Amália da Piedade Rebordão Rodrigues (1920–1999) was a Portuguese singer an… Read Full Bio ↴Amália da Piedade Rebordão Rodrigues (1920–1999) was a Portuguese singer and actress.

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.

Lá Vai Lisboa
Amália Rodrigues Lyrics

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Vai de corações ao alto nesta Lua
E a marcha segue contente
As pedrinhas de basalto cá da rua
Nem sentem passar a gente
Nos bairros desta cidade encantada
Tudo serve d'alegria
E faz-se alegre a saudade
Ao toque da alvorada ao toque da Avé Maria

Lá vai Lisboa com a saia cor de mar
Cada bairro é um noivo que com ela vai casar
Lá vai Lisboa com seu arquinho e balão
Com cantiguinhas na boca e amor no coração

Lá vai Lisboa com seu arquinho e balão
Com cantiguinhas na boca e amor no coração

Bairro novo, bairro velho, gente boa
Em casa não há quem fique
Vai na marcha todo o povo de Lisboa
Da Graça a Campo d´Ourique
Olha o castelo velhinho que é coroa
Desta Lisboa sem par
Abram, rapazes, caminho
Que passa a velha Lisboa
Que vai Alfama a passar

Lá vai Lisboa com a saia cor de mar
Cada bairro é um noivo que com ela vai casar
Lá vai Lisboa com seu arquinho e balão
Com cantiguinhas na boca e amor no coração

Lá vai Lisboa com seu arquinho e balão
Com cantiguinhas na boca e amor no coração

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Lá Vai Lisboa" by Amália Rodrigues paint a vivid picture of the city of Lisbon in Portugal, capturing the essence of a festive march through its neighborhoods. The opening lines set the scene with a sense of joy and celebration, as the march moves along under the moonlight. The reference to basalt stones on the street highlights the idea of the city's resilience and how it remains unaffected by the passage of people. The lyrics exude a sense of happiness and nostalgia, evoking a feeling of contentment and unity among the residents of the city.

As the song progresses, Lisbon is personified as a bride, with each neighborhood being a groom eagerly following behind as they march through the city streets. The imagery of Lisbon in a sea-colored skirt (saia cor de mar) conveys a sense of beauty and grace, while the description of the city carrying a bow and a balloon, singing songs with love in its heart, adds a touch of whimsy and romance to the portrayal of the capital. The repetition of these verses emphasizes the enchanting and charming nature of Lisbon, as well as the deeply ingrained sense of community and love that defines the city.

The lyrics then delve into the diverse neighborhoods of Lisbon, portraying the unity and camaraderie among its inhabitants. The mention of old and new districts, along with the lively participation of the people in the march, showcases the rich tapestry of Lisbon's culture and history. The song pays homage to iconic landmarks such as the old castle (castelo velhinho) and the vibrant districts like Alfama, highlighting the city's deep-rooted heritage and charm. The call for the young men to make way for the passage of old Lisbon adds a sense of reverence and respect for tradition in the midst of the lively celebration.

In summary, "Lá Vai Lisboa" captures the spirit of Lisbon as a vibrant, enchanting city filled with love, music, and a strong sense of community. The lyrics celebrate the unique character of each neighborhood, the beauty of the city, and the unity of its people through the imagery of a joyful march. Through its evocative verses, the song pays tribute to Lisbon's cultural richness, history, and enduring charm, making it a heartfelt ode to the captivating capital of Portugal.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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