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)
Moura
Ana Moura Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ao céu do deserto eu chamo meu
No ar aberto ardo chama e mel
Onde se solta o vento, eu solto o véu
Só desejo o que passa, o breve instante
Asas, navios, a água dos rios
Sou viajante, caminho sempre adiante
Sou moura, conheço os génios do vento
Sei desatar os nós de um mal enredo
Por vezes choro, mas logo invento
Um riso novo para afastar o medo
Só desejo o que não pode ser
Miragens e mitos, e se canto e grito
É p'ra impedir o céu de escurecer
Como largar fogo ao infinito
The lyrics of Ana Moura's song "Moura" speak to the essence of the singer's identity and her deep connection to her roots. The opening line, "Sou moura, o sol me doura a pele" ("I am moura, the sun gilds my skin"), immediately sets the tone of the song, emphasizing her affiliation with the "moura" heritage. Moura is a term often associated with a mystical and ancient Portuguese culture, deeply rooted in tradition and folklore.
Throughout the song, Ana Moura expresses her profound connection to nature and the elements. She calls upon the desert sky as her own, feeling the intense heat and energy that emanates from it. Her presence in the open air ignites like flames and honey. There is a sense of liberation and freedom in her words, indicating that she finds solace in the unboundedness of the wind. As the wind roams freely, she, too, casts aside any inhibitions and unleashes her true self.
The lyrics also reveal a longing for transient experiences and a rejection of permanence. Moura desires only what passes, relishing in the fleeting moments - the flutter of wings, the majestic movement of ships, and the ever-changing flow of rivers. She sees herself as a perpetual traveler, always moving forward, unaffected by the harshness of winter or the aridity of summer. This constant motion seems to provide her with a sense of purpose and vitality.
Throughout the song, Moura acknowledges her ability to tap into the power of the wind and unravel the knots of a tangled narrative. She demonstrates resilience in the face of adversity, shedding tears only to quickly invent a new laughter that dismisses fear. This speaks to her resourcefulness and her ability to find joy even in the darkest of times. Moura's longing extends beyond the realm of possibility, as she desires what cannot be - be it illusions, myths, or dreams. She channels her singing and shouting to prevent the sky from darkening, igniting the infinite as if setting fire to the heavens themselves.
Overall, "Moura" is a song that encapsulates Ana Moura's profound connection to her heritage and the natural world. It delves into themes of freedom, transience, resilience, and the power of imagination.
Line by Line Meaning
Sou moura, o sol me doura a pele
I am a moura, the sun tans my skin
Ao céu do deserto eu chamo meu
I claim the desert sky as mine
No ar aberto ardo chama e mel
In the open air, I burn like flame and honey
Onde se solta o vento, eu solto o véu
Where the wind is free, I release my veil
Só desejo o que passa, o breve instante
I only desire what passes, the fleeting moment
Asas, navios, a água dos rios
Wings, ships, the water of rivers
Sou viajante, caminho sempre adiante
I am a traveler, always moving forward
Dos frios Invernos, dos secos estios
From the cold winters, the dry summers
Sou moura, conheço os génios do vento
I am a moura, I know the genies of the wind
Sei desatar os nós de um mal enredo
I know how to untie the knots of a bad plot
Por vezes choro, mas logo invento
Sometimes I cry, but soon I invent
Um riso novo para afastar o medo
A new laughter to dispel fear
Só desejo o que não pode ser
I only desire what cannot be
Miragens e mitos, e se canto e grito
Mirages and myths, and if I sing and shout
É p'ra impedir o céu de escurecer
It is to prevent the sky from darkening
Como largar fogo ao infinito
Like releasing fire into the infinite
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Ana Claudia Moura Pereira
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Luis Coelho
A guitarra portuguesa é dos instrumentos mais belos do mundo... ❤
Inês Cantinho
Uma pura verdade!
buzzzbanshee
sem margem de duvida !
Luzitanium
eu tenho uma, bem dificil de tocar.
Helena Antunes
@Jonnatas Gomes , mostre-nos por favor!!
Nuno Brito
É um dos videoclips mais bonitos da música portuguesa atual. A fotografia, as vestes, o enquadramento, a música, o cenário. É prazeroso de ver.
Muaath Abdallah
I'm from Palestine and I love your songs. Greetings to Portugal 🇵🇹🇵🇸
JOSE PINTO
Yeah howww
소피야 <3
Thank you <3
Greetings to Palestine
May you have a wonderful day 🙏
iSabugasSec
From the river to the sea, Palestine Will be free!!!