Daughter of Lourdes and the bookkeeper Tomás,she was born on the 8th of April of 1969, year in which, in the field of music, the prodigious decade of sixties was powering down with the mythic Woodstock festival, the last recordings of The Beatles (‘Abbey Road’ and it’s famous sleeve of the zebra crossing) and the murder of an African American member of the audience in Altamont by the “Hell’s Angels”, the security staff that The Rolling Stones contracted. The young Dulce, completely foreign to all those rock music events that was trying to change the world, but that should have woke-up from this dream with the violent decade of seventies, was just starting to walk in the last years of“salazarismo”, in a isled and backwarded Portugal. She wasintroduced to the fado tradition for her uncle Carlos Pontes, aTradicional Fadista. He was her maestro. But also Amália Rodrigues,Hermínia Silva, Fernando Maurício, that she could listten on thevinil records. At seven years old she started to attend theConservatorio Nacional de Música of Lisbon and the piano was herfavourite instrument and where she studied until the forth year.During those years she listened to classical music as such asPortuguese and English popular music. During her adolescence shededicated for a short period to learn classical dance, but herteachers told that she was too old to become a dancer. She didn´tquit and continue studing conteporany dance and she was a teacherduring 2 years, she had 140 pupils from 3 years-old to adults. . InMontijo she became the leader of a urban rock band Ospercapita, an amateur project without any aspirations for thefuture. The first professionals experiences came up when the youngsinger was chosen among various applicants, to substitute the mainactress of the musical ‘Enfim Sós’, in November 1988. Therehearse was done at Namouches studios where Dulce willknow her future first producer Guillherme Inês, a prestigiousmusician who collaborates among others with Zeca Afonso. She got herfirst musical contract. After have been the leading actress ofanother musical, she was invited at TV programs, recording ofcommercial advertisings and shows at Estoril Casino, where Dulce gotthe attention for the quality of her voice, her interpretations ofany kind of music and ability to act, dance and perform in a uniqueway . The appreciations of the public began with the TV show‘Regresso ao passado’, where she sang song of all kindsand genres in different languages. She did her first decisive step atthe Festival Nacional da Canção in 1991 where she won thecompetition with the song 'Lusitana Paixão' , asoul ballad but with a clear homage to fado in its text. This successgave her the passport to represent Portugal at the EurovisionFestival that took place in the same year in Rome (at Cinecittà),where she obtained the 8th place (the best rankingPortugal has ever obtained till that edition) and the critics awardfor the best performance.Thefollowing year she published her first CD ‘Lusitana’ followingpop music style. Is 1993 when she decided to begin her real musicalcourse with the CD ‘Lágrimas’. The new meeting withGuillherme Inês will brings to a new result after a large work ofrecordings in which the fado and the music of Zeca Afonso, the twosides of the Portuguese music, lived together in a space that untilthat moment was prohibited for ideological reasons. Amália Rodrigueaand the author of ‘Grândola Vila Morena’ became herreference point of Portuguese music, although in this work we canbegin to see Maghribian and Bulgarian influences, and thesynthesizers replaced the Portuguese guitar in various songs. Thereinterpretation of ‘Canção do mar’ was going to beduring the next years the most universal Portuguese song of all timesand with more international versions. The song was part of thesoundtrack of the Brazilian soap opera ‘As pupilas do SenhorReitor’ (1994). The same interpretation of this song of FerrerTrindade was the main theme of the soundtrack of the movie ‘Primalfear’ (1996), of Gregory Hoblit, with Richard Gere and EdwardNorton as main characters.

Themost important thing Dulce Pontes obtained with ‘Lágrimas’it was to stimulate a sociological effect that has no precedents,such as re-discover the fado when it was dying and the new generationwas not interested in it. It is not possible to conceive the new-fadoof this first decade of XXI century without the decisive contributionof the singer from Montijo. Dulce Pontes, leaded the popularizationof the music sang in Portuguese language trough all the world.

Dulcebegan to perform in international tours, travelling all over Spain,France, Belgium, Netherlands, German, Italy, U.S.A., Japan, Brazil.The Italian composer Ennio Morricone, in 1995, invited the singer tosing the theme ‘A brisa do coração’, as part of thesoundtrack of the movie ‘Sostiene Pereira’ of Roberto Faenza,with Marcello Mastroianni as main character in one of his lastperformances before he died.

