She is an unmistakable voice from the North of Portugal. An extraordinary singer of one of the strongest Portuguese traditions, fado.
She was born in Barcelos, studied design in Porto and only later moved to Lisbon. However, she feels at home on the world’s stages.
With her magnificent, powerful and unique voice, 2021 is a landmark year for Gisela João. After five years without recording, she started by releasing the video clip “Louca” and then the album “Aurora”, her first collection of purely original songs.
Gisela is experimenting with other creative formats in 2021. On television, she is the presenter of the RTP and APICCAPS documentary series called Portuguese Soul.
Gisela loves shoes. Literally. “They have a big influence in my life. I often remember both my grandmother and mother saying to me: always look at the shoes. And for me, shoes still dictate the place. They can tell stories and help to put a person in a certain place”.
Gisela keeps some shoes all her life. “I kept the shoes I wore in the photos for my first album and that I wore during my first concerts. I took them with me on the road. They are worn (she keeps on looking), and there came a point when I thought about throwing them out, but I can’t because when I look at them I think: “these are a part of my history.”
Gisela João… our It Girl.
Photography: Frederico Martins
