Misia seemed destined from birth for a career in the arts. The need for creative expression is in her blood, inherited from her grandmother, a former music-hall entertainer, and her mother, a ballerina. Born in Oporto, Portugal, Misia experimented with different musical forms early on, but it was the allure of the fado, a Portuguese word meaning "fate", which captured her heart. A combination of a dramatic visual style, a mournful voice, and lyrics composed by some of today's most renowned Portuguese poets, including Nobel laureate Jose Saramago has made Misia one of Portugal's most respected artists.