Maria da Nazaré

Maria da Nazaré Martins (1946–2025) was a Portuguese fado singer. Early life Da Nazaré was born on 9 February 1946 in Barreiro in the Setúbal District to the south of the Portuguese capital, Lisbon. At that time Barreiro was one of the most prominent industrial areas in Portugal. As a young girl, she moved with her mother to the Campo de Ourique neighbourhood of Lisbon. It was there that she began to sing, first at nights with friends, and soon after as a contributor to shows for workers organized by the former Fundação Nacional para Alegria no Trabalho (National Foundation for Joy at Work – FNAT), a body set up by the Estado Novo dictatorship. Career At 17, she joined the cast of artists working with the former Emissora Nacional, the state broadcaster. She travelled around Portugal singing at nights in shows for workers that were broadcast on the radio on a show called Evening for Workers. In 1964 she won the annual competition, using the pseudonym Celly Santos. She would repeat the victory using her own name in the following year.

Recognitions and awards In addition to her two victories in the Grande Noite do Fado, Da Nazaré was given the Casa da Imprensa Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003. In 2013 she received the Amália Award for Best Performer in that year.

Death Da Nazaré died on 4 July 2025 in Corroios in the municipality of Seixal. In sending a message of condolences, the Portuguese prime minister Luís Montenegro noted that she was the "owner of a unique voice".