She grew up far from the fado houses of Lisbon and nothing suggested that she was predestined for the fado. Like almost all young Portuguese born after the revolution of 1974, she was interested in folk music, jazz, blues, bossa nova but not in fado. She regarded it as a genre for a different generation. This lasted until her 18th birthday, when her grandfather gave her the album Rara e Inédita by Amália Rodrigues. Suddenly, Cristina Branco discovered all the emotions that the genre could offer in the close connections that arose among voice, poetry and music. The amateur singer - then studying communication sciences and still full of her ambition to become a journalist - began to develop her vocal technique and to take her new vocation seriously.
After that, Cristina studied the poems from which major fado lyrics are taken.
Since then, Cristina has worked on her fado repertory, accompanied by Custódio Castelo on guitar and as composer.
Halfway through the nineties, other young musicians also found a new means of expression in the fado and this contributed to a surprising renaissance. Just as they did, Cristina Branco began to make clear choices in which respect for the tradition went hand in hand with the desire for renewal.
There can be no doubt that Cristina Branco is developing her own style from a number of primary components. She employs a traditional group (voice, Portuguese guitar, guitar and bass guitar) and offers us concurrently a light, warm and experienced voice; she mixes the traditional fado with themes and folk songs that are personal favourites and seems always to choose the words of the best Portuguese, or even Dutch poets with discretion.
Aspiracao
Cristina Branco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Esperamos nós cada dia que passa,
P'ra não volvermos a cair na obscuridade:
Volta – luz nossa, para sempre.
Jamais virá esse momento
Tal como nenhum anjo desce à terra,
Nem a lugares onde o sofrimento
Não face à ordem que nos guia:
A felicidade espera a vez que lhe cabe
E só vem à luz um dia
No quadro da realidade.
Mas eis que na estreiteza da vida,
Seu reino se abre, em imenso lugar...
Por ela nos deixámos iluminar:
E agora sabemos, quando anuncia:
"A tempo me faço chegar".
The first verse of the song expresses the hope and aspiration for freedom. It talks about how every passing day brings us closer to the dawn of freedom that we all long for. The singer wishes to be free from the darkness of oppression and become enlightened by the light of freedom. The second verse introduces a sense of skepticism about the possibility of ever achieving true freedom. It speaks to the idea that the moment of freedom may never come, just like no angel has ever descended to earth. Even in places where suffering is rampant, there may never be a moment of liberation. The third verse seems to reconcile the hope for freedom with the harsh reality of life. It suggests that even though there is no guarantee of freedom, it is still worth pursuing. The final verse acknowledges the challenges of life but expresses the belief that even in the narrowness of existence, there can be an opening for freedom. The singer talks about being illuminated by the light of freedom, which enables them to see the reality clearly and to have faith that freedom will eventually come.
Line by Line Meaning
Amanhã há-de raiar a liberdade,
We hope that tomorrow freedom will finally dawn upon us, after waiting every passing day, so that we never fall into darkness again.
Esperamos nós cada dia que passa,
We wait every day that passes, with the hope of seeing the light of freedom soon.
P'ra não volvermos a cair na obscuridade:
To avoid falling into darkness again, we rely on the light of freedom to guide us.
Volta – luz nossa, para sempre.
We want our light of freedom to return and never fade away.
Jamais virá esse momento
That moment will never come, just like no angel descends to earth or to places where suffering strips away sweetness and hopelessness takes over.
Tal como nenhum anjo desce à terra,
Just as no angel comes down to earth, we cannot expect a magical solution to our problems.
Nem a lugares onde o sofrimento
Not even to the places where suffering is present,
Despe o azedume e enverga o desespero.
Suffering strips away our sweetness and crushes our hope.
Não face à ordem que nos guia:
Despite the order that guides us,
A felicidade espera a vez que lhe cabe
We must wait for happiness to come when the time is right.
E só vem à luz um dia
And it only comes to light one day,
No quadro da realidade.
Within the context of reality.
Mas eis que na estreiteza da vida,
But in the narrowness of life,
Seu reino se abre, em imenso lugar...
Happiness can take over and expand into a vast realm.
Por ela nos deixámos iluminar:
We let ourselves be illuminated by it.
E agora sabemos, quando anuncia:
And now we know, when it announces:
"A tempo me faço chegar".
"I arrive in time".
Contributed by Bella K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.