Biography

With her emotionally rich vocals, Teresa Salgueiro helped to make Madredeus one of Portugal's most influential groups. Inspired by Portugal's fado tradition, an intricate vocal style that incorporates elements of opera, blues, and tango, Salgueiro added a modern sensibility to the traditional sound. She was praised for her "ethereal voice, which combines earthly desire, cosmic awe, material longing, and transcendental hope, and which settles over you like a state of grace." Salgueiro had attracted attention with her singing since childhood. As a youngster she sang Portuguese music and Brazilian bossa nova tunes in the streets and taverns of Lisbon. At 16, she and some friends moved to the old part of the city, where she continued to sing. There she met guitarist/producer Pedro Ayres Magalhaes and helped found Madredeus. The group recorded its debut album, Lisbon Live, at the Iberian Theater. Accompanied by the acoustic, almost classical sounds of Magalhaes and José Peixoto on guitar, Francisco Ribeiro on cello, Gabriel Gomes on accordion, and Rodrigo Leão on keyboards, Salgueiro allowed her voice to soar with irresistible passion. In 1994, Salgueiro appeared as an actress in Wim Wenders' film Lisbon Story (Viagem a Lisboa), and recorded the soundtrack. It was released as Ainda and was part of a discography that, between 1987 and 2007, when she left the band, sold over five million records. In 2006 she issued her debut solo offering, Obrigado, which featured collaborations with artists such as José Carreras, Caetano Veloso, and Angelo Branduardi. The following year she recorded three albums: the bossa-drenched Você e Eu with Septet João Cristal, the classic covers collection La Serena with Lusitânia Ensemble, and she appeared on Silence, Night & Dreams, written by composer Zbigniew Preisner. These diverse offerings showcased her considerable versatility as an interpretive singer. She worked with the Lusitânia Ensemble again for 2009's Matriz, examining the historical matrix of Portuguese music. After touring, she retreated to a convent to record O Mistério, her first album of original songs. Released in 2012, it topped the Portuguese and Mexican charts. After touring internationally to sold-out houses, Salgueiro took a brief respite. She returned with a second collection of originals entitled O Horizonte in the fall of 2016. ~ Craig Harris, Rovi