Otília, a Portuguese
singer, was born in Lisbon, the historic and cultural capital of Portugal.
She was born into the traditional folds of the Fado and lived out her infancy
enveloped by the compelling sound of this most profound form of musical
expression.
In 1973, she, like so many of her countrymen and women, immigrated to Canada,
settling in Toronto, an adaptive city for many transplanted Portuguese.
From 1977 to 1989 she actively participated in cultural groups, helping
to advance and maintain Portuguese culture with her fellow immigrants.
It was also during this time that she began to perform theatrical, illustrating
to those around her that she was, most definitely, a multi-talented individual.
Her love of artistic expression was inspiring and she instilled in her
children the same passion for the cultural arts, especially the Folklore.
Otília simple adores that act of singing, made only too obvious
by her participation in the Festival of Songs for five consecutive years,
with her creation interpretated by her own lyrics.
In 1993, she also participated in Gala do Fado, a musical festival where
she unveiled musical masterpieces of her own creation. It was also during
this time that she recorded, for the very first time, a number of different
songs dealing with various topics. The final product and result of this
initial recording was "Do Fado a Canção", a collection
of songs well known to the Portuguese community.
During Christmas of 1996, her work entitled "Natal de Esperança"
illustrated once again her extraordinary talent for not only writing music,
but successfully interpreting the sensations and longings of the passionate
heart. As a result of this effort, she was honored by the Ontario radio
station CJMR program " Aguarela Portuguesa" for the Christmas
song of the year "Natal De Esperança". This particular
song became familiar to thousands and considered a grand success.
In October 1997, she completed yet another collection of musical pieces,
collectively called "Por Isso Eu Canto". Otília sings
emotional, passionate songs dealing with Portugal's main land, songs from
the north to the south, the east to the west, the islands of the Açores
and the island of Madeira.
In December 1997, she continued to illustrate her abundance of talent and
interests by creating a musical piece dealing specifically with the children
of the world. Her song "Natal e a Criança", which touched
thousands of families.
In May 1998 she, once again, moved many with her passion of life by writing
an open letter to all the mothers of the world entitled "Para Ti Mãe".
Throughout the years, Otília has repeatedly demonstrated her extraordinary
talents, illustrating to the world that she is, most definitely, a spokesperson
for the Portuguese soul and mouthpiece of their collective hearts.
|