Portuguese singer Mariza's newest album, Mundo, is out now in the United States on Nonesuch Records. Mundo, which is the Portuguese word for "world," was released internationally last fall to critical acclaim. Songlines named Mariza its Best Artist for the year and called her album "not so much a reinvention as a bold expansion of her role as fado's foremost global ambassador. Adding sparkling pop ballads and subtle washes of electronica to her traditional roots, Mundo was an unalloyed triumph, her artistry hitting dynamic new heights and her voice expressing every emotional nuance, whether singing a gentle and intimate lullaby for her young son or melodramatically letting rip on the high notes with the force of an operatic diva." Mundo is available at iTunes, Amazon, and the Nonesuch Store, where CD orders include an instant download of the complete album at checkout, and the 88kHz/24bit HD digital album is available to purchase.

Mariza returns to North America next month, with dates in Boston, New York, and San Francisco, among other cities, as listed below; for the latest, visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.

"Even if you don't understand a word of Portuguese, the enormity of Mariza's gift is immediately and intoxicatingly evident upon first hearing," writes All About Jazz critic Nenad Georgievski in a four-and-a-half-star review of the new album. "Mundo is an album that sounds like a world of music in itself. What makes this album outstanding is its inner flame ... Mundo is a sensually charged, wonderful album that is truly a work of art." You can read the full review and Georgievski's interview with Mariza at allaboutjazz.com.

Mundo follows Mariza's 2011 release, Fado Tradicional, which London's Daily Telegraph called "a stripped-back album of the genre's classics, accompanied by guitar and a touch of bass," adding that "the vocal poise and the sense of effortlessness are, as always, hugely impressive."

Mariza first entered the international music scene with her 2001 debut album, Fado em Mim, which became a runaway success. Four other studio albums and three live recordings followed, along with a best-of disc, countless international tours and concerts in some of the most prestigious venues around the world, and many awards and accolades.

With the songs on Mundo, Mariza joins all of these experiences and travels, along with recently becoming a mother. Opening track "Rio de Mágoa" is a classic fado that establishes who Mariza is and where she came from, before moving to new material written by her producer, the Spaniard Javier Limón, and classics by the legendary Amália Rodrigues and the storied tango singer Carlos Gardel. She considers Mundo not a worldwide travelogue, but a journey across her life, her influences, her soul, and her spirit. Many of its songs were written specifically for Mariza's voice; among the exceptions are a cover version of a 1930 tango originally sung by Carlos Gardel ("Caprichosa"); one fado made famous by Amália Rodrigues ("Anda O Sol Na Minha Rua") and another created by the renowned Alfredo Marceneiro ("Maldição"); and a Cape Verdian morna ("Padoce de Céu Azul").

Mariza, whom Uncut calls "the greatest contemporary singer of fado," is the most successful performer in the genre since the late Amália Rodrigues. She has sold more than a million copies of her recordings worldwide and has a total of more than 30 Platinum awards. Her albums are released in more than 30 countries; all of the albums have reached #1 in Portugal and have made top-ten lists in many other countries.

Mariza has worked with producers such as Brazilian cellist Jaques Morelenbaum and Madredeus keyboardist Carlos Maria Trindade. She has performed live or recorded with colleagues like Sting, Kiri Te Kanawa, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, and Miguel Poveda. Mariza has won BBC Radio's Best European World Music Artist three times and has been twice nominated for a Latin Grammy Award. In addition to performances at nearly all major international concert venues—including London's Royal Albert Hall and Royal Festival Hall; New York's Carnegie Hall; LA's Walt Disney Concert Hall; Paris' Salle Pleyel, Olympia, and Théâtre de la Ville; Barcelona's Palau de la Música Catalana; Vienna's Opera House; Sydney's Opera House—Mariza has also performed at pop-oriented festivals such as WOMAD and the North Sea Jazz Festival.

MARIZA ON TOUR IN US