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.
Circe
Cristina Branco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Com beijos soltos nos dedos
Que as sombras da tua pele
Aprendam os meus segredos.
.
Meu amor corro-te o corpo
Com beijos soltos dos dedos
Que as sombras da minha pele
.
Meu amor corre-me o corpo
Com beijos soltos pelos dedos
Que as sombras da minha pele
Se soltem dos teus segredos
The lyrics of Cristina Branco's song Circe describe a deep and passionate connection between two lovers. The singer starts by addressing their lover, saying that their love runs through their body with kisses that linger on their fingers. The singer wants the secrets of their own skin to be learned by the shadows of their lover's skin. In the next verse, the singer changes the perspective and says that they themselves run through their lover's body with kisses that are let out freely by their fingers. They want the shadows of their skin to sail through their lover's secrets. In the last verse, the singer combines both points of view and says that their love runs through both of their bodies with free kisses that come from the fingers. They want the shadows of their skin to be free from the secrets of their lover's skin. Overall, the lyrics express a deep love and desire for physical intimacy and a desire to fully know and be known by their lover.
Line by Line Meaning
Meu amor corre-me o corpo
My love runs through my body
Com beijos soltos nos dedos
With loose kisses on my fingers
Que as sombras da tua pele
So that the shadows of your skin
Aprendam os meus segredos.
Can learn my secrets.
Meu amor corro-te o corpo
My love runs through your body
Com beijos soltos dos dedos
With loose kisses from my fingers
Que as sombras da minha pele
So that the shadows of my skin
Naveguem nos teus segredos
Can navigate through your secrets.
Meu amor corre-me o corpo
My love runs through my body
Com beijos soltos pelos dedos
With loose kisses from my fingers
Que as sombras da minha pele
So that the shadows of my skin
Se soltem dos teus segredos
Can break free from your secrets.
Contributed by Evelyn M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.