Born in 1979 in Tomar, Portugal, Ana Lains began singing from early age and always had eclectic musical tastes, from jazz to bossa nova. In 1996, Ana entered the first musical contests, and received several awards, wining the 1999 Grande Noite do Fado. This special prize was also a revelation: according to Ana Lains, it is in Fado that she has found the best way to express and share her feelings with the audience.
Later on, a tour of several countries followed. At age of 22, Ana had already performed in stages in France, USA, Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany.
The first recording experiences took place in 2000, for “Songs about Lisbon”, just before the invitation to be part of Difference’s compilation Divas do Fado Novo.
Sentidos, the first album, was released in 2006, through the label Different World, and was also the debut of Diogo Clemente as a producer. At the studio, Ana had the precious collaboration of Diogo Clemente at the acoustic guitar (credited not only for the production, but also for the musical direction and arrangements), Fernando Araujo at bass guitar, Bernardo Couto at Portuguese guitar, Vicky at percussion, Ricardo Mota at cello and Ruben Alves at accordion, piano and melodica.
Sentidos is a record full of true songs. A contemporary approach to Fado, where we can find more introspective themes with simple lullaby melodies, that take us back to our childhood imaginary. On the other side, one can find Fado references, on its most classical shape, as well as Portuguese traditional music influences.
Ana Lain’s lyricist choice was upon some of her side bed table companions, such as Florbela Espanca, Lidia Oliveira, Antonio Ramos Rosa, among others.
Discography:
Sentidos (Different World, 2006)
Quatro Caminhos (Seven Muses/Difference Music, 2010)
Portucalis (Seven Muses, 2017)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
