In November 1995, along with Greg Ellis, Ali formed Vas, producing four albums: Sunyata (1997), Offerings (1998), In the Garden of Souls (2000), and Feast of Silence (2004).
In 2002 she released her first solo album, Portals of Grace, which saw her expand her repertoire even farther and prove her to be equally as adept in singing in 13th century French-Provençal, Galician and Ladino as she is in Arabic.
In 2005, Ali worked on a new project called Niyaz with solo artist Carmen Rizzo and Axiom of Choice member Loga Ramin Torkian. Its self-titled album, Niyaz features Ali's vocals sung in Urdu and Farsi, backed up by more electronica-style music.
In June 2006, Ali released another latest solo album, Elysium for the Brave, where she includes English singing in her repertoire.
Azam Ali collaborated with Keyavash Nourai and Shahrokh Yadegari on the album Green Memories, released in September of 2008.
In 2011, the latest album, From Night to the Edge of Day was released. It features Ali's unique take on traditional Middle Eastern songs and lullabies.
Ben Pode Santa Maria
Azam Ali Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
pois que dos pecados pode as almas alumar.
E de tal razon com' esta vos quer' eu ora dizer
un miragre mui fremoso que foi en França fazer
a Virgen Santa Maria, que fez un çego veer
ben ena vila de Chartes, como vos quero contar.
Ben pode Santa Maria seu lum' ao çego dar,
pois que dos pecados pode as almas alumar.
Este çeg' ourivez fora que non ouvera mellor
en tod' o reyno de França ne-nas terras arredor,
e en servir sempr' a Virgen avia mui gran sabor;
e porend' h' arca d'ouro fora mui rica lavrar
Ben pode Santa Maria seu lum' ao çego dar
pois que dos pecados pode as almas alumar.
The lyrics of Azam Ali's song, Ben Pode Santa Maria, are in Portuguese and describe the miraculous abilities of the Virgin Mary. The song speaks of how Mary can give light to the blind and can illuminate souls from their sins. It then goes on to tell the story of a particularly impressive miracle that Mary performed in Chartes, France, where she made a blind man see. The blind man, who was one of the most devout worshippers of the Virgin, worked tirelessly to serve her, and she rewarded him by allowing him to see once again. The song ends with a repetition of the idea that Mary's light can overcome any darkness, as she can both give light to the blind and illuminate the souls of sinners.
The story that the song tells is one that is steeped in religious and cultural significance. Mary is a significant figure in both Christianity and Islam and is revered by many as the Mother of God. The idea of her benevolent power to heal the afflicted and illuminate the path to salvation is a powerful one that has resonated throughout history. The song itself is an example of how these themes have been communicated through music, as it combines Portuguese language, a traditional European music style, and the haunting and emotive vocals of Azam Ali.
Line by Line Meaning
Ben pode Santa Maria seu lum' ao çego dar,
Santa Maria is capable of giving light to the blind,
pois que dos pecados pode as almas alumar.
Because she is capable of illuminating the souls from sins.
E de tal razon com' esta vos quer' eu ora dizer
And for that reason, I want to tell you a beautiful tale,
un miragre mui fremoso que foi en França fazer
Of a beautiful miracle that happened in France,
a Virgen Santa Maria, que fez un çego veer
Where the Virgin Mary gave sight to a blind man,
ben ena vila de Chartes, como vos quero contar.
In the town of Chartres, as I want to tell you.
Este çeg' ourivez fora que non ouvera mellor
This blind man was the most devout and religious,
en tod' o reyno de França ne-nas terras arredor,
In all of France and its surrounding lands,
e en servir sempr' a Virgen avia mui gran sabor;
And he had an immense devotion to serving the Virgin Mary;
e porend' h' arca d'ouro fora mui rica lavrar
And that's why he had a richly crafted gold box.
Ben pode Santa Maria seu lum' ao çego dar
Santa Maria is capable of giving light to the blind,
pois que dos pecados pode as almas alumar.
Because she is capable of illuminating the souls from sins.
Contributed by Colton G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.