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.
Cantigas As Serranas
Cristina Branco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Donde vem Rodrigo,
Donde vem Gonçalo,
De sachar o milho,
De mondar o prado.
Seja diligente
Que quem não grangeia
Não colhe a semente.
Semeou Rodrigo,
Semeou Gonçalo,
Haverão do milho
Se mondam o prado.
Quem de amor se esquece
No tempo de verde,
Não colhe o que perde
Entre erva que crece,
Por isso Rodrigo,
Por isso Gonçalo,
Vão sachar o milho,
Vão mondar o prado.
Amor que aproveita,
Se antes de gradar
Cresce em seu lugar
Ciúme e suspeita,
Triste de Rodrigo,
Triste de Gonçalo,
Mal por seu cuidado,
Se não sacha o milho,
Se não monda o prado.
Amor que ficou
Em terra deserta
Colhe quem acerta,
Não quem semeou.
Semeou Rodrigo,
Semeou Gonçalo,
Para haverem o milho
Cumpre haver cuidado.
Em terra mimosa
Ninguém faça escolha,
Vai-se o grão na folha,
De muito viçosa.
Gonçalo e Rodrigo,
Cumpre ser lembrado,
De sachar o milho,
De mondar o prado.
In Cantigas As Serranas, Cristina Branco sings an interpretation of a traditional Portuguese folk song. The lyrics center around the concept of love and the importance of nurturing it like a seed to ensure that it bears fruit. The singers of the song, Rodrigo and Gonçalo, are working in the fields, sowing and cleaning the land in preparation for the growth of their crops. The song seems to suggest that love is similar to farming, in that it requires tender care and diligence to grow and mature. It warns that those who disregard love will not reap its benefits, just like those who neglect their crops will have a poor harvest.
The song also highlights the negative effects of jealousy and suspicion on relationships, suggesting that if left unchecked, they can wither the love that was once there. The repetition of the chorus urging Rodrigo and Gonçalo to work hard in the fields serves as a metaphor for the effort and attention required to maintain a healthy relationship.
Overall, Cantigas As Serranas is a reflection on the importance of patience, effort, and nurturing in love and relationships. The lyrics remind listeners that, like crops that need time and care to grow, love takes effort and dedication to flourish and yield a positive outcome.
Line by Line Meaning
Donde vem Rodrigo,
Where does Rodrigo come from,
Donde vem Gonçalo,
Where does Gonçalo come from,
De sachar o milho,
From harvesting the corn,
De mondar o prado.
From weeding the meadow.
Seja diligente
Be diligent,
Quem amor semeia,
Who sows love,
Que quem não grangeia
For those who do not harvest
Não colhe a semente.
Will not reap the seed.
Semeou Rodrigo,
Rodrigo sowed
Semeou Gonçalo,
Gonçalo sowed
Haverão do milho
They will have corn
Se mondam o prado.
If they weed the meadow.
Quem de amor se esquece
Who forgets about love
No tempo de verde,
In the green season,
Não colhe o que perde
Will not reap what he loses
Entre erva que crece,
Among the growing grass,
Por isso Rodrigo,
That is why Rodrigo
Por isso Gonçalo,
That is why Gonçalo,
Vão sachar o milho,
Are going to harvest the corn,
Vão mondar o prado.
Are going to weed the meadow.
Amor que aproveita,
Love that is worthwhile,
Se antes de gradar
If before harvesting,
Cresce em seu lugar
Jealousy and suspicion grow in its place
Ciúme e suspeita,
Jealousy and suspicion,
Triste de Rodrigo,
Sad for Rodrigo,
Triste de Gonçalo,
Sad for Gonçalo,
Mal por seu cuidado,
Woe because of their neglect,
Se não sacha o milho,
If they do not harvest the corn,
Se não monda o prado.
If they do not weed the meadow.
Amor que ficou
Love that remained
Em terra deserta
In a deserted land,
Colhe quem acerta,
Is harvested by those who succeed,
Não quem semeou.
Not by those who sowed.
Em terra mimosa
In a delicate land,
Ninguém faça escolha,
No one should choose,
Vai-se o grão na folha,
The grain goes with the leaf,
De muito viçosa.
Of the very fertile.
Gonçalo e Rodrigo,
Gonçalo and Rodrigo,
Cumpre ser lembrado,
Must be remembered,
De sachar o milho,
To harvest the corn,
De mondar o prado.
To weed the meadow.
Contributed by Noah E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.