Fã-Clube Teresa Salgueiro: Entrevista ao Todays Zaman

Boa tarde,

A entrevista que segue foi concedida pela Teresa ao jornalista Cenk Erdem, do "Todays Zaman" de Istambul, em março de 2014, quando nossa musa esteve na Turquia para apresentação de "O Mistério". Gosto muito.

"One of the most talented people in the world music scene, Portuguese singer Teresa Salgueiro, will perform a concert in İstanbul this month.

The singer, who is known as the former vocalist of the music group Madredeus and her lead role in Wim Wenders' film “Lisbon Story,” will take to the stage at the İş Sanat Cultural Center on March 20.

Having dedicated a quarter of a century to music, Salgueiro believes in the significance of accepting the past and says she takes inspiration from freedom and creativity. The singer will perform songs from her latest album, “O Mistério” (O Mystery), for which she wrote and composed all the songs on an album for the first time, in her upcoming İstanbul concert.

Speaking to Today's Zaman ahead of her March 20 performance, the singer spoke about her music experience, most recent album and İstanbul.

In your career, you have left 25 years behind. How do you describe your feelings when you look back?

I started singing in 1986 when I was 17, and I have dedicated my whole life to music, so my feeling about music has grown into love and passion. I feel very much rewarded in all aspects of this activity. … All my dedication made sense and I've learned a lot about music.

I feel inspired and I have a strong will to continue.

You wrote all the songs and lyrics for the first time for your album “O Mistério” (The Mystery). Why did you not come up with your own songs before?

For 20 years I was dedicated to singing the music of the Portuguese group Madredeus, which offered me several different challenges in terms of vocal approach as well as a strong and very busy agenda. Those were the years where I was invited to sing a complete repertoire, always re-created and written for me. I entered the group while very young, without almost any music training. And I found neither the space nor the occasion to do so. Later, when I left the group, I collaborated with several different musicians, and it took some time to find the right people to compose with me the original music that I dreamed about.

Can we say that your latest project is a new beginning after all those years?

My latest and current project is both a continuation of my path in music and, at the same time, an absolute new beginning.

How do you describe your own music in your latest album?

I can say it's very difficult to describe. The choice of instruments and the people who would play them were very important for us. I wanted to compose music that would really bring together all our different backgrounds, influences and imagination. So I would say my dream was to build a very deep universe which is highly connected to my memories but always challenging for me. And the musicians expressed something new in terms of sound and used a full range of means to develop our interaction.

When you were 25 years old, you played in Wim Wenders' legendary movie “Lisbon Story” as the lead actress. Can we say it was a sort of breakthrough for your career?

This movie was highly important for the career of Madredeus as it presented us to a very specific kind of audience while our records were being released worldwide for the first time. It was a good coincidence, beautiful experience and, for me, as an admirer of the cinema of Wim Wenders, a great honor.

You joined Madredeus, one of the most popular Portuguese groups, when you were only 17. How do you describe Madredeus' influence on your own music?

I can say that if we are able to talk about “influence,” this happens more in terms of the will of not denying all my past but, at the same time, not wanting, definitely, to repeat it. It's a great challenge.

Critics praise you as one of the most talented singers of the world music scene. But who are your own favorite stars?

I like all kinds of music, and I don't particularly follow any specific artist in the world music scene, but I can say that one of my favorite contemporary artists is Marisa Monte from Brazil.

What inspires you the most when you write a song?

I am inspired by all the music that I like. But mainly I am inspired by freedom and creativity and by life itself. By the way that we are able to choose our means of expression all of the time … by the huge amount of knowledge that we can perceive during the current moment, by people that I really admire, by nature and all its miracles. I am also inspired by the musicians with whom I work with, constantly invite to create our own universe that sails away from silence into a very truthful world to search for happiness and full expression.

What does fado means to you in your daily life as a Portuguese singer?

I have been following the tradition of fado since I was a very young girl. I am a great admirer of many masters of this tradition but mainly of Amália Rodrigues, her unique exquisite way. She developed this genre of music and spread it all around the world. However, I don't follow any specific contemporary fado singer. I prefer the old tradition.

You are going to perform in İstanbul on March 20th. What do you know about the city?

I don't know much about Istanbul. I visited the city just for a single time for a concert performance. But it was very brief, and I didn't even see the city at all. Such things happen more than people can imagine. Usually, you go to a hotel from an airport and then to the concert venue, and then back to hotel to pack and leave the next day in the morning. However, this time I am really excited because I really hope I can see this beautiful city which shares some characteristics with my native Lisboa -- a melting pot of cultures, where the sea is a part of the city and everything is full of life and filled with color -- as in the pictures I saw."