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)
Os Búzios
Ana Moura Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Como se os seus olhos fossem as portas do pranto
Sinal da cruz que persiste, os dedos contra o quebranto
E os búzios que a velha lançava sobre um velho manto
À espreita está um grande amor, mas guarda segredo
Vazio tens o teu coração na ponta do medo
Vê como os búzios caíram virados p'ra Norte
Pois eu vou mexer no destino, vou mudar-te a sorte
Havia um desespero intenso na sua voz
O quarto cheirava a incenso mais uns quantos pós
A velha agitava o lenço, dobrou-o, deu-lhe dois nós
E o seu Pai de Santo falou usando-lhe a voz
À espreita está um grande amor, mas guarda segredo
Vazio tens o teu coração na ponta do medo
Vê como os búzios caíram virados p'ra Norte
Pois eu vou mexer no destino, vou mudar-te a sorte
Pois eu vou mexer no destino, vou mudar-te a sorte
À espreita está um grande amor, mas guarda segredo
Vazio tens o teu coração na ponta do medo
Vê como os búzios caíram virados p'ra Norte
Pois eu vou mexer no destino, vou mudar-te a sorte
Pois eu vou mexer no destino, vou mudar-te a sorte
Pois eu vou mexer no destino, vou mudar-te a sorte
The lyrics of Ana Moura's song "Os Búzios" depict a woman seeking the guidance of a Father of the Santo in order to find love and change her luck. The atmosphere is one of solitude and desperation as the woman's eyes are described as the portals of sorrow and the scent of incense fills the room. The old woman performing the ritual tosses shells, or "búzios," onto a cloth, invoking spirits and seeking answers. The woman is told that a great love is imminent, but she must keep it a secret and overcome her fear to receive it. The repetition of the phrase "Pois eu vou mexer no destino, vou mudar-te a sorte" (I will mess with fate, I will change your luck) invokes a sense of hope and determination to change one's life circumstances.
The use of symbolism, such as the shells and the sign of the cross, adds a mystical element to the song, emphasizing the power of the supernatural in affecting one's fate. The lyrics also highlight the themes of love, fear and courage. The woman is seeking love but is held back by fear, and it is only through going against fate and taking action that she can change her luck and find happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Havia a solidão da prece num olhar triste
There was the loneliness of prayer in a sad look
Como se os seus olhos fossem as portas do pranto
As if their eyes were the doors to tears
Sinal da cruz que persiste, os dedos contra o quebranto
The sign of the cross persists, fingers against misfortune
E os búzios que a velha lançava sobre um velho manto
And the seashells that the old woman threw on an old blanket
Havia um desespero intenso na sua voz
There was an intense despair in their voice
O quarto cheirava a incenso mais uns quantos pós
The room smelled of incense and a few powders
A velha agitava o lenço, dobrou-o, deu-lhe dois nós
The old woman shook the handkerchief, folded it, tied two knots
E o seu Pai de Santo falou usando-lhe a voz
And their Father of the Saint spoke using their voice
À espreita está um grande amor, mas guarda segredo
A great love is lurking, but it keeps a secret
Vazio tens o teu coração na ponta do medo
You have an empty heart at the edge of fear
Vê como os búzios caíram virados p'ra Norte
See how the seashells fell facing North
Pois eu vou mexer no destino, vou mudar-te a sorte
For I will meddle with destiny, I will change your fate
Pois eu vou mexer no destino, vou mudar-te a sorte
For I will meddle with destiny, I will change your fate
Pois eu vou mexer no destino, vou mudar-te a sorte
For I will meddle with destiny, I will change your fate
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Jorge Fernando
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Carlos Maza
Tenía la soledad de la oración en la mirada triste
