She has Fado in her soul. And her Soul is like a river bursting its banks to reach the talent, respect, truth and courage that are present in all the verses that she sings, in all the words she lends to what, in the end, becomes “her own voice”.

She has Passion in her blood, unrestrained, desperately inescapable. It is passion for the music, for the words of the great Portuguese poets of the past, the present, and the future. Fado in its essence, in its musical roots and genre it is all she believes in, and in no circumstances could she undervalue what makes her so great, without being necessary, for that, to succumb within reach of the shore.

Nothing is distorted, nothing is dispersed, everything is transformed when we unconditionally believe in all the golden moments of the art that haunts and embraces us as a condition.

Joana Amendoeira is a born Fado singer, unconditionally a Fado singer. Today and always. And even when she embarks in an adventure impelled by her Passion, she can be a Fado singer when, in a murmur, the purest and most crystalline water sizzles. As two rivers merging at the point where they meet. One river is the “Soul” the other is the “Passion”.

In Portimão, in November 2007, Joana Amendoeira (voice), Pedro Amendoeira (Portuguese guitar), Pedro Pinhal (classic guitar), Paulo Paz (double bass), and Filipe Raposo (accordion) gathered in a reflection around the repertoire of Joana Amendoeira for a live performance with The Orchestra of the Algarve. The result was one of the most emblematic concerts of her life.

As we could not let such a memorable night go unnoticed, we came up with idea of creating an ensemble to accompany the voice of Joana Amendoeira and her quartet, producing thus a show with arrangements by João Godinho, which premiered at the Praça de Armas in the São Jorge Castle, during the Festa do Fado in June 2008.
This concert resulted in the sixth album of Joana Amendoeira, this time recorded and filmed to be released as a live album with a free DVD.

The Ensemble, especially put together for this concert, was directed by Paulo Moreira (cello) and also included António Barbosa (1st violin), Paulo Pestana (2nd violin), Ricardo Mateus (viola), Maria Rosa (flute), Rui Travasso (clarinet), Carlos Alberto (trumpet), and João Carlos (horn).
Filipe Raposo, one of the most regarded musicians of present times, adds his accordion to the Fado’s trio that has always accompanied Joana Amendoeira throughout the four corners of the world.

As two rivers merging at the point where they meet. One river is the “Soul” the other is the “Passion”. Together and united they follow their purest stream to meet in a sea of emotions and thus create one of the great albums and concerts of the History of Fado and of the Portuguese Music: Joana Amendoeira & Mar Ensemble.