Amália da Piedade Rebordão Rodrigues
One of the most important historical figures in Portugal is Amália da Piedade Rebordão Rodrigues. She (23 July 1920 – 6 October 1999), usually known as Amália Rodrigues, was a Portuguese fadista (fado singer) and actor. Rodrigues, known as the 'Rainha do Fado' ("Queen of Fado"), was essential in popularizing fado over the world and traveled extensively throughout her career. Amália is still the best-selling Portuguese artist of all time.
Rodrigues died on October 6, 1999, at the age of 79, in her Lisbon home. The Portuguese government, led by Prime Minister António Guterres at the time, quickly declared three days of national mourning. Her house on Rua de São Bento has been turned into a museum. She is buried alongside other Portuguese notables at the National Pantheon. She was accorded a state funeral attended by tens of thousands, and her ashes were eventually transferred to the National Pantheon in 2001, making her the first woman ever to be buried alongside the greatest Portuguese personalities, an uncommon distinction bestowed by Parliament.
The Amália Rodrigues Foundation (Fundaço Amália Rodrigues) was formed by her will. Except for her copyright, which was left to two of her nephews, the charity oversees her legacy and assets. Rodrigues had won over 40 awards and honors by the time she died in 1999, including the Légion d'Honneur from France, Lebanon, Portugal, Spain, Israel, and Japan. Amália Traïda, a short black-and-white film directed by Francesco Vezzoli, was released in 2004. In 2007, she finished 14th in Portugal's Os Grandes Portugueses election (The Greatest Portuguese). In 2008, a film based on her life, Amália, was released, with Sandra Barata portraying her.
Variety once named Rodrigues one of the century's best singers. She is still one of the most internationally recognized Portuguese musicians and vocalists, as well as a national icon in Portugal. She popularized Fado as a musical genre, and her works continue to influence new artists and vocalists today, with many of them performing her repertoire.
