Ana Sofía Varela was born in Lisbon, although she grew up in the countrysid… Read Full Bio ↴Ana Sofía Varela was born in Lisbon, although she grew up in the countryside (Serpa, Alentejo), where she lived until a few years ago, when she returned to the capital.

Her first contact with fados came as she listened to songs by Amália, at the age of 10. By the time she was 14 years old, she had become an increasingly popular fixture at local fado clubs and schools.

Her commitment to and contact with traditional Alentejo music has been a constant factor since her childhood. She created her own repertoire from fados by Amália and Nuno de Câmara Pereira and the lyrics of Rui Veloso, Vitorino and Resistência.

She then took part in a number of local fado competitions, and reached the finals of the Portuguese TV programme "Selecçao Nacional" as “the most beautiful and interesting voice of the Music Festival 95”. In 1997 she was invited to sing at a fado club in Lisbon, and on that occasion Carlos Zei introduced her to the famous Portuguese guitarist Mário Pacheco, with whom she later sang at many concerts (Macao, Japan, Italy etc.). She was subsequently invited to join the team of permanent artistes at "Clube de Fado", where she is a regular fixture.

Another important connection was her relationship with António Chaínho, who invited her to guest on a CD, " A guitarra e Outras Mulheres", with Marta Dias, Teresa Salgueiro (Madredeus) and Filipa Pais. This subsequently evolved into a European tour.

At Expo 98 she took part in "De Sol a Lua- Flamenco & Fado", a tour of Spain, Germany, Holland and Switzerland. In 1999 she accepted João Braga’s invitation to sing at a number of concerts, and this produced another CD, "Cem Anos de Fado".

The launch of the "Ana Sofía Varela" CD in 2002 marked the beginning of a new direction in her career: the public discovered “the fado they had been waiting for for so long”. This album arose from the "De Sol a Lua- Flamenco & Fado" tour, during which two of the composers, João Monge and João Gil, introduced her to Manuel Paulo Felgueiras de Alas dos Namorados, who produced the CD.

"I was given the chance to sing what I wanted to sing, all the songs I love to sing: classical fados, new songs, experimental songs influenced by flamenco … of course, everything I sing sounds like a fado, because that’s what I am – a fado singer."

Nor did she forsake her origins: "My childhood in Serpa gave me so much contact with music in Alentejo and Spanish music. João Monje is from the same area, and while we were working on the CD we would chat about local traditions, and I asked him to write a poem about all these things ("Ducados"). Manuel Paulo was then inspired by flamenco and Alentejo music for the musical arrangements with Pedro J'oia on flamenco guitar ... this became a homage to my musical and personal relationship with Serpa.”

On the poetry side, the great Vasco Graça Moura heard her singing "Las Letras do Fado Vulgar" live, and offered her a book of poems based on the fado. Mário Pacheco also features on two songs in the album.

She claims that "Ana Sofía Varela" is a dream come true, at the right time, with the right people. Songs about Love, Passion, Hope – these are the deepest emotions that anyone can ever feel ..."

Dia da Perdição
Ana Sofia Varela Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

No dia em que eu me perdi
Nas vielas de outro olhar
Confesso que sofri
Com medo de me encontrar
Ter o coração partido e não ser capaz
Pensei em ti
Pensei em ti
E perdida olhei para trás

No dia em que me perdi
De nós, nesta cidade
Confesso que encontrei
A morada da saudade
Ela dormia ao meu lado, noe mesmo andar
Chamei por ti
Chamei por ti
Mas tu estavas noutro lugar

No dia em que eu me encontrei
a sós com a paixão
Foi só em ti que pensei
Na tua mão
Onde um coração partido tanto batera
Chorei por ti
Chorei por ti
E tu estavas em case à minha espera

Quem não se perdeu
que atire uma flor

Foi Deus que nos deu
As vielas do amor

Overall Meaning

The song "Dia da Perdição" by Ana Sofia Varela talks about the journey of self-discovery and the dangers of falling in love. The opening verse describes the singer's fear of losing oneself in the alleyways of another's gaze. She admits to feeling scared of finding herself broken-hearted and unable to cope with the pain. In a moment of vulnerability, she thinks of her love interest and the possibility of finding solace in them. However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that her trust in that person has been misplaced as they are nowhere to be found when she needed them the most.

The second verse reveals that the singer has already lost her way in the city of love, and in losing herself, finds herself dwelling in the home of nostalgia. She finds comfort in the memories and the feelings she once shared with someone, only to realise that they are no longer present. The third and final verse depicts the moment of self-realisation and the acceptance of the unrequited love. The singer acknowledges the pain and the heartbreak but also finds strength in knowing that everyone gets lost in love at some point.

Overall, the song is about the complexities of love, and the fact that even though it can be beautiful, it can also bring pain and heartbreak.

Line by Line Meaning

No dia em que eu me perdi
On the day I got lost

Nas vielas de outro olhar
In the alleys of another gaze

Confesso que sofri
I confess I suffered

Com medo de me encontrar
Afraid to find myself

Ter o coração partido e não ser capaz
To have a broken heart and not be capable

Pensei em ti
I thought of you

E perdida olhei para trás
And lost, I looked back

No dia em que me perdi
On the day I got lost

De nós, nesta cidade
From us, in this city

Confesso que encontrei
I confess I found