Ana Sofia Varela Fernandes, better known as Ana Sofia Varela, was born in Lisbon on March 28, 1977.
She was a finalist in RTP’s contest “Selecção Nacional” and later performed in Festival RTP da Canção in 1995.
In 1997, Carlos Zel invited her to perform at Lisbon’s fado houses. She began a collaboration with Mário Pacheco and was a regular act at his Fado club.
Ana Sofia Varela participated in António Chainho’s album “A Guitarra e Outras Mulheres” (A Guitar and Other Women), along with Marta Dias, Teresa Salgueiro and Filipa Pais.
In 1999 she participated in a show in New York put together by João Braga and that would culminate in the recording of two songs for the CD “A Guitarra e Outras Mulheres” (One hundred Years of Fado).
Ana Sofia rose to prominence in the early 2000s as one of a small group of young and dynamic new fadistas, initiating a period of vibrancy and innovation that continues to the present.
Her first release was a single with two songs: “Quem canta na minha voz”, with lyrics by João Monge and music by Rui Veloso, and “Rosa Nocturna” by Vasco Graça Moura and Mário Pacheco.
Ana Sofia’s debut album, the self-titled Ana Sofia was released in 2002 by Universal Music.
In 2006, she met José Peixoto and Fernando Júdice who invited her to participate in the Sal project.
In 2009, Ana Sofia released her second album, “Fados De Amor E Pecado” made in collaboration with João Gil and João Monge. That same year, she appeared in Rao Kyao’s album “Em’Cantado.”
Discography:
Ana Sofia Varela (Universal Music Portugal, 2002)
Fados De Amor E Pecado (iPlay, 2009)
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.