Como si sus ojos fuesen las puertas del llanto
Señal de la cruz que persiste, los dedos contra el quebranto
Y las caracolas que la vieja lanzaba sobre un viejo manto
A la espera está un gran amor, pero guarda el secreto
Vacío tienes tu corazón al borde del miedo
Mira cómo las conchas cayeron mirando al norte
Voy a alterar el destino, voy a cambiarte la suerte
Había una intensa desesperación en su voz
La habitación olía a incienso, pero un poco después
La vieja agitaba el pañuelo, lo dobló, le hizo dos nudos
Y su padre santo habló usando su voz
A la espera está un gran amor, pero guarda el secreto
Vacío tienes tu corazón al borde del miedo
Mira cómo las conchas cayeron mirando al norte
Voy a alterar el destino, voy a cambiarte la suerte
Olga Maria Marques Corrêa
Búzios
Ana Moura
Havia a solidão da prece num olhar triste
Como se os seus olhos fossem as portas do pranto
Sinal da cruz que persiste, os dedos contra o quebranto
E os buzios que a velha lançava sobre um velho manto
Refrão
À espreita está um grande amor mas guarda segredo
Vazio tens o teu coração na ponta do medo
Vê como os buzios cairam virados p'ra norte
Pois eu vou mexer no destino vou mudar-te a sorte (bis)
Havia um desespero intenso na sua voz
O quarto cheirava a insenso mais uns quantos pós
A velha agitava o lenço, dobrou-o deu-lhe 2 nós
E o seu padre santo falou usando lhe a voz
Há espreita está um grande amor mas guarda segredo
Vazio tens o teu coração na ponta do medo
Vê como os buzios cairam virados p'ra norte
Pois eu vou mexer no destino vou mudar-te a sorte (bis)
Há espreita está um grande amor mas guarda segredo
Vazio tens o teu coração na ponta do medo
Vê como os buzios cairam virados p'ra norte
Pois eu vou mexer no destino vou mudar-te a sorte (bis
Carlos Maza
Tenía la soledad de la oración en la mirada triste
Como si sus ojos fuesen las puertas del llanto
Señal de la cruz que persiste, los dedos contra el quebranto
Y las caracolas que la vieja lanzaba sobre un viejo manto
A la espera está un gran amor, pero guarda el secreto
Vacío tienes tu corazón al borde del miedo
Mira cómo las conchas cayeron mirando al norte
Voy a alterar el destino, voy a cambiarte la suerte
Había una intensa desesperación en su voz
La habitación olía a incienso, pero un poco después
La vieja agitaba el pañuelo, lo dobló, le hizo dos nudos
Y su padre santo habló usando su voz
A la espera está un gran amor, pero guarda el secreto
Vacío tienes tu corazón al borde del miedo
Mira cómo las conchas cayeron mirando al norte
Voy a alterar el destino, voy a cambiarte la suerte
Eduardo Mascimento
Esta música faz parte do meu sonho e da minha vida pois partilhei-a com a mulher que amo e que DEUS me levou. Obrigado Ana Moura pela tua grandeza e teu sentimento. Hoje a tua voz marca o meu destino e não espero que me mude a sorte porque fui feliz e com a eterna saudade continuarei feliz EN
Carlos Manuel
Lindo fado,para mim o mais lindo de todos, embora adore a Ana.
Ana Clara
L
Kino Toro
Que maravillosa es usted Ana.
Me encanta el fado y su forma de cantarlo me fascina. Gracias!
Le saluda un admirador mexicano 🇲🇽🇵🇹
Baron Mauve
J'adore ce style de musique et chanson mélancolique même si je ne comprend pas 💔et d'ailleurs je préfère pas comprendre pour rester sur mon nuage et ne pas tomber 🌹👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 merci Ana Moura 🌹
Antitodo22
Que buenos intérpretes los portugueses...tengo un vicio, tomar mate escuchando Fados cantados por Ana Moura, Mariza, Zambujo, Misia...y otros...
Carla Pereira
A sua voz deixa me mais calma e esta música adoro a ....obrigada ...simplesmente adoro a. Gostava de ter voz para poder cantar o fado .....mas como não tenho ouço a a si que é ótimo
Adelia Almeida
Linda voz, bela fadista como belo encantador é seu país e seu povo,,,
Lourdes Machinho Machinho
Não me canso de ouvir essa voz maravilhosa e a letra simplesmente fantástica