On how she has brought new life to Portugal's fado music
Fado is the oldest form of Portuguese folk music. The style fuses melody and words to express often tortured feelings from deep within the soul. And it is now deeply fashionable.
From Lisbon to New York to Tokyo,fado is winning over new fas. This recent international popularity is probably due, at least in part, to the emergence of several very glamorous young fadistas - or female fado singers - on the scene.
Cristina Branco is perhaps the most influential of these. The critics say she preserves the best of the old tradition while breathing new life into it. She tells Ritula Shah why fado is so important to her.
Cristina Branco is in the UK performing as part of the Atlantic Waves Portuguese Music Festival running until 7 December
