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.
Ay Mourir pour Toi
Amália Rodrigues Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ay mourir pour toi
A l'instant où ta main me frôle
Laisser ma vie sur ton épaule
Bercé par le son de ta voix
Aïe mourir d'amour
T'offrir ma dernière seconde
En emportant mon plus beau jour
Pour garder notre bonheur comme il est là
Ne pas connaître la douleur par toi
Et la terrible certitude de la solitude
Aïe mourir pour toi
Prendre le meuilleur de nous-mêmes
Dans le souffle de ton je t'aime
Et m'endormir avec mes joies parle-moi
Console-moi j'ai peur du jour qui va naître
Il sera le dernier peut-être
Que notre bonheur va connaître serre-moi
Apaise-moi quand j'ai l'angoisse du pire
Ne dis rien quand tu m'entend dire
Qu' au fond mourir pour mourir
Aïe mourir pour toi
A l'instant où ta main me frôle
Laisser ma vie sur ton épaule
Bercé par le son de ta voix
Aïe mourir d'amour
T'offrir ma dernière seconde
Et sans regret quitter le monde
En emportant mon plus beau jour
Pour garder notre bonheur comme il est là
Ne pas connaître la douleur par toi
Et la terrible certitude
De la solitudeAïe mourir pour toi
Prendre le meilleur de nous mêmes
Dans le souffle de ton je t'aime
Et m'em dormir avec mes joies
Mourir pour toi
The lyrics of "Ay Mourir Pour Toi" by Amália Rodrigues express a deep longing and willingness to give up everything for love. The singer contemplates the idea of dying for their beloved, using powerful language to convey the intensity of their emotions.
In the first paragraph, the singer describes the desire to die at the mere touch of their beloved's hand. They express a willingness to leave their life behind and rest their head on their beloved's shoulder, comforted by the sound of their voice. The concept of dying for love is presented as a way to preserve their happiness and avoid the pain and loneliness that may come in the future. It highlights the singer's unwavering devotion and the belief that their love is worth sacrificing everything for.
The second paragraph continues the theme of sacrificing oneself for love. The singer talks about offering their last second of life to their beloved, without any regret. They express a desire to leave the world, taking with them the memory of their most beautiful day together. It displays a profound desire to preserve their happiness and shield it from the inevitability of pain and solitude. The lyrics suggest that dying for their beloved would be a way to maintain their blissful state and protect it from the uncertainties of life.
The third paragraph speaks of taking the best of themselves and encapsulating it in the phrase "souffle de ton je t'aime" (in the breath of your "I love you"). It denotes the depth of their love and the idea of dissolving into their beloved's affection. The singer hints at the fear of the dawn, as it may bring an end to their happiness. They seek solace and comfort in their beloved's presence and ask for support and reassurance in the face of anxiety and the possibility of a bleak future. The lyrics portray a vulnerable side of the singer and the need for constant emotional support from their beloved.
The fourth paragraph reiterates the initial sentiment of dying for their beloved. The singer repeats their willingness to die at the touch of their beloved's hand, leaving their life behind and finding solace on their shoulder. They desire to offer their last second of life without any regret, with the hope of carrying their most beautiful day with them. The lyrics emphasize the desire to maintain their happiness and protect it from the pain and solitude that life may bring.
Overall, "Ay Mourir Pour Toi" is a song that beautifully captures the intensity and passion of love. It explores the idea of sacrificing everything for love, expressing a deep longing to preserve happiness and shield it from pain and loneliness. The lyrics convey a profound devotion and willingness to give up one's life for the beloved, showcasing the power and depth of the singer's emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Ay mourir pour toi
Oh, to die for you
A l'instant où ta main me frôle
At the moment your hand brushes against mine
Laisser ma vie sur ton épaule
To leave my life on your shoulder
Bercé par le son de ta voix
Rocked by the sound of your voice
Aïe mourir d'amour
Oh, to die of love
T'offrir ma dernière seconde
To offer you my last second
Et sans regret quitter le monde
And leave the world without regret
En emportant mon plus beau jour
Taking away my most beautiful day
Pour garder notre bonheur comme il est là
To keep our happiness as it is
Ne pas connaître la douleur par toi
Not to know pain through you
Et la terrible certitude de la solitude
And the terrible certainty of loneliness
Aïe mourir pour toi
Oh, to die for you
Prendre le meuilleur de nous-mêmes
To take the best of ourselves
Dans le souffle de ton je t'aime
In the breath of your 'I love you'
Et m'endormir avec mes joies
And fall asleep with my joys
Parle-moi console-moi j'ai peur du jour qui va naître
Talk to me, comfort me, I'm afraid of the coming day
Il sera le dernier peut-être
It might be the last one
Que notre bonheur va connaître serre-moi
That our happiness will experience, hold me tight
Apaise-moi quand j'ai l'angoisse du pire
Calm me when I have the fear of the worst
Ne dis rien quand tu m'entends dire
Say nothing when you hear me say
Qu' au fond mourir pour mourir
That in the end, to die for the sake of dying
Aïe mourir pour toi
Oh, to die for you
A l'instant où ta main me frôle
At the moment your hand brushes against mine
Laisser ma vie sur ton épaule
To leave my life on your shoulder
Bercé par le son de ta voix
Rocked by the sound of your voice
Aïe mourir d'amour
Oh, to die of love
T'offrir ma dernière seconde
To offer you my last second
Et sans regret quitter le monde
And leave the world without regret
En emportant mon plus beau jour
Taking away my most beautiful day
Pour garder notre bonheur comme il est là
To keep our happiness as it is
Ne pas connaître la douleur par toi
Not to know pain through you
Et la terrible certitude de la solitude
And the terrible certainty of loneliness
Aïe mourir pour toi
Oh, to die for you
Prendre le meilleur de nous-mêmes
To take the best of ourselves
Dans le souffle de ton je t'aime
In the breath of your 'I love you'
Et m'endormir avec mes joies
And fall asleep with my joys
Mourir pour toi
To die for you
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
jose jesus
" Mourrir pour toi " e a versatilidade de cantar bem qualquer cantiga!! Canta com a Alma !!
Danie Viola
Amalia , inoubliable !
Danie Viola
Mourir pour toi , Amalia en chantant cette chanson ,nous l'a fait vivre! J'adore !
PETITE ANGE
La meilleure Fadiste de notre temps !!Je l'adore depuis ma plus tendre enfance ❤️
Danie Viola
Allez les jeunes ,répondez,pour favor !
Danie Viola
Qui ne peut aimer Amalia, certainement pas les jeunes de notre époque ,a moins que je ne me trompe ?
Danie Viola
Amalia ne, la reine du fado ! Je l'écoute presque tout les jours,elle vivait ses chansons merveilleuse Amalia !
DENISE LACROIX
Merci Amalia. Ces mots je les respire aussi intensément que vous les avez interprétés en les chantant.
Nicole Adrians
merveilleuse chanson et surtout merveilleuse interprète!
Danie Viola
Aïe,mourir pour toi ? Ben ,je vais quand même attendre encore un peu ? Ceci dit ,Amalia chante merveilleusement bien cette chanson !