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"...
Anjo Inútil
Aldina Duarte Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Na selva da minha vida
O sangue dele nos cardos
Ainda hoje tem vida
Rasgou as asas na pele
De modo grave, mais além
Por esse amor que me teve
In Aldina Duarte's poignant Fado song Anjo Inútil, the singer talks about an angel that passed through the jungle of her life. This angel is a metaphor for a lover who left an indelible mark on her life. The imagery of the angel passing by "rasto" portrays the brief yet powerful impact that the lover had on her life. The reference to the angel's blood still having life in the thorns is a poetic device that showcases the lasting effect of the lover's presence even after they have departed.
The next verse mentions the angel tearing his wings on her skin, which could be interpreted as the lover sacrificing or risking himself for her. The use of the past tense "rasgou" gives the impression that this love story has already ended. The singer then declares she loved this angel like no one else. This line is crucial as it highlights the depth of her love for this lover, which is contrasted against the fleeting nature of their relationship.
The song's title 'Anjo Inútil' can be interpreted as 'useless angel,' 'pointless angel', or even 'angel without a purpose.'
During the first years of her career, Aldina Duarte mostly sang songs by other artists. 'Anjo Inútil' released in 2007 on the album 'Crua', was her first single where she wrote the lyrics as well as the music.
The album "Crua" from which the song is from, pays homage to Amália Rodrigues and was the top-selling album in Portugal for six weeks in 2008.
Aldina Duarte was born in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1973, and released her debut album 'Crua' at 30 years old.
The acoustic guitar and fado guitar arrangement in the song was done by Pedro Rodrigues and is quite distinct from the traditional fado music style.
This song's music video, directed by Joana Linda, uses stark black and white imagery to showcase the powerful emotions of the song.
The poetic language used throughout the song is characteristic of the Fado genre and its melancholic tone.
'Amei-o como a ninguém!' means 'I loved him as no one else!'
Fado music is widely regarded as the national music of Portugal, with a long history that dates back to the early 19th century.
The chords for 'Anjo Inútil' are Bm, D, F#, G, Em, D/F#, A.
Line by Line Meaning
Passou um anjo de rasto
An angel passed by me, dragging its wings on the ground.
Na selva da minha vida
In the jungle of my life.
O sangue dele nos cardos
His blood spilled on the thorns.
Ainda hoje tem vida
It still has life today.
Rasgou as asas na pele
He tore his wings on my skin.
De modo grave, mais além
Seriously and further beyond.
Por esse amor que me teve
For the love he had for me.
Amei-o como a ninguém!
I loved him like no one else!
Contributed by Alyssa D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.