Tony Camara was born in Toronto and was introduced to music at a very early age. Remaining true to his cultural roots, Tony Camara’s first solo CD, released in 1999, entitled “Coimbra”, was dedicated solely to fados from the historical city of Coimbra, Portugal. In 2003, he composed and wrote songs in Portuguese for his second album “Dei Volta”. And in 2005, completed “Eu e o Fado”, a CD with many of the fados he grew up listening to.
Tony Camara has succeeded in developing expertise in the two distinct styles of Fado – from Coimbra, developed and performed by male university students, and from Lisbon, traditionally sung by inner-city dwellers of both sexes.
His unique performance style makes Tony Camara a distinctive cultural icon in the Portuguese-Canadian music scene.
Tony Gouveia was born in Lisbon, and came to Canada at the age of 13. Fado is the urban folk music of Portugal’s capital. Tony Gouveia never forgot his roots nor the fados that his father sang at family gatherings.
Tony Gouveia has emerged as an imposing voice of a new generation of fadistas (fado singers) in North America. He has recently released “O Nosso Fado” a CD compilation of Fado standards which reveals his deep passion and authentic vocal expression for this genre of Portuguese music. This recording offers a variety of styles, from the very slow and melancholic to the upbeat and pleasantly piquant. Even if you don’t speak the language, it is difficult not to be moved by his performance which embodies the essence of the Portuguese soul.
Sonia Tavares was born in Toronto, Canada to Portuguese parents. She has been involved in music for most of her life. Sonia studied the Classical form for 12 years, the last half of those being at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. From 2002-2004 she sang with Toronto’s Opera in Concert as a member of the Chorus and participated on their recording of Rameau’s Castor et Pollux. Sonia also has an immense love of Portuguese music. In 2004, Sonia decided it was time to focus on performing fado. She is extremely excited to launch her first CD, entitled Reformação (Reformation).
Sonia is also very proud to finally be writing songs and is astonished that she was able to write them in Portuguese!
Maria Haidé Esgaio was born in Peniche, Portugal and started to sing at weddings and birthday parties at the age of 10. As an adult, Maria Haidé participated in Fado Galas in Portugal where she obtained a first prize.
Upon immigrating to Canada Maria Haidé has been a constant presence in Fado Nights frequently organized in Portuguese clubs and associations in and around Toronto. In 1994, she classified as number one in a Fado Gala and she feels honoured to sing for the local Portuguese community as well as for Canadian audiences.
Cristina Taborda was born in Vancouver, BC, to Portuguese parents who emigrated back to Portugal when she was only 5.
Cristina's been singing since she was little. She sang at her first competition at the age of 9 and won 2nd place. After that, she started playing the guitar, writing and composing her own music. While growing up, she was always involved in art and music projects, as well as theatre.
She played in Lisbon with her band at the time, CristyTabs, that had classic rock, reggae and funk as their biggest influences. When she graduated from an art program in high school, she moved back to Canada, but now to Toronto, where she worked at the Clay and Paper Theatre as a perfomer. She was asked to sing the Fado song "Com que Voz", which was the first fado she ever sang, but wouldn't be the last one. Cristina is currently singing in a band with the non-definite name Arthur Miller and the Family Band, and studying Image Arts at Ryerson University.