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)
Lilac Wine
Ana Moura Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I gave myself in that misty light
Was hypnotized by a strange delight
Under a lilac tree
I made wine from the lilac tree
Put my heart in its recipe
It makes me see what I want to see
And be what I want to be
Do things I never should do
I drink much more that I ought to drink
Because it brings me back you
Lilac wine is sweet and heady, like my love
Lilac wine, I feel unsteady, like my love
Listen to me, I cannot see clearly
Isn't that he coming to me nearly here?
Lilac wine is sweet and heady
Where's my love?
Lilac wine, I feel unsteady
Where's my love?
Listen to me, why is everything so hazy?
Isn't that he, or am I going crazy, dear?
Lilac wine
I feel unready for my love
Feel unready for my love
The lyrics of Ana Moura's song "Lilac Wine" tell a story of loss, longing, and the intoxicating power of a memory or desire. The song begins with the singer describing how they lost themselves on a cool damp night, surrendering to a mysterious enchantment under a lilac tree. They metaphorically made wine from the lilac tree, using the essence of the tree to create a concoction that allows them to see what they want to see and be what they want to be. This lilac wine becomes a means for escape and self-delusion.
The singer reveals that when they think more than they want to, they tend to do things they never should and drink more than they ought to. The excessive consumption of the lilac wine transports them back to a state of being connected to someone they have lost. The wine acts as a catalyst for their yearning, taking them on a journey that blurs the boundaries between reality and the desired fantasy.
The sweetness and headiness of the lilac wine are likened to the love the singer feels. The intoxicating effect of the wine mirrors the unsteadiness and uncertainty that come with being in love. The singer's perception becomes distorted, and they struggle to see things clearly. They question whether the person they long for is actually near them or if they are simply losing their grip on reality.
The song ends with the singer expressing their feeling of being unready for love. The journey they have undertaken with the lilac wine has left them feeling unprepared and vulnerable. They are unsure if they can handle the intensity of their emotions and the blurred lines between fantasy and reality.
Overall, "Lilac Wine" explores themes of escapism, longing, and the power of the mind to create illusions. It highlights the way in which the singer uses the lilac wine to escape from their pain and recreate a reality that brings them closer to the person they desire. However, it also emphasizes the confusion and uncertainty that come with such a journey, leaving the singer feeling unsteady and unready for the intensity of their emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
I lost myself on a cool damp night
On a chilly and damp evening, I became completely disoriented and lost my sense of self.
I gave myself in that misty light
I surrendered and exposed myself emotionally under the enchanting glow of the misty light.
Was hypnotized by a strange delight
I was mesmerized by an unfamiliar and captivating pleasure.
Under a lilac tree
In the presence or shelter of a lilac tree.
I made wine from the lilac tree
I created a metaphorical wine using the essence of the lilac tree, symbolizing my emotions.
Put my heart in its recipe
I combined my heart and emotions into the recipe for this symbolic lilac wine.
It makes me see what I want to see
This lilac wine distorts reality and allows me to perceive things as I desire.
And be what I want to be
With the influence of this lilac wine, I can become the version of myself that I desire.
When I think more than I want to think
In moments when my thoughts overpower me beyond my intention.
Do things I never should do
Engaging in actions that are considered inappropriate or wrong.
I drink much more that I ought to drink
I consume an excessive amount of alcohol, surpassing what is considered appropriate.
Because it brings me back you
Due to the nostalgic effect it has, as it evokes your presence or memories of you.
Lilac wine is sweet and heady, like my love
Similar to the intoxicating nature of my love, lilac wine is both sweet and powerful.
Lilac wine, I feel unsteady, like my love
Just like my unpredictable and uncertain love, lilac wine makes me feel unstable.
Listen to me, I cannot see clearly
I implore you to pay attention as I confess that my vision is clouded and unclear.
Isn't that he coming to me nearly here?
I inquire if the person I long for is approaching, almost within reach.
Where's my love?
Where is the object of my affection?
Listen to me, why is everything so hazy?
Please lend me your ear as I express my confusion and ask why everything appears blurred and unclear.
Isn't that he, or am I going crazy, dear?
I question whether the person I desire is present, or if my mind is becoming unstable and delusional, my beloved.
I feel unready for my love
I sense that I am not prepared or equipped to handle the intensity of my love.
Feel unready for my love
Experiencing a lack of readiness and readiness to fully embrace and accept my love.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: James H. Shelton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind