Marta Pereira da Costa

Born in Lisbon in 1982, Marta Pereira da Costa has established herself in the fado landscape by becoming the first woman to professionally play the Portuguese guitar in this repertoire. Trained first in piano and then in classical guitar, she turned at 18 to the Portuguese guitar with Carlos Gonçalves and began performing at the Clube de Fado, an important venue on the Lisbon scene. Her career develops both as a performer, composer and accompanist, alongside several voices of Portuguese fado such as Mariza, Camané, Katia Guerreiro or Carlos do Carmo. Marta Pereira da Costa develops an instrumental language anchored in fado, but open to other traditions, incorporating elements of Portuguese music, jazz, Cape Verdean morna, Brazilian choro and world music. Launched solo from 2012, she released a first self-titled album in 2016, with the participation of musicians and singers such as Rui Veloso, Dulce Pontes, Camané and Richard Bona. Coming from a family environment also linked to Macao through her mother, Marta Pereira da Costa circulates the Portuguese guitar in varied contexts, between concert halls, festivals and cross-disciplinary collaborations, favoring a melodic and expressive approach where the instrument takes the place of the voice.