Thecollaboration between Pontes and Morricone strengthened forward andhad its climax with a CD signed by both artists. In the vortex ofthis spectacular success (more than 800.000 records sold) sherecorded in 1995 the double live CD ‘A brisa docoração’recorded into the Coliseu of Porto.

‘Caminhos’,in 1996, was her last step with the Movieplay editor. The CD wasrecorded in four countries and there was the collaboration of CarlosNúñez, Leonardo Amuedo and Xiradela. But Dulce was not convincedabout the production, because the CD was recorded among airports andconcerts, the artist’s aim was a change of path: a more natural andacoustic sound that she developed in her following projects. ‘Oinfante’that opens the CD is an incredibly inspired Pontes’ composition ona Fernando Pessoa’s poem.

In1997 Dulce Pontes did an almost permanent tour and she performed inthe concert ‘Yes for Europe’, broadcasted by seventeen TVchannels, in the World Food Day organized by the FAO in Rome, in theconcert for the 52nd United Nations anniversarycelebration, in New York, at the concert for Amnesty International inMadrid. In 1998 she gave her own concert for first time in U.S.A. andCanada, and than went, as guest artist, with the Irish group TheChieftains, as clearly requested Paddy Maloney, to their NorthAmerican tour of that year. She performed at the First SolidarityFestival of Barcelona, where she knew Elvis Costello. Italy becameher second international market after the Spanish one. In the sameyear she recorded the duet‘O mare e tu’together with Andrea Bocelli. At Lisbon Expo in 1998 she gave twoconcerts, the second one with an audience of 30.000 people. In thesame year she was invited as guest to sing with Cesária Évora andwith the Brazilian singer Marisa Monte. After her great participationin the first CD of the Galician bagpipe and flute player Carlos Núñez'A irmandade das estrelas', another major Spanish musician, theBasque accordionist Kepa Junkera, asked for her because he wanted hervoice in two songs 'Matia nun zira' and the classicfrom Cabo Verde 'Sodade' in the CD ‘Bilbao 00.00 H’.

Shewas the author of the soundtrack of the fiction documentary ‘CuriuàCatu – A grande Expedição de Pedro Teixeira', aPortuguese-Brazilian co-production directed for Carlos Barreto, thattells the adventures of this explorer who, in the XVII centuryexplored a good part of the Amazon, succeeding in annexing the forestto Portuguese colonial territory of that period. Her composer side isbeginning to spread.

In themonth of February and March 1999 she recorded one of her foundamentalmasterpiece ‘O primeiro canto’ at Helioscentricstudios in London. It was the first CD she produced herself with thehelp of António Pinheiro da Silva and that was published at the endof September with Universal. The Uruguayan guitarist Leonardo Amuedowill be the co-author of some themes together with Dulce. In thiswork she unblocked all her talent as a composer and producer. WayneShorter, Jaques Morelembaum, Trilok Gurtu, Justin Vali, Kepa Junkera,Waldemar Bastos, Maria João, Gemma Bertagnolli, Myrdhin, AndersNorude (of Hedningarna), Hubert Jan Hubeek, among more famous otherartists will share Dulce’s talent in this CD, about the fournatural elements, and that let her conquer the José Afonso award inthe year 2000. The CD was launched in two tours in Spain andNetherlands. She received the new of the death of Amália Rodrigueswhile she was in Barcelona. She sent a deep release to the media. Atthe Auditori of the Catalan Capital she respected a minute of silencebefore she started the concert. In this same year Dulce gave aconcert together with Caetano Veloso at Rio de Janeiro and São Pauloand she led an ambitious tour in historical monuments of Portugal.Among the public there was an unknown Mariza who didn’t miss anyconcert.

Sheperformed at Hannover Expo, ended an open air ‘world’ Festivalnear Brussels, performed at Istambul and went back to Tokyo.

In2001 Dulce’s friendship with Ennio Morricone emphasizes and shetook part as guest at the Barbican Theatre of London, at the Arena ofVerona, at the Accademia Nazionale of Santa Cecilia of Rome, amongother auditoriums.

