Anabela de Faria Lucas dos Santos Gomes, better known as Ana Faria (born 18 October 1949 in Nova Lisboa, Angola) is a Portuguese singer and painter.
Biography
Ana Faria became a reference name in Portuguese children’s music when, after performing on RTP’s Zip-Zip program, in 1969, she released some singles, and later, in mid-1982, she decided to record a solo album (matured by his previous experiences in music integrated in the traditional music group Terra a Terra and with the recording of his own debut album entitled “Violeta Flor”), made from adaptations of classical symphonies by famous composers such as Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Verdi, among others. This LP, entitled “Brincando aos Clássicos” was filled by the repertoire with lyrics by her. Musicians António Chainho on guitar, Zé da Ponte on bass, António Serafim on oboe, Adácio Pestana on horn, Pedro Teixeira on flute, Ana Faria herself on percussion, João Jorge on bagpipes and Katherine Ann Bird on harp participated on the record. . The production was in charge of the artist’s husband, Heduíno Gomes. Among the special participations of the children’s choir, there was also the presence of the three children João, Nuno and Pedro Faria Gomes (who would later become famous under the name of Queijinhos Frescos).
The album was a great success and in the following year, 1983, the musicians returned to the Rádio Triunfo studios (whose collection was later acquired by the record label Movieplay Portuguesa) to record a new LP, then edited by CBS Portugal (currently Sony Music Entertainment Portugal), titled “Brincando aos Clássicos 2”.
After a few years, Ana Faria decided to embark on the development of new projects and chose to create some groups of youth singers. Heduíno Gomes remained in the production and, gradually, the couple became an unstoppable duo: She handled the rehearsals, he handled the entire executive part. They formed the group Jovens Cantores de Lisboa, followed by Onda Choc (a real success, with more than one million records sold) and Popeline. Among the musical arrangements and adaptations, the lyrics by the artist herself were always a constant.
Ana Faria returned to the studio to participate in the recordings of the CD “Feliz Natal” by Jovens Cantores de Lisboa, and released two records of her Queijinhos Frescos.
Ana Faria withdrew from public life to dedicate herself to painting and portraits, something she was dedicated to even before music.
At the end of 1999, with the extinction of the group’s rehearsal room, all projects lost their continuity. In October 2004, after recovering the groups founded by the artist, Heduíno Gomes reactivated the Young Singers of Lisbon and Onda Choc (using some of the former members and also new elements). Edited a new record.
Ana Faria has edited several books for children, including “Sapatilhas de Satim”, “Histórias em verses com Música e Dança”, “Queridos Livros” and “Um Livro sobre a Minha Mãe”, whose texts and illustrations are authored by her. In May 2009 she released the book “Tempo Breve”, and in April 2012 the book “Family Tradition” was published.
Queijinhos Frescos (Fresh Cheese)
Os Queijinhos Frescos was a group created by singer Ana Faria in 1984.
The group consisted of the three children of Heduíno Gomes and Ana Faria, namely: João Faria Gomes, the eldest; Nuno Faria Gomes, the “middle” brother; and Pedro Faria Gomes, the youngest.
They recorded some records for the CBS label and were very successful in the 1980s in Portugal.
In 1984, the album Ana Faria e os Queijinhos Frescos was released, which followed the great success of the series of records Brincando aos Clássicos by Ana Faria.
In 1985 they released the album Batem Corações. They also release the single with the theme of the program “Jornalinho” on RTP.
In 1986, the compilation O Melhor dos Queijinhos Frescos was published.
The group ends and they form the group Ultimatum that releases a last record album.
