Her greatest mystery is the definition of her soul as a Fado singer, given … Read Full Bio ↴Her greatest mystery is the definition of her soul as a Fado singer, given she grew up away from the "family" of Fado. That soul is revealed in her intelligent voice, in her rare timbre, in the way the words sound so organic, syllable by syllable, note by note… The poems, the music set a mood for the story that is being sung; the instrumental accompaniment further underscores the intuition of the Fado singer, shaping the voice to the meaning of the words, to the musical improvisation. Together, these elements make the Art of Fado. It only appears when there is a soul. If there is a soul. Aldina's personality is entirely within her performing abilities. Everything in her art becomes immediately original, in a shockingly simple way. Aldina Duarte believes. Aldina Duarte makes us believe. Aldina Duarte began working at 20 in a newspaper. Then she worked in radio. She was a backing singer in an art school band. She performed in a film, Manuel Mozos's Xavier, where she sang the only Fado she had ever known, Rua do Capelão, one of Amália Rodrigues' greatest hits. Later, she started listening to Fado in a venue where she first came across Beatriz da Conceição, one of the genre's classic divas. They spoke of Fado, of life as a Fado singer. Aldina became enamoured of all she heard; asked for her advice, heard her speak of everything that means anything in Fado. She wished to sing Fado. She spent her days listening to records, her nights listening to singers, her months reading and memorizing poems. She sang in a stage play. Later she sang live during Lisbon's June celebrations; then she accepted an invitation for a TV variety show where she only lasted three programmes, realising it wasn't the road she wanted to take. It all suddenly fit into place when she sang, in a residency at a prestigious Lisbon theatre. Once a month, they would invite their favourite Fado singers and actors who would do poetry readings. The residency was often favourably mentioned in the press, audiences flocked.
Then Aldina was invited to sing nightly in a Fado venue; it was as if she had passed a tough entrance exam into a Fado school. She respected and maintained the rituals she had always found distinctive and beautiful about Fado: a black shawl, a black dress, silence, diffuse lighting. Everything she had ever loved about Fado. Her success led to invitations to sing in other Fado venues, to guest in concerts. One day she was invited to sing abroad, in the Piccolo Teatro of Milan; to sing Fado in a play about poet Fernando Pessoa, written by novelist and essayist Antonio Tabucchi and directed by lead actor Giancarlo Dettori, director Lamberto Puggelli and the Master, Giorgio Strehler. The experience helped shape what was to become her attitude towards Fado, leading her to be more careful about what she sang, and how she sang it. Besides singing professionally at the Senhor Vinho venue, Aldina has worked in the the Portuguese Cinemathèque - Cinema Museum and is currently a researcher at EMI Music Portugal where she is organizing the company's immense archives of Portuguese music - much of which is made up of Fado recordings. Beginning 2004, Aldina Duarte released her debut album “Apenas o Amor”. Since then she has been performing concerts in Portugal, Spain, France, Morocco, Italy, Belgium, Austria and The Netherlands. “Apenas o Amor” since its release has been referred as one of the best albums of 2004 by the Portuguese press. Her second cd "Crua" was released in January of 2006.The album was produced by João Monge who was also responsible for writing the lyrics... And now, 2008, the third album "Mulheres ao Espelho"...

Ai Meu Amor Se Bastasse
Aldina Duarte Lyrics

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Ai meu amor se bastasse
Saberes que eu te amo tanto
E cada vez que eu cantasse
Ai meu amor se bastasse
Saberes que é por ti que eu canto

Ai meu amor se bastasse
O que a cantar eu consigo

E mesmo que eu não cantasse
Ai meu amor se bastasse
O que a falar eu não digo

Ai meu amor se bastasse
Eu saber que te não basta
E na vida que eu gastasse
A cantar eu reparasse
Que a nossa vida está gasta

Se o que eu tenho p'ra te dar
Quando eu canto te chegasse
Se isso pudesse bastar

Se me bastasse cantar
Ai meu amor se bastasse

Overall Meaning

In Aldina Duarte's "Ai Meu Amor Se Bastasse," the singer expresses a deep love for someone, wishing that it were enough to simply sing about it. The opening lines repeat this sentiment, suggesting that if the other person only knew how much the singer loved them, then everything would be enough. The second verse continues this idea, saying that the act of singing itself is enough even if the words are left unsaid. However, the third verse shifts towards a more melancholic tone. The singer realizes that her love may not be enough for this person, and it has worn her out over time. Regardless, the final lines suggest that the singer would still desire to sing for this person, hoping it will be enough.

The song's title contributes to the theme of yearning for something that may not be sufficient. "Ai Meu Amor Se Bastasse" translates to "Oh my love if it were enough." This line is repeated several times throughout the song as a reminder of the singer's frustration. The use of the conditional tense emphasizes the uncertainty of whether love alone is enough to sustain a relationship. The melody is melancholic, reinforcing the idea that the singer is experiencing a sense of loss or unfulfillment. However, the use of the chorus provides a glimmer of hope as if the simple act of singing could resolve everything.

Line by Line Meaning

Ai meu amor se bastasse
Oh my love if it were enough

Saberes que eu te amo tanto
For you to know how much I love you

E cada vez que eu cantasse
And every time I sing

Ai meu amor se bastasse
Oh my love if it were enough

Saberes que é por ti que eu canto
For you to know that it is for you that I am singing

Eu saber que te não basta
For me to know that it is not enough for you

E na vida que eu gastasse
And in the life that I spend

A cantar eu reparasse
To notice that while singing

Que a nossa vida está gasta
Our life is worn out

Se o que eu tenho p'ra te dar
If what I have to give you

Quando eu canto te chegasse
When I sing it would be enough for you