He started gaining recognition in Portugal in 1979 after winning the "Grande Noite do Fado" (Great Fado Night). After this first step, the true "alfacinha" (inhabitant of Lisbon) consistently worked his way up with well accepted records and great shows at places ranging from small "Casas de Fado" (Fado clubs) in Lisbon as well as sold out audiences throughout Europe in some of the most prestigious festivals and venues. Camane was formerly married to another great fadista, Aldina Duarte.
He has released five albums: "Uma Noite de Fados" (1995), "Na Linha da Vida" (1998) marking the beginning of three records produced by José Mário Branco, "Esta Coisa da Alma" (2000), "Pelo Dia Dentro" (2001) and "Como sempre... Como dantes" (live in 2003). These have been released in several european and asian countries. He has been distinguished with several awards for his voice and talent.
Maria II
Camané Lyrics
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Dum desejo melhor me veste a vida...
Outra fada celeste agora leva
Minha débil ventura adormecida.
Não sei que novos horizontes vejo...
Que pura e grande luz inunda a esfera...
Quem, nuvens deste inverno, nesse espaço,
Se as noites nos enviam mais segredos,
Ao sacudir seus vaporosos mantos,
Se desprendem do seio mais suspiros...
É que dizem teu nome nos seus cantos.
Nem eu sei se houve amor até este dia...
Nem eu sei se dormi até esta hora...
Mas, quando me roçou o teu vestido,
Abri o meu olhar - acordo agora!
The song "Maria II" by Camané is a beautiful and haunting expression of the profound effect that love can have on a person. The lyrics speak of a new light that is piercing through the singer's soul, renewing their desire for a better life. This light is described as being pure and great, filling the singer's world with new horizons and possibilities. It is as if a celestial fairy has come and taken the singer's dormant happiness away, awakening them to a new reality.
The singer expresses their awe of this newfound world, asking rhetorically who could have transformed the dreary winter clouds into a spring of flowers. The night too is depicted as being alive with secrets, and the clouds are personified as they shake off their vaporous blankets and reveal to the singer the sound of their beloved Maria's name being sung. The singer then admits to not knowing if they had ever truly experienced love up until now, or if they had ever truly been awake before the moment they caught a glimpse of Maria. This encounter with Maria has awakened the singer, revealing to them that they had been asleep all along.
Overall, Camané's "Maria II" is a metaphor for the awakening of love within an individual's life. Love has the power to transform the mundane and bring about a new world. The singer's love for Maria has penetrated through their soul, revealing a world that was once thought impossible.
Line by Line Meaning
Nova luz, que me rasga dentro d´alma,
A new light penetrates deep into my soul,
Dum desejo melhor me veste a vida...
My life is now adorned with a better desire,
Outra fada celeste agora leva
Another celestial fairy now carries
Minha débil ventura adormecida.
My weak fortune, that was once sleeping.
Não sei que novos horizontes vejo...
I don't know what new horizons I see,
Que pura e grande luz inunda a esfera...
What pure and great light floods the sphere,
Quem, nuvens deste inverno, nesse espaço,
Who, in this space, turned winter clouds into flowers?
Em flores vos mudou de primavera?!
And turned them into spring flowers?!
Se as noites nos enviam mais segredos,
If the nights send us more secrets,
Ao sacudir seus vaporosos mantos,
As they shake their vaporous cloaks,
Se desprendem do seio mais suspiros...
More sighs are released from within,
É que dizem teu nome nos seus cantos.
Because they sing your name in their songs.
Nem eu sei se houve amor até este dia...
I don't even know if there was love until this day,
Nem eu sei se dormi até esta hora...
I don't even know if I've slept until this hour,
Mas, quando me roçou o teu vestido,
But when your dress brushed past me,
Abri o meu olhar - acordo agora!
I opened my eyes - now I am awake!
Contributed by Ryan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.