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.
Canção de Amor e Piedade
Cristina Branco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Olha, és o penso na ferida
Tão pisada e dorida
Que ainda trago no peito
Sem fechar, sem sarar,
E que nega o simples direito
De ir à minha vida
Sabes, o amor não é lealdade
É uma meia verdade
Que em certos momentos
Sai da boca sem piedade
Em fragmentos de estratégia pura
Só para sobreviver à doença sem cura
Que deixa um sulco de dor e prazer
Como eu gostava de poder
Amar-te com todo o meu ser
Mas estou tão ocupada a sofrer
Meu querido dá-me um abraço
E ajuda-me a esquecer
Rega o meu pobre deserto
Que parece crescer
Quando o outro não está perto
Olha, quero aqui a prometer
O meu coração fingido
Vai fazer por merecer esse amor imerecido
Até lá és apenas um bálsamo
No meu orgulho abatido
Mas se puderes esperar
Talvez um dia eu te possa amar
Olha, quero aqui a prometer
O meu coração fingido
Vai fazer por merecer esse amor imerecido
Até lá és apenas um bálsamo
No meu orgulho abatido
Mas se puderes esperar
Talvez um dia eu te possa amar
The lyrics to Cristina Branco's song Canção de Amor e Piedade, written by Carlos Tê, delve into the complexities of love and how it can become entangled with past traumas and issues, preventing one from fully being able to give or receive love. The first verse speaks to the singer's wounded heart that has yet to fully heal and has prevented them from moving on and turning over a new leaf. The second verse explores the idea that love is not always straightforward and can sometimes be tinged with half-truths and ulterior motives, particularly when someone is trying to survive a difficult situation. The singer expresses their desire to be able to love fully but admits that they are currently preoccupied with their own suffering and need help to escape it.
The chorus of the song is a plea to the object of the singer's affections to give them comfort and support, even as they struggle to fully reciprocate their feelings. The verses end with the singer promising that they will work towards deserving the love that is being offered to them, but that they may not be ready to fully embrace it yet.
Overall, Canção de Amor e Piedade is a poignant reflection on the complexity of human emotions and the challenges of giving and receiving love when one is dealing with past traumas and pains.
Line by Line Meaning
Olha, és o penso na ferida
You are the reminder of a wound, that is still hurting and open, which I carry in my heart without healing or closure.
Tão pisada e dorida
It is a wounded heart that has been trampled on and hurt multiple times.
Que ainda trago no peito
The wound is still fresh in my heart and hasn't faded away with time yet.
Sem fechar, sem sarar,
It is an unresolved wound that hasn't been attended to or healed, and still remains open.
E que nega o simples direito
This wound deprives me of the basic right to move on and turn the page from the past.
De ir à minha vida
It hinders my ability to move forward with my life and start a new chapter.
E virar esta página amarga e rompida
The past is a bitter and torn page that is a constant reminder of the pain and heartache.
Sabes, o amor não é lealdade
Love is not always synonymous with loyalty and faithfulness.
É uma meia verdade
It can be a half-truth and not always transparent.
Que em certos momentos
Sometimes, it can be distorted and not truthful in certain situations.
Sai da boca sem piedade
It can be expressed without compassion or mercy towards the one it is directed to.
Em fragmentos de estratégia pura
It can be broken down into fragments of pure strategy to survive through tough situations.
Só para sobreviver à doença sem cura
It is done to survive the incurable disease of love that can cause both pleasure and pain.
Que deixa um sulco de dor e prazer
Love leaves a mark of both pain and pleasure that can be felt deeply.
Como eu gostava de poder
I wish I could
Amar-te com todo o meu ser
Love you with every fiber of my being.
Mas estou tão ocupada a sofrer
But I am so preoccupied with the pain that I am unable to love with all my heart.
Meu querido dá-me um abraço
My dear, give me a hug.
E ajuda-me a esquecer
Help me forget the pain and heal the wounds.
Rega o meu pobre deserto
Water my poor deserted heart.
Que parece crescer
It seems to grow bigger and emptier when you are not around.
Quando o outro não está perto
When the other person is not around.
Olha, quero aqui a prometer
Look, I want to promise here.
O meu coração fingido
My fake heart.
Vai fazer por merecer esse amor imerecido
It will try to deserve the undeserved love.
Até lá és apenas um bálsamo
Until then, you are just a balm.
No meu orgulho abatido
To soothe my shattered pride.
Mas se puderes esperar
But if you can wait.
Talvez um dia eu te possa amar
Maybe one day, I will be able to love you with all my heart.
Contributed by Grace A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.