In 200… Read Full Bio ↴Official site (with long song extracts): www.carminho.net
In 2009, Carminho sang "Fado". This was her fado, the one she owned since an early age, when she listened to her parents’ records, when she witnessed the gathering of fado singers in her own house and when, still a teenager, she began to sing in the Taverna do Embuçado. This "Fado" was the title of her first album, which was one of the most awaited albums in the new generation of fado singers: for those who had already heard Carminho, her talent was obvious, but they had to wait – until she finished her graduation, until she travelled the world, until she knew who she really was.
And her "Fado" became one of the most acclaimed albums in 2009. It went Platinum – an enviable outcome for a debut album. With "Fado", Portugal surrendered to Carminho’s voice and the doors of the world opened to her talent. It was considered best album 2011 by Songlines magazine, she had shows in European capital cities, in Womex 2011 (Copenhagen) and in the UNESCO headquarters, in Paris, within the scope of Fado as World Heritage candidate. Then came the invitation to participate in Pablo Alborán’s album, which became a phenomenon of popularity in both Portugal and Spain.
It was about time that “Fado” had a worthy successor. And it's just around the corner. On 5th March, Carminho reveals her "Alma" (Portuguese word for soul) with 15 new songs, an album again produced and directed by Diogo Clemente, again wisely combining cover versions and originals (in the special edition, the album has 17 songs and a DVD with Carminho live in concertin May 2011 at Lux Frágil, Lisbon.
The cover versions are less evident. Some not so well known songs by Amália ("Cabeça de Vento"), Maria Amélia Proença ("À Beira do Cais") or Fernanda Maria ("As Pedras da Minha Rua"), but also from Chico Buarque ("Meu Namorado", de "O Grande Circo Místico") or Vinicius de Moraes ("Saudades do Brasil em Portugal"). The original songs are by Diogo Clemente ("Bom Dia, Amor", about poet Fernando Pessoa), Mário Pacheco ("Talvez", lyrics by Vasco Graça Moura), and Vitorino ("Fado Adeus"). And there are also some new lyrics for traditional fado tunes – one of them, "Folha", written by Carminho herself, and another one, "Impressão Digital", a poem by António Gedeão.
And it is this mixture of past and present that allows us to unveil the future of Fado, in the unrivalled voice of Carminho. A voice which, in her second album, sustains all that Carminho sings in "Talvez": "I might not know who you are, but I know who I am”.
In 2017, she released a Tom Jobim covers album, titled "Carminho Canta Tom Jobim".
Official site (with long song extracts): www.carminho.net
à beira do cais
Carminho Lyrics
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Brincando em cada maré,
Este mar de águas paradas
Que alimenta a minha fé,
Os barcos que vão chegar,
Os barcos que vão partir,
Todo este cais é um mundo,
De onde não posso fugir.
À beira do cais, quem me vê já me conhece,
Sou a tal que não se esquece
Que é do mar que tu virás.
À beira do cais, tenho o meu destino agora,
Estou sempre à espera da hora
Em que um dia voltarás.
Há quem não ache acertado
Mas a mim, pouco me interessa.
Que não é por vir aqui
Que tu voltas mais depressa.
Mas ficou-me este costume
Que até hoje não perdi.
Junto ao mar eu acredito,
Junto ao mar eu acredito
Que estou mais perto de ti.
À beira do cais, quem me vê já me conhece,
Sou a tal que não se esquece
Que é do mar que tu virás.
À beira do cais, tenho o meu destino agora,
Estou sempre à espera da hora
Em que um dia voltarás.
À beira do cais, tenho o meu destino agora,
Estou sempre à espera da hora
Em que um dia voltarás.
The song "À Beira do Cais" by Carminho is a heartfelt tribute to the longing and waiting that comes with being in love with someone who is always out at sea. The lyrics describe the singer's connection to the dock, the boats, and the sea, and how they serve as reminders of their lover who is constantly coming and going on the water. The seagulls, the calm waters, and the bustling activity of the pier all contribute to the singer's feelings of hope and despair, as they await the return of their beloved.
The first verse sets the scene with the calming presence of seagulls and the peaceful waters of the dock, which give the singer a sense of faith that their love will return. The second verse describes the anticipation and excitement of the approaching and departing boats, each one possibly being the one that carries the singer's love. The chorus expresses the singer's sense of identity and attachment to the dock, where she is known as "the one who never forgets" and where she awaits her lover's return. The third verse acknowledges the doubts and criticisms of others who question the singer's devotion, but she remains faithful and hopeful that her love will one day come back to her.
Overall, the song captures the bittersweet emotions of waiting for someone who is always on the move, anchored by the singer's love for the sea and the place where she awaits her beloved's return.
Line by Line Meaning
Esse bando de gaivotas Brincando em cada maré
The playful flock of seagulls in the vast sea that represent life's ever-changing fortunes and setbacks.
Este mar de águas paradas Que alimenta a minha fé
The calm waters of the sea that nurture and sustain my faith, my belief in the promise of love despite the ebb and flow of life.
Os barcos que vão chegar, Os barcos que vão partir, Todo este cais é um mundo, Todo este cais é um mundo De onde não posso fugir.
The comings and goings of boats in the harbor, signaling the endless cycle of births and departures, of unending change and the inevitability of fate that one cannot escape.
À beira do cais, quem me vê já me conhece, Sou a tal que não se esquece Que é do mar que tu virás.
Standing at the edge of the pier, waiting for a loved one's return, a familiar figure in the hearts of others, known as the one who never forgets that it is from the sea that the beloved will come.
À beira do cais, tenho o meu destino agora, Estou sempre à espera da hora Em que um dia voltarás.
At the edge of the pier, I have found my place in life, constantly waiting for the moment when my beloved will return, hoping that fate will bring us back together.
Há quem não ache acertado Mas a mim, pouco me interessa. Que não é por vir aqui Que tu voltas mais depressa.
Some might see me waiting here as futile, but I don't care because being here does not make my beloved come back any sooner.
Mas ficou-me este costume Que até hoje não perdi. Junto ao mar eu acredito, Junto ao mar eu acredito Que estou mais perto de ti.
Waiting by the sea has become a habit that I still haven't lost, because here, I believe that I am closer to my beloved, even if it's just in spirit.
Contributed by Asher G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.