Mariza at the Barbican, London

I could summarise this show in only three words:
Amazing, Fantastic, Superb!

But I'll use some more. Mariza was very interactive, talking a lot with the audience, mostly in English but also in Portuguese. A funny moment was when she asked if there where any Portuguese people there and about half of the audience started shouting and clapping. Sometimes she would explain what some key Portuguese words mean before started singing so the audience could understand what she would be singing about. On the beginning of the show, she apologised to the 1st and 2nd balcony for not being close to them. She also talked a little bit of her her origins, she was born in Mozambique, raise in Mouraria (Lisboa), and started singing at 5 in her parents' Tasco da Mouraria.

At a certain point she convinced the British part of the audience to say "Guitarrada" so the guitar players would play some instrumental fado.

Her performance itself was staggering, every time she paused we could hear the flies. Everyone was just so immerse in the music that wouldn't dare to make a sound. Her voice sounded like magic.

Before her first encore, she put the audience singing Happy Birthday to one of the guitar players. After the audience singed it in English the Portuguese, unexpectedly, singed it in Portuguese. After that, she singed her supposedly last song, As they left everyone got up and made a huge ovation. When they returned, they gave us what Mariza called a "gift", and a gift it was. She, and two of the guitarists played without any mikes or amplification for the whole hall. I guess everyone wasn't expecting to hear much, but I was in the 2nd balcony and could hear her clearly. It was a great display of the power of her voice. After that, another good display of her singing abilities, she sang Smile from Charlie Chaplin (sang by Nat King Cole), she sang while walking through one aisle between people.

She finished singing a happy fado song with everyone standing and clapping.

Amazing show, espero voltar a vê-la "lá pelas nossas bandas" (como ela disse).

Though not all songs are exclusively fado, as some have drums and/or piano, the mixture works quite well, making it easier to hear but still carrying the same feeling.