Indians are as warm as the glowing sun- Sara Correia

Right from the onset, Sara Correia's luminous vocal projection with its subglottal control, requisite vibrato and appropriate syllable-stress floated over Fateh Sagar Paal during a second-day afternoon of the just concluded 5th Udaipur World Music Festival. Three songs from the end she engaged the audience with vocables and of course they reciprocated with characteristic enthusiasm.

"Were you ever apprehensive of the crowd reaction, given that you will be singing in Portuguese and that too a very traditional form of music ?", we asked Correia, during a post performance interaction. Allowing a broad smile to reside on her rubicund visage, she replied in broken English, "I was not at all apprehensive. I sing fado. More than words, fado has the magic of passing on emotions. I think people liked it a lot, at least that's what I felt!".

Fado ('destiny' or 'fate' in Portuguese), recognised in 2012 by Unesco as an "intangible cultural heritage of humanity”, is a Portuguese music tradition which is said to have emerged from the intimate and impromptu indulgences in pubs and taverns and latter commingling with urban sensibilities proceeded to become a national cultural heritage.

"Fado is my way of life.  It is everything I am as a human being. It means everything to me!", said Correia, passion emphasizing her words.

For Correia, only 25 and considered young for this genre, fado entered her life early when she was only three years of age, her earliest influence being her own fadista aunt, Joana Correia and later of course under natural progression she was and still is inspired by Amália Rodrigues (Queen of Fado). She lassoed her own fate, when at 13, she won the Great Night of Fado contest.

As a Fadista she wants"to travel the world. I want to take fado to all possible and impossible places and step on important stages and leave my mark on fado and the world of music."  When broached about one such endeavour that has propagated this music-form all over the world - Carlos Saura's 2007 musical masterpiece, 'Fados', she opined, "It is a project that I greatly admire. I'm never tired of seeing it again and again".

Now that the journey has brought her to this country for first time, she seemed quite taken up by the glow of warmth that has engulfed her during this trip. "I've been to few places but people here are very warm, like this Udaipur sun, no?, said she as if looking for a confirmation.

"It would have been a miss if I would not have come here. It was an incredible trip to India, and when I arrived, I was happy to be part of this festival, I was well received. Hope there will be more opportunities like this in the future", said Correia hopefully pursuing her lips.