By Saul Molobi
On the airwaves of Johannesburg’s 101.9 High FM, listeners of Census Serenade will this Sunday be treated to a rare musical encounter – an intimate conversation with Portuguese guitarist Marta Pereira da Costa, a pioneering instrumentalist who has helped carry the sound of the Portuguese guitar from the intimate Fado houses of Lisbon to concert halls across the world.
For many, the Portuguese guitar is inseparable from the melancholic beauty of Fado music. Yet through artistry, determination, and a willingness to challenge tradition, Pereira da Costa has transformed the instrument into a global voice – one that speaks across cultures and continents.
A Childhood in Love with Sound
Music entered Marta Pereira da Costa’s life almost before she could remember.
At just four years old, a kindergarten teacher noticed the way her eyes lit up whenever musical instruments appeared in the classroom. That observation led her mother to enrol her in piano lessons – an early step that would shape the path of her life.
“I didn’t want to leave my teacher’s house,” she recalls in my interview with her. “I just wanted to stay and play more.”
Like many young musicians, she was curious about every instrument she encountered – violin, cello, saxophone, drums. Yet the instrument that would eventually define her career came later.
The Portuguese guitar – an elegant, pear-shaped instrument with twelve strings – was traditionally played almost exclusively by men, and usually by older men accompanying Fado singers.
But the pull of its sound proved irresistible.
Entering a Male-Dominated Tradition
At 18, encouraged by her father, Pereira da Costa began studying the Portuguese guitar under renowned masters of the tradition, including musicians connected to the legendary Fado singer Amália Rodrigues.
In those days, learning the instrument was largely an oral tradition. Students watched master musicians perform and repeated what they saw and heard.
“There were no formal music sheets at the time,” she explains. “You learned by listening, by observing, and by practicing endlessly.”
Her father often took her to Lisbon’s traditional Fado houses, where she would sit beside the guitarists, studying their hands and absorbing every note.
Soon she began to perform alongside them.
Her classical piano background allowed her to learn quickly, but entering the field as a young woman came with its own challenges.
“When I began performing professionally, I felt that I had a lot to prove,” she says. “Sometimes people assumed I was invited because I was a woman or because of my appearance. But I wanted them to respect the music and the work behind it.”
Over time, perseverance reshaped perceptions.
Today, more women are learning and performing on the Portuguese guitar – an evolution that Pereira da Costa helped make possible.
Women in the Music Industry
The experience has also given her a broader perspective on gender in the global music industry.
While progress is visible, she notes that many concert lineups – across genres – still feature far more men than women.
“We need to continue creating opportunities,” she says. “Women bring different sensibilities and perspectives to music. Our presence enriches the art.”
The sentiment resonates far beyond Portugal.
As an interviewer I reflected during our conversation, South Africans often invoke a powerful saying about women’s resilience: “Wathint’ abafazi, wathint’ imbokodo” (“You strike a woman, you strike a rock”).
For Pereira da Costa, the phrase feels fitting.
A Global Musical Journey
Since committing fully to music in 2012 – after leaving a career in civil engineering – her career has unfolded across continents.
A defining moment came in 2023 when she performed on NPR’s renowned Tiny Desk Concert series. The performance introduced her work to a global audience and opened new doors internationally.
The following year alone saw more than 50 concerts around the world.
She has performed in China, Hong Kong, Australia, India, the United States, Brazil, Canada, and across Europe – often collaborating with local musicians to explore new musical fusions.
Among these collaborations is a recording with celebrated Cameroonian bassist Richard Bona, a piece she recommended during the broadcast.
“Music allows me to learn constantly,” she says. “Every country, every musician brings something new.”
Despite the global scope of her work, she remains deeply aware of the cultural responsibility she carries.
“The Portuguese guitar is our national instrument,” she says. “Wherever I go, I feel that I’m also representing Portugal.”
A Return to Family Roots
Her next destination carries particular emotional significance.
For the first time, Pereira da Costa is travelling to Maputo – the city once known as Lourenço Marques, where her grandmother was born.
The performance, scheduled at the Centro Cultural in Maputo, will feature her trio: Portuguese guitar, seven-string guitar, and percussion.
The program will weave together traditional Fado melodies with the global influences she has gathered along the way.
“It will be a journey through the sounds I’ve encountered around the world,” she says.
The Continuing Journey
For listeners across Africa tuning into Sunset Serenade on 101.9 Chai FM this Sunday, 16:00-18:00, the conversation will offer more than a glimpse into a musician’s career. It revealed the story of an artist who has taken a deeply rooted cultural tradition and opened it to the world.
From Lisbon’s Fado houses to international stages, Marta Pereira da Costa’s journey is proof that music – like the strings of her instrument – can connect distant histories, cultures, and people.
And as she continues to travel, perform, and collaborate, the voice of the Portuguese guitar grows louder on the global stage.
