Ana Moura has become a leading exponent of this poetic, deeply expressive idiom which personifies the Portuguese psyche as it explores such universal themes as lost love, separation, and longing.
As Ana explains, "It's very special because it's all about emotions and feelings. It needs no translation."
Ana was born in 1980, in Santarém, the bustling capital of the Ribatejo province in the center of Portugal's heartland on the Tejo River northeast of Lisbon.
The city of half a million souls is also one of Portugal's most historic cities -- an ideal place to develop an appreciation for fado. "I've been singing fado since I was little, because grew up listening to it at home," she recalls of her early home life. "My parents sang well, and at family gatherings, we all would sing."
Like young people everywhere, she soon developed an appreciation for other styles of music. The lure of singing fado, however, never waned. In her late teens, while sing pop and rock music with a local band, Ana always included at least one fado in each performance. Then, one night on a whim, about five years ago, she and some friends went to one of Lisbon's storied fado houses -- small performance venues where singers, guitarists and aficionados gather to worship the affecting style that's become Portugal's most important music export.
At the urging of her companions, she sang. "People liked me," she recalls of her first foray into a venerated bastion of the fado culture. Later that year, at a Christmas party that was attended by a lot of fadistas (fado singers) and guitarists, she sang again and, as fate would have it, noted fado vocalist Maria de Fe was in the audience and was duly impressed. "She asked me to sing at her fado house," Ana recalls of the fortuitous moment that launched her career.
"My life changed when I began going to the fado houses," Ana states today. "There's no microphone -- it's very intimate. New singers learn through a kind of apprenticeship, learning the intricacies of the style from the older, more established singers."
Before long, word of Ana's rich contralto, stunning looks and innate affinity for the demanding style spread, winning airtime on local television programs devoted to fado and rave reviews in Lisbon newspapers.
Ana has emerged as a leading voice of traditional fado just as the venerable idiom is enjoying a renaissance of popularity. "Today," she explains, "there's a new generation that sings lyrics related to our time. There are some older fado songs that we, the younger singers, cannot perform, because the lyrics are about a time and themes we don't identify with. We don't feel it, and fado is all about feelings. We must feel what we sing, and there are many older fados that don't belong to our generation. Younger singers use lyrics that speak of today, so young people have begun to get more interested in the music again."
As with jazz and country music in the U.S., tango in Argentina, samba in Brazil, fado sprang from the culture of working class people. And, as with the aforementioned examples, over the years the style evolved from humble origins to win broad appeal. Today, as Ana proudly proclaims, "In Portugal, fado is for everyone."
Like virtually every aspiring fadista, Ana drew early inspiration from the example of Amalia Rodrigues, the revered singer who most personified the style. "It was her soul and her voice," she comments of the late vocalist's singular imprint on the music. "She had everything in her. Some singers have a great voice by no soul, no intensity. Others have feeling but not a suitable voice. She had it all, and, she was a very good improviser."
Improvising is an under-appreciated part of the fado tradition. One technique, which Ana uses to great effect on the song "Lavava no rio lavava" (I Went to the River to Wash), is what the Portuguese term vocalisos -- the expression of words and effects through use of vocal trills. The practice is believed to have been absorbed over centuries of exposure to Spanish flamenco and Moorish styles.
A key track from her album exquisitely sums up the magnetic pull fado has exerted on Ana. "Sou do fado, sou fadista" (I belong to fado, I am a fadista) by her mentor and primary collaborator, guitarist Jorge Fernando, eloquently explains Ana's total surrender to the style:
"I know my soul has surrendered, taken my voice in hand, twisted in my chest and shown it to the world. And I have closed my eyes in a wistful longing to sing, to sing. And a voice sings to me softly, and a voice enchants me softly, I belong to fado, I belong to fado, I am a fadista."
Today, Ana Moura still thinks of how and where it all began, and of the importance of keeping those vital ties alive. "Before," she muses, "I used to sing in the fado house every day. Today, because of my concert schedule and travel, it's impossible. But, when time permits, I like to return. Sometimes I feel that I must go there. I need that."
(Adapted from a text by Cindy Byram)
Cantiga De Abrigo
Ana Moura Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
E se quiser tardar
O tempo foi meu amigo
Prendo os ponteiros
Que o teu instante é meigo
Vou mudar contigo
E se puder escapar
Prendo-me ao peito
E em ti me desarraigo
Repreendo a própria vida
Cada dia em que iludida
Me extingui a sós comigo
Sem guarida, mas sigo
Que em teu refúgio há fogo
Se me chamares
Meu nome, meu nome seja aconchego
Prendo-te aos braços
E o nó que dou é cego
The lyrics of "Cantiga De Abrigo" by Ana Moura beautifully showcase themes of companionship, mutual support, and emotional vulnerability. The repeated assertion of "Vou esperar contigo" ("I will wait with you") sets the tone for the singer's commitment to standing by their partner through thick and thin. The imagery of time being a friend and the gentle nature of the other person's essence further underline a deep sense of connection and understanding between the two individuals. The act of "prendo os ponteiros" ("holding back the hands") symbolizes a desire to pause and savor the precious moments shared with the loved one.
The lyrics then shift to a declaration of willingness to change alongside the other person, showing a willingness to adapt and grow together. The longing to make the other person's body a shelter and the conflicting emotions of holding onto them while also feeling uprooted reveal a complex dynamic of love and vulnerability. The phrase "E em ti me desarraigo" ("And in you I uproot myself") speaks to the transformative power of love and how it can alter one's sense of self and priorities.
As the song progresses, the singer reflects on past experiences of feeling deceived and alone, highlighting a sense of disillusionment and uncertainty. The acknowledgment of being deceived by life and navigating through challenges alone conveys a deep inner struggle and a yearning for solace. However, the mention of finding warmth and fire in the other person's refuge suggests a newfound sense of hope and comfort in their presence, symbolizing a source of light amidst darkness.
The final verses convey a poignant plea for acknowledgment and intimacy, with the singer longing to be called by their name as a source of comfort and belonging. The imagery of being bound together in an embrace and the metaphor of tying a knot blindly portray a sense of trust and surrender in the relationship. The repeated refrain of "Meu nome, meu nome seja aconchego" ("My name, my name be comfort") encapsulates a deep yearning for connection and emotional security, emphasizing the transformative power of love and the solace found in shared intimacy. Overall, "Cantiga De Abrigo" beautifully captures the complexities of love, companionship, and emotional vulnerability in a heartfelt and introspective manner.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Samuel Uria
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind