Live Review: Mariza at Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto, Portugal
Review by Leane Garces
Photography by Praia Photography (Leane Garces)
The night Portuguese Fado met the Douro
We go to concerts for the music, but every now and then there are concerts where the setting becomes part of the music itself. That was the case when Portuguese beauty and soulful songstress, Mariza brought her all, when she performed alongside the Porto Symphony Orchestra, by the Douro River at Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto, Portugal on July 18, 2026.
As Porto’s riversides glowed across the water, thousands gathered to experience one of Portugal’s most recognisable voices. Bringing the Portuguese style of Fado to the stage, Mariza performed an evening of brilliance and class alongside the Orquestra Sinfonietta do Porto (Porto Symphony Orchestra), conducted by Maestro Jaques Morelenbaum. Celebrating 20 years since performing alongside Jaques and the Lisbon Symphony Orchestra, at the Torre de Belém Gardens, Lisbon – the event that became a defining moment in this now iconic career. A career which started in the narrow streets of Lisbon, where the unique and historic Fado found it’s roots.
The event was free for all and had crowds gathering for hours before Mariza graced the stage, opening the set with ‘Loucura’ to demonstrate her elegance and enormous power all in one, followed by ‘Há Uma Música do Povo’, showcasing the sounds of the Portuguese guitar, bringing effortless notes between the vocals of a legend.
Within the first few notes of an acoustic guitar, ‘Chuva’ was immediately recognisable, as Mariza slowly entered into the journey, gently joined by the strings of the orchestra, which formed the backdrop of the evening. The emotion continued as Mariza performed a tribute set, including a soft yet strong version of Fado queen Amália Rodrigues’ song, ‘Lágrima’.
The setlist then exploded as Mariza turned up the heat, performing the gritty and punchy ‘Amar-Te’, a song from her upcoming album, ‘Amor’, before handing the stage to Maestro Jaques and theOrchestra, allowing a spectacular, deep and heavy entrance to ‘Desejos Vãos’ – a song built with dramatic character.
The way she sings is unmistakable – knowing exactly how to get a crowd of thousands both emotional and engaged, Mariza used her almost conversational, storytelling style of singing to perform ‘Quem Me Dera’ and ‘Melhor de Mim’ with the audience. The crowd erupted into a choir when Mariza encouraged a singalong, asking everyone to shine their lights and sing the lyrics, “Sei que o melhor de mim está por chegar” – I know that the best of me is yet to come. It was a huge insight into the positivity this woman carries, among all the songs of love and longing.
After a little and loving introduction where the audience were able to hear a few words from Maestro and friend ‘Jaquinho’, it was time to bring to the stage ‘Meu Fado Meu’ – a welcoming moment to dive into the connection between longing and Portugal, through Fado.
As Jaques took a short break from the stage and the orchestra at rest, a cheeky Mariza knew she and her band had the stage. A little smile and sway of her dress brought with it ‘Rosa Branca’ – funky and classically Portuguese, bringing this festival to life and the audience to their feet. Mariza’s band showcased the accordion as the crowd joined in, eventually finishing the song for her – much to her appreciation – but she made them do it again, this time so she could get the job done herself!
The stage turned dark, with the only sound being the clapping of a beat to the drummer’s snare – until Mariza exploded into her own version of another Amália Fado classic, ‘Barco Negro’. This version was primal, driven almost entirely by percussion, with an almost African influence – revealing another layer to Mariza and her Mozambican roots that is present in much of her music.
It was the acoustic introduction to final song for the evening (or so we thought) ‘Ó Gente Da Minha Terra’ that brought the crowd to complete stillness, as Mariza carried her voice delicately through the song that is so closely associated with her. As the crowd began to sing the lyrics, Mariza was visibly appreciative of her audience and allowed for the moment, before exploding into the finale of the song in the only way she knows how, captivating the audience as cheers erupted.
Mariza returned to the stage expressing she couldn’t possibly leave without singing her personal Fado favourite, ‘Primavera’. This was always set to be the last song of this setlist – Mariza built her voice towards an ending that was raw and enormous – the most powerful and commanding ending to any song, that could have been heard from all parts of Porto!
Even though this was a collective celebration of Portuguese culture along one of the most iconic spaces in Portugal, surrounded by thousands and an entire orchestra – Mariza made every song feel as though it was being sung directly to one person.
As she sings in her song, Chuva – “Há gente que fica na história, da história da gente” -There are people who stay in history, in the history of us. Mariza will forever be one of those people. An artist immortalised in the history of Portugal, and Fado.
Mariza’s upcoming album, Amor, is due to be released by the end of October 2026.
Setlist
- Loucura
- Há Uma Música do Povo
- Chuva
- Lágrima
- Amar-Te
- Desejos Vãos
- Quem Me Dera
- Melhor de Mim
- Meu Fado Meu
- Rosa Branca
- Barco Negro
- Ó Gente Da Minha Terra
- Primavera
About the Photographer – Lee Garces (PRAIA Photography) is a local lifestyle and events photographer based in Rockingham with a great appreciation of Australian music. Recently, she held a photo gallery in Fremantle featuring her hometown Madeira Island in Portugal, raising $2500 for VisAbility WA. Keep an eye out as she endeavours to continue to capture more of our homemade talent, right here in Perth!
Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) has been accredited to more than 220 of the hottest acts including Taylor Swift (ERAS Tour in Sydney), Coldplay (Perth), AD/DC, Metallica, KISS, RHCP, P!NK and Suzi Quatro with reviews shared by the likes of Belinda Carlisle, Roxette, Tina Arena, UB40, Delta Goodrem, and Tina Arena on social media. He has interviewed the late Ace Frehley (KISS), John Steel (The Animals), Frank Ferrer (Guns N Roses), Phil X (Bon Jovi), Andrew Farris (INXS) plus over 100 artists. He’s also a contributor on Triple M Radio as a music journalist.
