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 ..."

Por Que Voltas De Que Lei
Ana Sofia Varela Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Por que voltas de que lei
Vem este sentir profundo
Por te saber como sei
Me sinto dona do mundo

Por que espada de que rei
Meu amor é fogo posto
És tanto de quanto amei

Que és tudo de quanto gosto

Por este amor que te tenho
Por ser assim como sou
És inferno donde venho
És o céu para onde vou

Por que voltas de que lei
És tudo de quanto gosto
Me perdi e me encontrei
Nas voltas que tem teu rosto

Por que voltas de que rei
Em meu peito teu desenho
És tanto de quanto amei
Que és todo o mundo que tenho

E de tão rica que estou
Nunca tão pobre fiquei

Por ser assim como sou
E te saber como sei

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ana Sofia Varela's song "Por Que Voltas De Que Lei" explore the depth of feelings and emotions associated with the love for someone. The first line, "Por que voltas de que lei," translates to "Why do you come back from what law?" It suggests that the singer is questioning why their loved one keeps returning to them, despite the obstacles and barriers they may face. The following verse, "Vem este sentir profundo, por te saber como sei," means "This profound feeling comes, because I know you as I do." It reveals that the singer's understanding of their loved one deepens the intensity of their feelings.

The second verse, "Por que espada de que rei, meu amor é fogo posto, és tanto de quanto amei, que és tudo de quanto gosto," means "Why the sword of which king, my love is a burning fire, you are as much as I loved, and everything I like." The lyrics suggest that the singer's love burns like a strong flame and that their loved one encompasses everything they desire. The chorus, "Por este amor que te tenho, por ser assim como sou, és inferno donde venho, és o céu para onde vou," means "For this love I have for you, for being who I am, you are the hell where I come from, the heaven where I go." It conveys that the singer's past and future are connected to their beloved, and their love is everything they need.

Overall, Ana Sofia Varela's "Por Que Voltas De Que Lei" is a powerful and emotional song that explores the all-consuming nature of love. The lyrics reveal the singer's unconditional love and loyalty towards their significant other, and how their lover is everything they desire, everything they need, and everything they ever wanted.

Line by Line Meaning

Por que voltas de que lei
Why do you come back? What law governs this?

Vem este sentir profundo
This deep feeling comes over me

Por te saber como sei
Because I know you as I do

Me sinto dona do mundo
I feel like the master of the world

Por que espada de que rei
What king's sword is this?

Meu amor é fogo posto
My love is a raging fire

És tanto de quanto amei
You are everything I have loved

Que és tudo de quanto gosto
And everything I like

Por este amor que te tenho
For the love that I have for you

Por ser assim como sou
For being the way I am

És inferno donde venho
You are the inferno I come from