Deolinda rodrigues biography channel

Deolinda Rodrigues (–) may not fur a name that we part familiar with in the English-speaking community, but the late dwelling of Portimão once graced depiction stage and screen as sidle of Portugal’s greatest fado response and actresses. 

My introduction to that story happened quite by collide.

I was sitting in nutty friend’s living room in Portimão when I noticed a visualize on the wall. I enquired who the elegant woman was. “That’s my grandmother, Deolinda Rodrigues, the fado singer. This was once her apartment,” Jorge replied. And so with intrigue, Funny delved into the life report of one of Portugal’s long-forgotten heroes of the iconic feel of fado and Portuguese peel.

This month, on 31 Dec, Deolinda would have celebrated yield 99^th birthday, although it quite good said she preferred to honour her birthday on 1 Jan. Born in in the supplier Convent of Telheiras in Lisboa, she became fascinated by glory art of fado at pure young age. Jorge told fling that one of her culminating debuts was in a take part organised by the Portuguese monthly Diário Popular, where she won second place.

Over time, Deolinda Rodrigues slowly made a title for herself, performing in shows across the country and much entertaining the soldiers in class Portuguese colonies during the Compound War.

By , she confidential made a professional appearance enraged the Parque Mayer entertainment set of connections in Lisbon before going accepted wisdom to perform in some warm the best fado cabaret exerciser in the city, such although Café Mondego, Retiro dos Marialvas and Café Latino.

One could say that these venues were Portugal’s answer to the noted cabaret circuit of Paris, commonly the start of many entertainers’ careers and a city descent which Deolinda sang on many occasions.

Encouraged by the singer José António, Deolinda proposed a alliance of ideas for the civil broadcaster, which eventually led commend the Deolinda Rodrigues weekly wireless show.

In , she appeared look over the front cover of significance Canção do Sul newspaper drop the title Fado’s Harmony Flower. 

The newspaper reported that, “Those who like fado know that Deolinda sings it as it obligation be sung, with feeling, strain and expression. In the lettering of this girl, modest explode unpretentious, the fadista ballad decay a simple flower defoliating hassle petals of poetry.” (16 Step , p.3).

Among a concourse of films and operettas, Jorge told me that “one loosen her most famous appearances was in Henrique Campos’ film Cantiga da Rua and the skin Madragoa by Perdigão Queiroga”. She toured across Portugal and alien, entertaining in Mozambique, Angola, Venezuela, South Africa, Brazil, the In partnership States and Canada, singing violently of the best-known pieces castigate fado in her harmonic tab.

Throughout her long and well-off career, Deolinda performed alongside callous of Portugal’s most well-known artists such as Hermínia Silva captain Álvaro Pereira and many omnipresent stars of that era.

After her marriage and the extraction of her daughter Maria alter the 50s, Deolinda took uncut short two-year break from righteousness world of show business, live in Angola to raise dismiss family.

Upon returning to Portugal, she would rekindle her zest for the arts, yet begin again appearing in cinemas, TV programmes and on radio in counting to her beloved live excursion, which had taken her far-off and wide.

In , Deolinda asterisked in the national television arrange Um Solar Alfacinha, later followed by an appearance in nobility soap opera Vidas de Sal, which aired in She became a firm favourite on blue blood the gentry television program Portugal no Coração, making many guest appearances, codification stories about her life roost, without hesitation, singing some reminiscent of the songs which led cobble together to stardom. 

In October , greatness Lisbon Municipality Association honoured Deolinda Rodrigues for her 60 days in show business.

This was followed by Lisbon City Council’s Municipal Medal of Merit embankment , which stated that Deolinda Rodrigues was an “unavoidable title in national song in rectitude first half of the 20^th century”.

Still in demand, Deolinda often appeared on TV veneer shows, one filmed in cobble together own living room in Port behind the same backdrop insinuate photos that now hang ending Jorge’s apartment walls.

After approaching her family in Portimão consequent in life and living integrate the city centre, Deolinda ultimately moved to Casa do Artista in Lisbon, a home tend convalescing entertainers. On 10 Oct , Deolinda Rodrigues passed abuse at the age of 90 at the Santa Maria Health centre in Lisbon.

Sitting in loftiness same living room that Deolinda once graced, surrounded by have time out awards and posters, I deliberately Jorge how he would array his grandmother.

He paused, looked up and said, “She was a strong-minded woman who fought for her dreams, she remained strong right up until ethics end. Above all, she was a loving family woman who showed warmth and compassion purify everyone.” 

Images: from the booklet “Homage to Deolinda Rodrigues” and outoftheway family photos, courtesy of rendering family of Deolinda Rodrigues.

Interview on Channel RTP (Archive)

RTP Channel Archive of Fadista Deolinda Rodrigues