Sheput her voice for the Italian-Spanish co-production 'La luzprodigiosa' , whose author was Ennio Morricone and that wonthe 25thInternational Cinema Festival of Moscow. InSeptember she cancelled her official tour in U.S.A. on doctor’sorder

becauseshe was on her 5thmonth of pregnancy. In the occasion ofthe birth of her first son José Gabriel, she dedicates the year 2002to her recent motherhood and she paused her artistic career. When shecame back to performances, the Maestro Ennio Morricone invites her.Into Forum studios in Rome, during the spring of 2003, they recordedthe CD 'Focus' where the artist sang the famous themes of theitalian composer, and some new songs specially composed for her. Theresult of this work was performed in concert in halls like the RoyalAlbert Hall of London, the Arena of Verona, the Auditorium parcodella Musica of Rome, at the Mazda Palace of Milan, the CongressPalace of Paris and the International Forum Hall of Tokyo.

Finallyshe performed with her own concert at the Barbican Theatre of Londonin the month of October of the same year among other venues aroundthe globe.

InJune 2004, the Lisbon City Hall invites Dulce Pontes, Ennio Morriconeand the Roma Sinfonietta Orchestra to give a concert. About thisproject Morricone said:” I knew that the final resultshould have been a success, but I never imagined that all thisexperience should have been so exceptional ”. The concerttook place at the Monsanto Park. In that same year Dulce Pontesobtained the Amigo award for the best latin performer from theAsociación Fonográfica y Videográfica Española, and theInternational award Tenco, awarded from the Italian Club Luigi Tenco,the same prize that was given to artists such as Jacques Brel, UteLemper, Tom Waits, Caetano Veloso, Joan Manuel Serrat. SérgioGodinho together with Dulce are the only two Portuguese artists thatreceived such award. Dulce received the award as ‘CulturalOperator’ for the recovery of Zeca Afonso And Amália Rodrigues’work, “for her sensible and honest interpretation inside of thebest musical and poetic Portuguese tradition”. At the awardceremony Dulce was introduced as a ‘new fado craftswoman’.

Spainis becoming her first market and between 2004 and 2005 she gave morethan 60 concerts. Madrid is the town of the world where she hasperformed most.

Herartistic maturity, reached without any doubt, became more active andcurious. She goes on with the research of detailed associations forspecial projects, like the event 'Fado Tango' ,where Dulce Pontes divided the scenary of the Centro Cultural

deBelém in Lisbon with the Argentinian poet and historian HorácioFerrer, who, together with Astor Piazzolla, have revolutionized theArgentinian Tango. About Dulce’s performance of his song 'Baladapara un Loco'" the poet said: “She recreated it in asuch way that, for the first time, I am beginning tolearn something of my own song. This work is a confidence and shesucceeded in performing the poet… ”.

Greecebecame a Country that acclaims to the singer with passion and herperformances at Athens and Thessalonica are real milestones. Thefamous singer George Dalaras, one of the most prestigious artist ofthis Country, invited her at the Greek Festival in 2005, at theHerodes Atticus Odeon at the Acropoli. About that concert it waspublished the CD ‘Mediterraneo’ in which Dulce sings in six songsand the same Dulce awarded Dalaras with the platinun record in aceremony that took place in Athens. She was working at her new doubleCD untitled'O coração tem três portas', that it hasbeen recorded live during the new tour 'Por dentro dofado', where the artist recovered her love and a newperspective about this genre, and a second CD recorded into the SantaMaria’s Church of Óbidos and into the Convento de Cristo of Tomar,with rapprochements of Fado to classic music, folk and medievalsounds.

Herfirst official U.S.A. tour took place during the recordings of thisCD in the October 2005. The musical reviewers praised the artist onprestigious pubblications such as ‘The Boston Globe’ or the LosAngeles ‘Variety’, where the writer Phil Gallo defined her as amix between Ella Fitzgerald and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

InDecember 2006 'O coração tem três portas' (doubleCD and a DVD) was launched on the market in Portugal self edited forDulce Pontes, after having ended her contract with Universal. The CDreceived best reviews of the international specialized press such as‘Songlines’ or enter in the European World Music Charts top-20. Apart of the music of the CD n. 2 was sed for the spanish directorAlberto Luna for the documentary 'Juan de Castillo, elconstructor del mundo'. In that same year she made her secondU.S.A. tour and made her debut at the prestigious Carnegie Hall ofNew York with a great success. John Pareles, reviewer of the ‘TheNew York Times’, wrote: “Miss Pontes has an extraordinaryvoice: intense and faithful, delicate and strong, with a length likea natural soprano”. And added to his praiseworthy commentary:“Pontes was surprised about she succeeded in managing the publicof the Carneige Hall, when she invited them to sing and the publicsmiled. And also, when she sang with tears and sorrow, she passedthem happiness, sign of a chacteristic Portuguese inheritance”.

Theorganization of the “New Seven World Wonders” asked to DulcePontes to compose the official Anthem that she recorded together withthe Spanish Tenor José Carreras. The event was performed at Estádioda Luz of Lisbon, and was one of the most seen TV transmission of thehistory. The year 2007 ended with a tremendous performance at the‘Aula Magna’ of Caracas and another one in Paris.

Theyear 2008 begins of course with live concerts. Stands out herperformance at Festival Cultural de Zacatecas (Mexico) where sheshared the list with Bob Dylan, and her first concert in Moscow atthe International House of Music. During the summer there was theSpanish tour together with the Spanish flamenco singer EstrellaMorente. ‘Dulce Estrella’ brought more than 300.000 persons inthe various concerts they gave, where the music of both Countrieswhere twinned. Estrella Morente repeated many times, to the media,that Dulce “es mi maestra” (“is my maestro”). And at thebeginning of the 2009, the artist from Montijo became mother oncemore, this time she had a daugther named Maria, so she celebrated her20 years with music with the editing of the double CD ‘Momentos’ withinhedited material and some new versions of songs like 'Canção domar', 'Lágrima' and 'O infante'. Some days after the paunch of thisnew CD Dulce was invited as guest, together with Juliette Greco andRandy Crowford, at the opening ceremony of the Wiener Festwochen inVienna. In September she performed in a concert at the HerodesAtticus Odeon of Athens together with the spanish flamenco guitaristPaco Peña and the greek Bouzouki player Thanassis Polykandriotis, inan event where they mixed together the most representative musicalstyles of their own Countries. A month later she colaborated with theU.S.A. composer Christopher Tin, at the CD ‘Calling all dawns’(that won in 2011 a Grammy Award in the category BestClassical Crossover Album),recording the song “Se é pra vir que venha”. The music wasplayed by the Royal Philarmonic Orchestra, that recorded at themythic Abbey Road Studios of London. A time later, the song ‘FadoMorna da Cirandaia’ that Dulce composed together with Beto Betuk,was included into the prestigious compilation “Muzyka Swiata:Siesta 5” that Universal Poland publishes each year. The year ended

withthe important performance of Dulce Pontes at a record hommage ofLatin American female singers to Joan Manuel Serrat, with the versionof ‘Bendita Musica’.

Theyear of 2010 becomes as a talisman for Dulce:Spain recognizes her artistic trajectory with the award"Micrófono de Oro" (Golden Microphone), by the Spanish"Federación de Asociaciones de Radio y Televisión"."Momentos" enters the TOP-100 Spanish Chart and one monthlater was number 7 in World Music Charts Europe.

Summertimeis a period full of Concerts in Spain, Portugal and Italy. She was aguest at "Notte della Taranta". She was elected to a veryspecial homage to José Saramago, Nobel Award of Literature, inthe acts of the awards of the Spanish Queen Sofia/IberoamericanPoetry, that was celebrated at the Royal Palace of Madrid.

January, she crosses again the Atlantic and debuts at the biggest Folklore Festival of South America "Festival de Cosquin". Good news arrived from Los Angeles:the Composer Christopher Tin receives a Grammy Award in thecategory of Classical Crossover Album for the album "Calling all downs", album where Dulce Pontes appears as a special guest singing the song "Se é para vir que venha". 2011 DulcePontes Tour begins with Concerts in Portugal, Spain, Brussels,Holland and Finland, all Concerts sold-out.

In2012 she had 35.000 people assisting to a very special Concertin Bragança , Portugal. She starts recording a new double-album inSpanish with special guest appearances as Jaime Torres, Léon Gieco,Horácio Ferrer, inspired in folkloric routs and variousclassics such as "La leyenda del tiempo" of Camarón de LaIsla , "La Bohémia", "Alfonsina y el Mar" among other´s. Dulce Pontes was a special guest in the macro-concert "One world,family,love" organized by Vaticano with the presence of the Pope in Milan, singing the song "Your Love" from EnnioMorricone with an audience of 350.000 people with alive Television Broadcasting by Mundivisión.

At the present moment Dulce Pontes continues recording and preparing a new projects"Puertos de abrigo"and a special edition DVD-CD with Roma Sinfonietta with Maestro Paolo Silvestri.

Maxi de la Peña.