There was a lot going on at Grotto Bay Beach Resort over the weekend as the 175th anniversary celebrations of the first arrival of Portuguese emigrants to Bermuda took centre stage.

José Manuel Bolieiro, the President of the Azores, was the guest of honour at a dinner commemorating the milestone, and there were performances by Casa dos Açores Children’s Folklore Group, Gombey Evolution Troupe and Vasco da Gama Club Folklore Group.

Yet it’s possible that Jessica Amaro stole the show.

Fans insist the Portuguese-Canadian singer gets people out of their seats and dancing, and in an interview with The Royal Gazette ahead of her performance it’s just what the singer promised.

“Every [entertainer] has their own uniqueness and I think mine is probably the energy,” she said. “Whether it’s 150 people or 15,000 people, I will always try my best to make sure that everyone there will feel the energy that I'm feeling. I'm very, very passionate to try and get the crowd to enjoy themselves, because that's what I'm there for, to try and put a smile on people's faces one way or another,” she said.

Ms Amaro was born in Canada to parents who emigrated there from the biggest island in the Azores, São Miguel. Through that she gained dual citizenship and, especially as she is “very proud” of her Portuguese roots, considered it “an honour” to be invited to perform here for such a milestone celebration.

“I was here, actually many, many, many, many years ago – and it's a pleasure to be back,” said the artist, who is the recipient of several music awards and “has been featured on top Billboard charts”.

In 2002, she was here at the invitation of Eddy DeMello, then a music promoter and champion of the island’s Portuguese community.

“It was a great experience, a great community. I think that I'm very fortunate to be left with that responsibility; to entertain for such a monumental event for Bermuda. It's an honour, it's a pleasure,” Ms Amaro said.

“I was invited and I didn't have any shows that were booked, so immediately I said yes, and was excited to come back.”

She began performing as a child, pulled in by dance at the age of 5. A year later, she signed up for piano lessons and eventually started singing.

“I celebrated my 25th anniversary of performing this past September. My aunt was getting married 26 years ago, and she wanted someone to sing Ave Maria at her wedding.”

It wasn’t completely out of her comfort zone as she “was involved with theatre and dance and all that” by then.

“I thought, ‘You know, it's a stage. Let me see if I can do it.’ And I did it. And lo and behold, 26 years later, I'm still here,” she said.

“I'm sure if I were to hear what I did back then, I would probably be cringing, but everyone at the time thought it was fabulous.”

Ms Amaro put effort into improving her talents and is grateful for the support she received from her parents, who also encouraged her to complete a degree in criminology.

“But my heart was always with music,” she said.

Just as it was at the start of her career, most of her shows are booked through word of mouth.

“Most of my shows are from people who attend a show, and then ask if I can perform at an event they are holding. Or they see something online – they'll see a video and they're like, ‘Hey, we want this individual to perform.’ ”

Although she brings high energy to concerts, Ms Amaro loves singing ballads.

“I love anything that I can have emotion or expression to, anything that will get the people going. I will always enjoy singing what the crowd enjoys. I think music is a gem that this world has, it's an international language, and as long as it's done with passion, I think that people will feel that.”

The singer has performed in Canada, Europe and the United States as well as Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Panama. Bermuda presented her with a special opportunity.

“I've had quite large events that I've participated in this year and I feel like [they have] kind of prepped me to come back here knowing that it's a smaller, more intimate crowd,” she said.

“I think that's going to be a nice change for myself. It's going to be a lot more intimate for me.”

Although she has “a third or fourth cousin” here, Ms Amaro was not able to connect with them or to do any sightseeing. In the few spare moments of her 48-hour stay, she just managed to find the time for a massage in Grotto Bay’s caves.

“But just seeing the people is wonderful,” she said. “Hopefully next time I'm here, I'll have an extra day or so to enjoy more of the island and have a better look as to how our lovely Portuguese people live here in Bermuda.”

• For more information, visitwww.jessicaamaro.com