NCIS: Los Angeles star, local Portuguese TV personality to co-host IPMA show

PROVIDENCE – NCIS: Los Angeles star Daniela Ruah will be co-hosting for a second consecutive time the International Portuguese Music Awards with local Portuguese TV and radio personality Ricardo Farias.

The 39-year-old Portuguese-American actress said it will be like returning home when she takes the IPMA stage at the Providence Performing Arts Center on Saturday, May 20.

“Anyone who knows me will tell you that I talk about being Portuguese within five minutes of meeting me… So I feel so much pride that I’ll be back this year to celebrate Luso-American music and culture,” Ruah told O Jornal via email.

Ruah is best known for portraying NCIS Special Agent Kensi Blye on the CBS hit series for 14 seasons.

“To be back to such an iconic theatre co-hosting with Ricardo Farias, surrounded by an amazing team and immense talent and joyful celebration of Portuguese-Americans, is so exciting,” Ruah added.

The IPMAs have been recognizing outstanding achievement in the music industry by artists of Portuguese descent since 2013.

IPMA Co-Founder David Saraiva said he could not be more thrilled that Ruah accepted once again their invitation to co-host the awards show.

“Having someone of her notoriety associated with IPMA elevates our brand and brings a certain level of prestige to the event,” said Saraiva, who co-organizes the International Portuguese Music Awards with José “Zach” Xavier.

Although mostly known for her acting skills, Ruah has had some enviable opportunities as a host.

In 2018, she co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon, Portugal, which had a worldwide audience of around 186 million viewers, according to the European Broadcasting Union.

In recent years, she has also co-hosted “Superbowl’s Greatest Commercials” on the CBS Network.

Saraiva said Ruah is a great host because she is someone people can relate to.

“She is extremely down-to-earth and has a great sense of humor,” he said. “I believe that last year she enjoyed connecting with many people at IPMA that have something in common with her – despite being born in the United States, she still holds a strong connection to her Portuguese heritage.”

Ruah is ”such an inspiration,” says IPMA co-host Ricardo Farias

This will be the seventh time Farias will be co-hosting the IPMA show, although he has been involved with it in some capacity since its inception.

“To be honest, it never gets old,” said Farias, who currently hosts the talk show “De Cá Pra Lá” produced in New Bedford for RTP Açores.

“Being able to share the stage with such huge Portuguese performers is an indescribable experience,” he said. “I always have the freedom to bring in my own ideas and just be myself on stage. For anyone who has a creative mindset, I believe there is no better feeling.”

Faria said co-hosting the IPMA show with Ruah has been such a “wonderful experience.”

“She is such an inspiration and to be able to share the stage with her and bounce ideas off of each other is incredible,” he said.

But Farias recalls feeling a little bit intimidated when he first got the word that he would be sharing the stage with Ruah.

“I definitely knew her talent, but I didn’t know what to expect in a working relationship,” he admitted. “But thankfully from the moment we met, it seemed as if we had known each other for years. She is so amazing to work with and on a personal level we shared similar experiences in the sense that we are Portuguese-Americans. She is such a friendly, down-to-earth person.”
Farias noted that he and Ruah definitely share the same Portuguese-American humor.

“Some of the inside jokes are still exchanged to this day. We will leave it at that,” he quipped.