Born in Lisbon, Portugal, official documents have her date of birth as the 23rd July, but Rodrigues always said her birthday was the 1st July 1920. She was born in the rua Martim Vaz (Martim Vaz Street), freguesia of Pena, Lisbon. Her father was a trumpet player and cobbler from Fundão who returned there when Amália was just over a year old, leaving her to live in Lisbon with her maternal grandmother in a deeply Catholic environment until she was fourteen, when her parents returned to the capital and she moved back in with them.
She was known as the "Rainha do Fado" ("Queen of Fado"), and was most influential in popularising fado worldwide. She was unquestionably the most important figure in the genre’s development, by virtue of an innate interpretive talent carefully nurtured throughout a forty-year recording and stage career. Rodrigues' performances and choice of repertoire pushed fado’s boundaries and helped redefine it and reconfigure it for her and subsequent generations. In effect, Rodrigues wrote the rulebook on what fado could be and on how a female singer - or fadista - should perform it, to the extent that she remains an unsurpassable model and an unending source of repertoire for all those who came afterwards.
After a few years of amateur performances, Rodrigues’ first professional engagement in a fado venue took place in 1939, and she quickly became a regular guest star in stage revues. There she met Frederico Valério, a classically-trained composer who, recognising the potential in such a voice, wrote expansive melodies custom-designed for Rodrigues’ voice, breaking the rules of fado by adding orchestral accompaniment.
Her Portuguese popularity began to extend abroad with trips to Spain, a lengthy stay in Brazil (where, in 1945, she made her first recordings on Brazilian label Continental) and Paris (in 1949). In 1950, while performing at the Marshall Plan international benefit shows, she introduced "April in Portugal" to international audiences (under its original title "Coimbra"). In the early fifties, the patronage of the acclaimed Portuguese poet David Mourão-Ferreira marked the beginning of a new phase; Rodrigues sang many of the country's greatest poets, and some wrote lyrics specifically for her.
In 1954, Rodrigues' international career skyrocketed through her presence in Henri Verneuil’s film The Lovers of Lisbon, where she had a supporting role and performed on-screen. By the late 1950s the USA, England, and France had become her major international markets (Japan and Italy followed in the 1970s); in France especially, her popularity rivalled her Portuguese success, and she graduated to headliner at the prestigious Olympia theatre within a matter of months. Over the years, she performed nearly all over the world, going as far as the Soviet Union and Israel.
At the end of the 1950s, Rodrigues took a year off. She returned in 1962 with a richer voice, concentrating on recording and performing live at a slower pace. Her comeback album, 1962's Amália Rodrigues, was her first collaboration with French composer Alain Oulman, her main songwriter and musical producer throughout the decade. As Valério had before him, Oulman wrote melodies for her that transcended the conventions of fado. Rodrigues did not shy away from controversy: her performance in Carlos Vilardebó’s 1964 arthouse film The Enchanted Islands was better received than the film, based on a short story by Herman Melville, and her 1965 recording of poems by 16th century poet Luís de Camões generated acres of newspaper polemics. Yet her popularity remained untouched. Her 1968 single "Vou Dar de Beber à Dor" broke all sales records, and her 1970 album Com que Voz, considered by many her definitive recording, won a number of international awards.
During the 1970s, Rodrigues concentrated on live work, and embarked upon a heavy schedule of worldwide concert performances. During the frenetic period after the 25th April 1974 she was falsely accused of being a covert agent of the PIDE, causing some trauma to her public life and career. (In fact, during the Salazar years, Rodrigues had been an occasional financial supporter of some communists in need.) Her return to the recording studio in 1977 with Cantigas numa Língua Antiga was received as a triumph. The 1980s and 1990s brought her enthronement as a living legend. Her last all-new studio recording, Lágrima, was released in 1983. It was followed by a series of previously lost or unreleased recordings, and the smash success of two greatest hits collections that sold over 200,000 copies combined.
Despite a series of illnesses involving her voice, Rodrigues continued recording as late as 1990. She eventually retreated from public performance, although her career gained in stature with an official biography by historian and journalist Vítor Pavão dos Santos, and a five-hour television series documenting her fifty-year career, featuring rare archival footage (later distilled into the ninety-minute film documentary, The Art of Amália). Its director, Bruno de Almeida, has also produced Amália, Live in New York City (a concert film of her 1990 performance at New York City Hall).
Rodrigues died on the 6th October 1999 at the age of seventy-nine in her home in Lisbon. Portugal's government promptly declared a period of national mourning. Her house (in Rua de São Bento) is now a museum. She is now buried at the National Pantheon alongside other Portuguese notables.
1946.
Água e mel
Amália Rodrigues Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
By Carlos Barbosa De Carvalho Miguel Ramos
Entre os ramos de pinheiro
Vi o luar de Janeiro
Quando ainda havia sol
E numa concha da praia
Ouvi a voz que desmaia
Com água e mel
Comi pão com água e mel
E do vão duma janela
Beijei sem saber a quem
Tenho uma rosa
Tenho uma rosa e um cravo
Num cantarinho de barro
Que me deu a minha mãe
Fui p'la estrada nacional
E pela mata real
Atrás dum pássaro azul
No fundo dos olhos trago
A estrada de Santiago
E o cruzeiro do sul
Abri meus olhos
Abri meus olhos ao dia
E escutei a melodia
Que ao céu se eleva de pó
Do vinho novo
Se provei o vinho novo
Se amei o rei e o povo
Meu Deus por que estou tão só
In "Água e Mel," Amália Rodrigues sings about various experiences and memories that have left a lasting impression on her. The song begins with her recounting a moment where she saw the moon shining through pine trees in January, just as the sun was setting. She then describes hearing the faint voice of a nightingale coming from a seashell on the beach. These naturalistic images create a sense of nostalgia for a time that has passed, a moment of calm serenity that is fleeting and difficult to capture.
