How did you get started in music?

I started in Lisbon with my mother, when she told me to get up for a “jam session”.

I began improvising and realised I liked that world. Singing, going with it, not quite knowing what I am doing. (she laughs)

How would you describe the music you tend to make? What do you want to get across?

The message changes as I change.

I find it hard to pin myself down to one thing; I am fairly abstract, and I do not think I have a fully settled style.

It changes with my mood, the situation, the people I am with and what I am listening to.

What do you like to express?

A learning experience for myself.

I don't like to pigeonhole myself. In fact, if I do, I know something's not right and I'm trying to please people, not myself.

“The songs I write, I don't write them for people.

I write them for myself. Sometimes I don't even understand them; it's something that comes to me, I write it down, and then I add melodies to it.

"I don't like to think about what I'm going to write. I write; I'm an action girl."

Have you dedicated the lyrics of a song to someone?

Yes. My album “Rúbrica,” and especially the song “Malva Marina,” is dedicated to all women.

I usually dedicate songs or at least I like to think about why and for what I do it.

My next album is a real challenge for me because it speaks to my underground life and my feelings. I dedicate it to myself and allow myself to express my opinion.

In the end, it's very easy to dedicate it to someone because you research women who broke barriers, like Ofelia, Chavela Vargas, Frida Kahlo, among others, and the words come out on their own.

“Breaking barriers sets us free. Express your truth without fear, even if it goes against the established order.”

How do you like to dress on a daily basis?

My clothes depend a bit on the moment I'm in. Something similar happens to me with music; my style changes a lot. But I have a clear idea about this: clothes are about attitude. I like to buy special pieces, adapt them to "my style," and wear them with personality.

"Like a little girl who puts on a costume and sells it to you because she feels safe. That's what's important: looking at yourself."

Is there anything you cannot be without when you perform?

Well, it is true that long skirts give me a lot of confidence. Their movement and their weight help me connect with the ground. And rings. Hands matter a great deal to me, because we say so much with them. I also paint, and I have to admit they have covered up the odd cut.

As well as singing and songwriting you paint and act. How do you fit so many things in at once?

Well, fitting things in.. I fit pages together. (she laughs) It comes in phases; I would love to be able to do everything at once. Some phases are very musical, others are about acting, and others are very much about painting. The one I like best, that makes me happiest and gives me the most peace of mind, is painting. When I paint I do it under no pressure, from other people or from myself.

“The joy of painting is not thinking.” It is a kind of therapy for the mind.

Her latest song is called Koraje and it is about the heart. It is a song I dedicated to my grandfather.

With this song I want to get across that when we speak from the heart we forget about opinions and expectations. It is the best thing we can do to keep beating, to stand our ground and to have Koraje.”