Lula Pena, born and raised in Lisbon, is a cosmopolitan Portuguese: a woman of the wide world! Singer-poet, mysterious woman that hides behind the guitar to best surprise us. A unique, deep voice, inspired by multiple references, playing with borders and with the nest poets. Her first album, Phados, released in 1998, won her immediate acclaim. The deep, commanding yet sensitive voice; the natural blend of fado roots with colours of Portuguese folk music, French chanson, Cape Verdean morna, Brazilian bossa nova; the stripped-down delivery of voice and guitar; all heralded the arrival of a major new talent. And then she disappeared again, only reappearing some 12 years later with the release of her second album, Troubadour, a collection of stories of passion and pain, mirroring her personal journey as existentialist musician and serendipitous poet. In the past few years she has remained reassuringly present, performing in Cape Verde, Brazil, Chile and around Europe, occasionally appearing in duo with Guinea-Bissau multi-instrumentalist, Mu Mbana, or the New Zealand saxophonist, Hayden Chisholm, but usually, on her own and in her own time. We’re happy to present Lula Pena, when she performs solo at ALICE this Spring. The concert is presented in collaboration with the Portuguese Embassy. Please note that the concert is seated.