As the song progresses, Rodrigues discusses other memories that have stayed with her: eating bread with honey, kissing someone through a window without knowing who they were, and receiving a clay pot of roses and carnations from her mother. These experiences are simple and ordinary, yet they have become significant to her because they are tied to emotions and sensory impressions that she cherishes.
The song ends with Rodrigues expressing a sense of loneliness, even though she has memories that bring her joy. She mentions a road to Santiago and the Southern Cross, both symbols of journeys, but her final question ("My God, why am I so alone?") suggests a sense of disconnection from these meaningful experiences. This ending creates a feeling of ambiguity and uncertainty, as if Rodrigues is asking a question that she cannot answer herself.
Line by Line Meaning
Entre os ramos de pinheiro
Amália vividly recalls a moment when she was amongst pine trees, and sets the scene for her nostalgic and deeply personal journey through memories.
Vi o luar de Janeiro
She saw the moon shining in January, at a time when there was still sunlight left over from the day, capturing a moment of quiet and relaxation.
Quando ainda havia sol
As the moon shone in the sky, there was still a lingering radiance of the sun, making for a serene and peaceful atmosphere.
E numa concha da praia
In another fond remembrance, she recalls listening to the sweet and gentle voice of a nightingale from a shell found on the beach.
Ouvi a voz que desmaia
The voice of the bird was so delicate and soothing that it appeared to fade away, adding to the romantic and dreamy quality of the memory.
Do secreto rouxinol
The intimate and private song of the bird was a secret to all except for Amália, who absorbed the emotion and essence of the melody.
Com água e mel
In a moment of simplicity and modesty, Amália reminisces on eating bread with plain water and honey, enjoying the simple pleasures in life.
Comi pão com água e mel
This further emphasizes how the basic things in life can provide some of the greatest joys and comforts.
E do vão duma janela
In another cherished memory, Amália recalls leaning out of a window to kiss someone, without knowing who it might have been, conveying a playful spirit and a lack of concern for societal norms.
Beijei sem saber a quem
She emphasizes that the person she kissed was irrelevant, as she was just living in the moment and enjoying the youthful pleasures of life.
Tenho uma rosa
Amália shares another personal and emotional detail about keeping a rose and a carnation in a small earthenware pot given to her by her mother, which brings her comfort and happiness.
Tenho uma rosa e um cravo
This detail reveals how the smallest things can create significant memories and be a source of happiness and beauty in life.
Num cantarinho de barro
The earthenware pot is reminiscent of traditional Portuguese pottery design, evoking a sense of nostalgia and cultural heritage.
Que me deu a minha mãe
The fact that the pot was a gift from her mother reinforces the idea of maternal love and support providing a sense of security and happiness in life.
Fui p'la estrada nacional
Amália relates a story of travelling along the national road, a common theme in Portuguese music that often symbolizes the journey of life.
E pela mata real
She then recalls a moment where she followed a blue bird through the lush forest of Mata Real, symbolizing the joys and beauties of nature.
Atrás dum pássaro azul
The blue bird is a metaphor for the pursuit of happiness and dreams, often associated with the Portuguese concept of 'saudade'.
No fundo dos olhos trago
Amália expresses that deep in her eyes, her memories and emotions are carried with her always, conveying a sense of longing and yearning.
A estrada de Santiago
She recalls her journey to Santiago de Compostela, a pilgrimage site for the faithful and seekers of spiritual fulfillment.
E o cruzeiro do sul
The constellation of the Southern Cross was a guiding light and representation of hope to sailors and travellers, and serves as a symbol of hope and guidance for Amália's journey through life.
Abri meus olhos
In yet another poignant moment, Amália describes opening her eyes to a new day, as though waking up to the reality of life and all its joys and sorrows.
Abri meus olhos ao dia
Recognizing that each new day brings with it the promise of renewal and growth, and that life continues to unfold in unpredictable and beautiful ways.
E escutei a melodia
Amália hears a melodic tune that uplifts and inspires her, further emphasizing the power of music and art to convey emotion and transcend boundaries.
Que ao céu se eleva de pó
The music seems to reach toward the heavens and rise above the mundane, acknowledging the profound spiritual aspect of human existence.
Do vinho novo
Amália does not shy away from acknowledging the pleasures of life, and recalls tasting new wine and enjoying its flavor and richness.
Se provei o vinho novo
She acknowledges that she has tasted the fruit of life and experienced its pleasures, and cherishes these moments fondly.
Se amei o rei e o povo
Amália notes that she has loved both those of high and low social status, emphasizing the universality of human experience and the idea that love and emotion are common to all people.
Meu Deus por que estou tão só
She concludes her introspective journey with a note of melancholy and solitude, acknowledging the loneliness that can come with being human and the search for meaning and connection in life.
Contributed by Camilla C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ricardo carvalho
Muito bonito este trecho de Amália, belo e ao mesmo tempo dramático, parece que foi feito hoje. Atualíssima! Inigualável!! Bravo!! Bravo!!
Rosa Cruz
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