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.
Fado Perdicao
Cristina Branco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tem a vastidão do mar
A dança verde das ondas
Soluça no meu olhar
Tentei esquecer as palavras
Nunca ditas entre nós
Mas pairam sobre o silencio
Tentei esquecer os teus olhos
Que não sabem ler nos meus
Mas neles nasce a alvorada
Que amanhece a terra e os céus
Tentei esquecer o teu nome
Arrancá-lo ao pensamento
Mas regressa a todo o instante
Entrelaçado no vento
Tentei ver a minha imagem
Mas foi a tua que vi
No meu espelho, porque trago
Os olhos rasos de ti
Este amor não é um rio
Tem abismos como o mar
E o manto negro das ondas
Cobre-me de negro o olhar
Este amor não é um rio
Tem a vastidão do mar
Ta miłość nie jest jak rzeka
Czy bezmiarem morza
Tańcem zielonych fal
Rozwiązaniem w moich oczach
Starałem się zapomnieć słowa
Niewypowiedziane między nami
Ale wisi nad ciszą
Na marginesie nasz głos
Starałem się zapomnieć o Twoich oczach
Które nie potrafią czytać w moich
Ale tam rodzi się świt
Rozświetlajacy ziemię i niebo
Starałem się zapomnieć Twoje imię
Wyrzucić je z myśli
Ale wracała przez cały czas
Spleciona na wietrze
Starałem się zobaczyć mój obraz
Ale to co zobaczyłem było twoim
W moim lustrze, bo niosę
w oczach plytki twe
Ta miłość nie jest jak rzeka
Czy głęboka jak morze
I czarny płaszcz fal
Pokrywa mnie czernią
Ta miłość nie jest jak rzeka
Czy bezmiarem morza
The lyrics of Cristina Branco's Fado Perdição express the depth and vastness of love that cannot be compared to a river but more to the vastness of the ocean. The green dancing waves that are seen in the ocean are a representation of the emotions that the singer feels. She tries to forget the unspoken words between them but they are always present, hovering in the silence and on the edges of their voices. The singer tries to forget the eyes of her lover that cannot read into hers. However, it is in his eyes that the sunrise comes up to both the earth and the sky. She also tries to forget his name but it always comes back intertwined with the wind. The singer tries to see her reflection but all she sees is his reflection, through her eyes that are full of him. The depth of their love is not one that can just be compared to a river or a simple emotion, but it is vast and deep like the ocean. The weight of their emotions is like the blackness of the waves that cover her eyes.
The message conveyed in the lyrics revolves around a love that is all-consuming, vast, and deep which cannot be compared to a river but more to the ocean. The unspoken words between the lovers also hold weight and the depth of the connection they share is described through the use of vivid imagery. The repetition of trying to forget his name cleverly contrasts the intensity of their love which cannot be disregarded. The ocean imagery of the black waves and the green waves dancing conveys the message that the relationship is multi-faceted, ranging from the beauty of love to the darkness that comes with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Este amor não é um rio
This love is not a river
Tem a vastidão do mar
It has the vastness of the sea
A dança verde das ondas
The green dance of the waves
Soluça no meu olhar
Sobs in my gaze
Tentei esquecer as palavras
I tried to forget the words
Nunca ditas entre nós
Never spoken between us
Mas pairam sobre o silencio
But they hover over the silence
Nas margens da nossa voz
On the shores of our voice
Tentei esquecer os teus olhos
I tried to forget your eyes
Que não sabem ler nos meus
That don't know how to read in mine
Mas neles nasce a alvorada
But in them the dawn arises
Que amanhece a terra e os céus
That dawns the earth and the skies
Tentei esquecer o teu nome
I tried to forget your name
Arrancá-lo ao pensamento
To tear it from my thoughts
Mas regressa a todo o instante
But it comes back every moment
Entrelaçado no vento
Entwined in the wind
Tentei ver a minha imagem
I tried to see my image
Mas foi a tua que vi
But it was yours that I saw
No meu espelho, porque trago
In my mirror, because I carry
Os olhos rasos de ti
Eyes filled with you
Este amor não é um rio
This love is not a river
Tem abismos como o mar
It has abysses like the sea
E o manto negro das ondas
And the black cloak of the waves
Cobre-me de negro o olhar
Covers my gaze in black
Este amor não é um rio
This love is not a river
Tem a vastidão do mar
It has the vastness of the sea
Contributed by Michael V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Pedro Ribeiro
Cristina Branco uma das melhores vozes deste planeta 🇵🇹🧜♀️
zeena61
Μελαγχολική η μουσική και οι στίχοι των "φάντο" - φωνή που μιλά στην ψυχή!! Εξαιρετική δημιουργία, ευχαριστούμε!!
Θάλασσα μαυροθάλασσα
"Συνένοχη στα όνειρά σου και στα ταξίδια της ψυχής, στην κρυμμένη πλευρά του φεγγαριού. Δε θα μαρτυρήσω τη λάμψη απ'το χαμόγελό σου κι ούτε τον όρκο σου στ'αστέρια. Θα παίρνω μόνο τις λέξεις σου όταν θ'απλώνονται στον αέρα που αναπνέω και θα στολίζω τα μονοπάτια της ψυχής για να'ναι τα φιλιά και τα χαμόγελά μου πιο γλυκά.."
augusto araujo
Soberbo desempenho de uma das melhores fadistas da atualidade.
Fico grato por poder desfrutar.
Θάλασσα μαυροθάλασσα
Το όνειρο ξημερώνει με τη μέθη της θάλασσας,μ'ένα σύννεφο χαμόγελο, με δάκρυα της βροχής κάτω από την τρυφερή φλόγα τριών κεριών.. φαναράκια που πλέουν πάνω στο κύμα σκορπώντας λάμψεις ρίγη ..τούτη η αγάπη δε μοιάζει με ποταμό έχει την απεραντοσύνη της θάλασσας... Έφτιαξες μουσική,τραγούδι υδάτινο μ'αύρα ψυχής..απέραντα όμορφη η δημιουργία σου Χάρη μου κλείνεται μέσα στην καρδιά...μαζί με όλες εκείνες τις στιγμές,τις πολύτιμες,που χαρίζουν χαμόγελο αληθινής χαράς..:-))*
katalanskyvlk
É uma bela canção, cumprimentos de Catalunha!
kapetanisa100
Este amor não é um rio
Tem a vastidão do mar
A dança verde das ondas
Soluça no meu olhar....
Eva Papastefanou
Ομίχλη πέφτει πάλι απάνω μου αν είναι δίπλα μου κανείς τελείως άγνωστο.. Μαγικη δημιουργία!!! Κρυμμένες οι αναμνησεις να αχνοφαίνονται πίσω από τη θάλασσα και τα μαύρα συννεφα που περνούν μπροστά από την πανσέληνο!!!..η φωνή της Branco βάλσαμο για τις ψυχές!!Στα αγαπημένα μου αμέσως!!
ALMEIDA VICTOR
MARAVILHOSO
Κατερίνα Βασιλάκου
Πολυαγαπημένη μουσική fado, υπέροχοι στίχοι ,μαγευτικά συγκινητικό βίντεο !! Από τα καλύτερά σου Χάρη μου ...Συγχαρητήρια ΕΞΑΙΡΕΤΙΚΟ *******...:))