Six years unfolded and João made her choice to settle in Lisbon, in an effort to further explore and develop herself as an artist and fado singer.

In 2009, she recorded an album with Atlantihda - a Portuguese band, hailing from Porto, that explores the various aspects of folk and world music, blending them with fado.

Her first years in Lisboa proved to be demanding, both physically and psychologically, making João question her own decisions, whether it was right to follow her dreams and desire to sing fado and perform live as her career.

First conquering the fado houses, soon enough followed her shows in CCB, Casa da Música, Lux, Festival Caixa Alfama and many more, garnering a huge following for the young rising star, considered by the reporter António Pires one of the biggest newcomers of fado in recent years [1].

If there was any doubt of João's success and affirmation as one of Portugal's most important artists, those same doubts were quickly dispelled, as she presented herself live in Coliseu dos Recreios, Lisboa and in Coliseu do Porto, Portugal's most iconic and historical stages, for two sold-out shows.

[5] By the end of 2015, João presented her live show "Caixinha de Música" (Musical Box), a special program João devised for the Municipal Theatre São Luiz, where she lent her voice to honour some of the biggest and greatest poets and voices of the 20th century and beyond, interpreting songs from Serge Gainsbourg, Bryan Ferry, Nick Cave, Ella Fitzgerald, Violeta Parra, Leonard Cohen, Amy Winehouse, and more.