque, Fados de Sempre I and II, Fados de Março, Lá Vai Lisboa and several others. His international career began in 1997 with a trip to Macau, to perform at Clube Militar (to where he would return in 1999), and has been travelling around the world ever since: N.J.P.A.C. (New Jersey) in 1998 and 2000, Barbican Centre in London (1999), Gustine – California (2001) and many other in Paris, Madrid, Luxemburg, Stuttgart, Toronto, Bologna, Bayonne, etc.

He was guest singer, together with Ana Sofia Varela, of “Sol y Luna – Flamenco and Fado”, a musical by the Compañia de Danza del Siglo XXI, with which he toured around Europe between September 2000 and March 2001. He participated in many Fado compilations and has a guest in many albums, like the latest (“Al Rescate del Alma”) by Maria do Ceo, a well known Galician singer.

He’s one of the singers, together with Mariza, Camané and Ana Sofia Varela, in Mário Pacheco’s “Clube de Fado – A Música e a Guitarra”, a CD/DVD recorded live in 2005 at Queluz National Palace. It has already been staged in Den Haag and at Teatro Albeniz in Madrid, where Rodrigo performed together with Mariza, followed by a tour in Holland.

In 2008 he recorded his first solo album, produced by Mário Pacheco (with an introductory note by Adriana Calcanhotto) where he sings poets like Fernando Pessoa, Vinícius de Moraes, António Gedeão, Fernanda de Castro, Manuel de Andrade, musics by Mário Pacheco, Fontes Rocha, and many classics like “Vendaval” and “Guitarra Triste”.

He also wrote himself a couple of lyrics: his wife, Marta Pereira da Costa, the only female Fado guitarist (Portuguese Guitar) in Portugal, is his guest musician in one of them, “Mãe”, music by the famous José Afonso.

This year Rodrigo launched his second CD, “Fados de Amor” (Farol). A much more mature album, dedicated to women! Like Rodrigo says: “women are the ambassadors of love in the world, so it’s only natural to call this CD ‘Fados de Amor’ (love) and dedicate it not only to the women of my life, but to all of them”. On this album, Rodrigo’s voice and interpretation are more powerful than ever but also more emotional and sincere. In it he sings classics like “Rosinha dos Limões” and “O teu olhar”, but essentially he tried to look for new poetry and music.

That’s why we have two poems, “Paixões Secretas” and “Nos Olhos de Alguém”, by one of the most sought-after poet in Fado nowadays: Tiago Torres da Silva. He also wrote the introductory note. The first single is “Amigo Aprendiz”, with a stunning poem by Portugal’s great Fernando Pessoa and a wonderful tune by Tiago Bettencourt, an original made especially for Rodrigo.

Worth of notice also poems by Pedro Homem de Melo, Rui de Noronha and Ana Vidal. We can also find two impressive duets: “Morena” (Guerra Junqueiro/Pedro Pinhal) with Kátia Guerreiro, one of the most international Fado singers ever; and “Fado Contido” (Ana Geraldo/Rogério Charraz) with Angolan singer Aline Frazão, a rising star in world music.

Rodrigo will stage these “Fados de Amor” in one of Lisbon’s most important venues, Centro Cultural de Belém, on the 11th of July. This will be the beginning of a tour throughout the country. Before that he’ll appear in Madrid for the 2nd edition of Fado Festival on the 21st of June and at Feira do Artesanato do Estoril on the 29th.

Also check: www.rodrigocostafelix.comwww.facebook.com/rodrigocostafelixoficialwww.myspace.com/rodrigocostafelix