Rodrigo Costa Félix

Rodrigo started singing Fado at the age of 17. He wasn’t one of those singers whose stile was imposed from the outside, rather he let it grow from within. Fado is emotional, sentimental, powerful, deep, intense…what better age to start singing such music than the most emotional of them all?

6 months after his debut at a Fado house in Lisbon, he got his first invitation to perform as a hired singer at one of the trendiest venues in the business: São Caetano. Music was now his life, his passion. Later, another invitation to perform at one the most historical ones, Taverna do Embuçado, and has been, since 2001, guest star every Mondays and Thursdays at Clube de Fado, the most renowned Fado house in Portugal.

Never neglecting his studies (he’s a Sound Engineer at RTP television station), he started participating in major Fado events throughout the country, mainly with one of the biggest names ever, João Braga. Garcia de Resende Theatre in Évora was his first. Many followed: São Carlos National Theatre, São João Theatre, both Lisbon’s and Porto’s Coliseums, São Luís Theatre, Belém Cultural Centre, Aula Magna, etc. In 1995 he had his first recording experience in “Alma Nova”, together with Maria Ana Bobone and Miguel Capucho, the first album from the so called New Generation of Fado singers.

He appeared in some TV shows, like the tributes to the queen of Fado, Amália Rodrigues, in Lisbon, Oporto, Panteão Nacional, Café Luso, and in many concerts also broadcasted like Fados no Parque, Fados de Sempre I and II, Fados de Março, Lá Vai Lisboa and several others.

His international career began in 1997 with a trip to Macau, to perform at Clube Militar (to where he would return in 1999), and has been travelling around the world ever since: N.J.P.A.C. (New Jersey) in 1998 and 2000, Barbican Centre in London (1999), Gustine – California (2001 and 2007) and many other in Paris, Madrid, Luxemburg, Stuttgart, Toronto, Bologna, Bayonne, etc.

He was guest singer, together with Ana Sofia Varela, of “Sol y Luna – Flamenco and Fado”, a musical by the Compañia de Danza del Siglo XXI, with which he toured around Europe between September 2000 and March 2001.

He participated in many Fado compilations and has a guest in many albums, like the latest (“Al Rescate del Alma”) by Maria do Ceo, a well known Galician singer. He’s one of the singers, together with Mariza, Camané and Ana Sofia Varela, in Mário Pacheco’s “Clube de Fado – A Música e a Guitarra”, a CD/DVD recorded live in 2005 at Queluz National Palace and now a Fado show that will travel the world. It has already been staged in Den Haag and at Teatro Albeniz in Madrid, where Rodrigo performed together with Mariza. It has been on tour through the Netherlands last December.

In 2008, he finally recorded his first solo album, "Fados d'Alma", produced by Mário Pacheco, where he sings poets like Fernando Pessoa, Vinícius de Moraes, António Gedeão, Fernanda de Castro, Manuel de Andrade, musics by Mário Pacheco, Fontes Rocha, and many classics like “Vendaval” and “Guitarra Triste”. He also wrote himself a couple of lyrics: his wife at that time, Marta Pereira da Costa, the only female guitarist (Portuguese Guitar) in Lisbon, is his guest musician.

“Fados de Amor” was awarded the prestigious Amália Rodrigues prize for best Album of the Year 2012. The jury of the Amália Rodrigues Foundation highlighted the artistic evolution, the choice of repertoire and the distinction of The Atlantic magazine as decisive factors in the award of this award.

In 2014, he edited his multi-artist project “Brincar aos Fados” that aims to make Fado known to the younger generations, combining the melodies of traditional fado with poems adapted to the younger ones. It had the collaboration of artists such as Camané, Cristina Branco, Katia Guereirro, Mafalda Arnauth or Celeste Rodrigues, among others. On June 1, 2017, an illustrated book of short stories was published around the theme of Fado, also produced by Rodrigo, who signed three of the short stories.

He collaborated in the production and performed in the first edition of the Fado Festival of Morocco and, in 2019, he collaborated in the production and performed in the first edition of the China Fado Festival. He has also been producing various shows and giving workshops and lectures on Fado in Portugal and abroad.

In 2020 he edits his latest album “Tempo” where he sings six themes written by himself.

Source: