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)
Mázia
Ana Moura Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Vem, vem, vem, vem (mázia)
Ouço as risadas e fico presa a ti
Vejo as passadas riscadas no chão
São penas e penas que guardo só para ti
És a batida do meu coração
Diz-me o que é que eu faço
Sem o teu abraço
Falta mais uma dança
Para nos dar esperança (mázia)
Vira mázia, volta aqui
Volta mázia, vira aqui
Gira mázia, volta p'ra mim
Roda mázia, até ao fim
E aumenta, apavora o que ainda não é velho
Já dizia Caetano e eu vejo-me ao espelho
Em menina dizia um dia vai ser assim
Só mais um sopro, volta p'ra mim
Diz-me o que é que eu faço
Sem o teu abraço
Falta mais uma dança
Para nos dar esperança
Vira mázia, volta aqui
Volta mázia, vira aqui
Gira mázia, volta p'ra mim (mázia)
Roda mázia, até ao fim
Entra na roda, mázia (entra na roda, mázia)
Vem dançar comigo
Ali onde a avó Guilhermina chamava
Serra da Leba (Serra da Leba), Serra da Leba
Diz-me o que é que eu faço
Sem o teu abraço
Falta mais uma dança
Para nos dar esperança
Vira mázia, volta aqui
Volta mázia, vira aqui
Gira mázia, volta p'ra mim
Roda mázia, até ao fim
Vira mázia, volta aqui
Volta mázia, gira aqui
Gira mázia, volta p'ra mim
Roda mázia, até ao fim
Ali onde a avó Guilhermina chamava
Serra da Leba, serra da Leba
Serra da Leba, serra da Leba (mázia)
Serra da Leba, serra da Leba
Aqui 'tá a contar? 44, 45
The lyrics of the song "Mázia" by Ana Moura depict a sense of longing and nostalgia, as well as the desire to reconnect with a past love or connection. The repeated invitation to "Vem dançar na roda" (Come dance in the circle) sets the tone for a yearning for togetherness and intimacy. The use of the word "mázia" emphasizes this call to come closer, to reunite in dance and shared moments.
The imagery of laughter and footsteps on the ground evokes memories of a joyful past, with the singer feeling tied to the person she sings to. The lines "São penas e penas que guardo só para ti / És a batida do meu coração" express the depth of emotions and feelings reserved for this special individual, highlighting their importance in the singer's life.
The lyrics also touch upon a sense of loss and yearning for physical closeness, as expressed in the lines "Diz-me o que é que eu faço / Sem o teu abraço." The need for one more dance together is seen as a source of hope and a way to bring them closer once again. The repetition of the word "mázia" throughout the song adds a sense of urgency and longing to the plea for reunion and connection.
The references to Caetano Veloso and the reflection in the mirror suggest a contemplation of time passing and the changing nature of relationships. The singer recalls a promise made in childhood that life would turn out a certain way, hinting at the unpredictable nature of fate and longing for things to return to a simpler time. The mention of "Só mais um sopro, volta p'ra mim" underscores the desire for a return to a lost love or connection.
Overall, the lyrics of "Mázia" by Ana Moura convey a deep emotional yearning for closeness and connection, nostalgia for the past, and a plea for reunion through dance and shared moments. The references to personal memories, familial ties, and cultural landmarks like Serra da Leba add layers of meaning and depth to the song's message of love, loss, and the hope for a reunion that transcends time and distance.
Line by Line Meaning
Vem dançar na roda
Come dance in the circle
Vem, vem, vem, vem (mázia)
Come, come, come, come (my dear)
Ouço as risadas e fico presa a ti
I hear the laughter and I am captivated by you
Vejo as passadas riscadas no chão
I see the footprints traced on the ground
São penas e penas que guardo só para ti
They are feathers after feathers that I keep just for you
És a batida do meu coração
You are the beat of my heart
Diz-me o que é que eu faço
Tell me what should I do
Sem o teu abraço
Without your embrace
Falta mais uma dança
One more dance is missing
Para nos dar esperança (mázia)
To give us hope (my dear)
Vira mázia, volta aqui
Turn around, come back here
Volta mázia, vira aqui
Come back, turn here
Gira mázia, volta p'ra mim
Spin around, come back to me
Roda mázia, até ao fim
Circle around, until the end
Entra na roda, mázia
Enter the circle, my dear
Vem dançar comigo
Come dance with me
Ali onde a avó Guilhermina chamava
There where Grandma Guilhermina used to call
Serra da Leba (Serra da Leba), Serra da Leba
Serra da Leba (Serra da Leba), Serra da Leba
Aqui 'tá a contar? 44, 45
Here, are you counting? 44, 45
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Ana Claudia Moura Pereira
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@silviacoragem982
Chorei do inicio ao fim, deve ter sido uma enorme emoção ir à terra das raízes dos teus ancestrais. Tenho um filho luso-angolano e um dia quero leva-lo à terra da família do pai dele. Amei as fotos e a conversa no final do videoclip. Parabéns Ana Moura, obrigado por tanto
@joanamiguel31
Leve sim! A minha mãe é de Angola e foi para Portugal em 1995. Saiu de lá comigo na barriga e voltou comigo pela mão no ano passado. Só conheci a minha avó, com quem partilho o nome, aos 27 anos e infelizmente foi tarde. A vida acabou por adiar este encontro e foi belíssimo saber que eu também sou de lá e tenho uma família muito querida à minha espera. Acredito que será uma grande viagem para os dois! Um beijinho e fico a torcer que esse encontro com as raízes do seu filho seja em breve.
@silviacoragem982
@@joanamiguel31 muito grata pelo seu testemunho e que bom que foi conhecer as suas raizes e todos os familiares de lá. Muitas felicidades para si e os seus
@Thejimc72
Eu nasci e cresci em Portugal com uma mãe angolana do Lubango que sempre nos contou histórias lindas de Angola mas nunca teve a oportunidade de me levar a mim e a minha irmã. Ela faleceu o ano passado e este vídeo lembro me que tenho que ir conhecer a terra da minha mãe. Lindo video!
@euniceabreu5243
Que podemos mais dizer da Ana Moura ,ela consegue surpreender a cada música ,cada palavra que canta ,cada vídeo clip... obrigada Ana, por já algum tempo teres conseguido que eu ouça fado...bem haja por ter tirado "os pés do chão" e voamos todos até África....que magnífico pôr do sol ☀️ que nunca te falte ❤ obrigada 🙏
@luziasantos7637
O filho, de origem Africana, pode até nascer na China ,mas o gingado ,(aquele toque de dança, com toda a elegância, mexer a cintura...),está no sangue. Viva a raça humana, sem distinção de tom de pele...Parabéns Ana Moura,emocionei _me.
@noemia62
Lindo 😍
@NicoleWanda
Grande Ana Moura a maior Fadista de Portugal fora da Amália ❤️🇦🇴
Que orgulho que ela tem das suas origens 🇦🇴🇵🇹🥹
@lis22662
❤
@antonialuisarosariomessias182
Que evocação tão intensa ...entra na roda ... Mázia... Onde a avó Guilhermina chamava...serra da Leba...
Que voz...que música... cenários deslumbrantes e que serra sinuosa.
Parabéns a todos os envolvidos no projecto. Sucessos e 🍀🌻
Aplausos musa inspiradora ⭐🌷