Maria Severa Onofriana | |
|---|---|
 Unfinished Indian ink drawing labeled "A Severa", by Francisco Augusto Metrass | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Maria Severa Onofriana |
| Also known as | A Severa |
| Born | 26 July 1820 Lisbon, Portugal |
| Died | 30 November 1846 (aged 26) Lisbon, Portugal |
| Genres | Fado |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, portuguese guitar |
Maria Severa Onofriana (26 July 1820 – 30 November 1846), also known simply as A Severa, was a Portuguese fado singer and guitarist. She is regarded, in her short life, as the first fado singer to have risen to fame, attaining a near-mythical status after her death. Fado has been described as the Portuguese expression of "the blues", and fado roughly means 'fate'.