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.
No comboio descendente
Cristina Branco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Vinha tudo à gargalhada.
Uns por verem rir os outros
E outros sem ser por nada
No comboio descendente
De Que luz à Cruz Quebrada...
No comboio descendente
Uns calados para os outros
E os outros a dar-lhes trela
No comboio descendente
De Cruz Quebrada a Palmela...
No comboio descendente
Mas que grande reinação!
Uns dormindo, outros com sono,
E os outros nem sim nem não
No comboio descendente
De Palmela a Portimão
The song "No Comboio Descendente" by Cristina Branco tells the story of a train ride from Que luz à Cruz Quebrada to Portimão, a journey filled with different people and emotions. The first verse describes a bustling atmosphere with everyone laughing and joking around, some for the sake of it and others watching and enjoying the experience. The second verse contrasts this by portraying people sitting quietly by their windows, deep in thought, while others try to start a conversation with them. And the third and final verse depicts a strange, almost comedic scene with some sleeping while others stay awake or somewhere in between, all while travelling towards their destination.
The song's rhythm and melody are both slow and sombre, with Cristina Branco's distinct, melancholic voice adding to the overall feeling of nostalgia and longing. The lyrics themselves are deceptively simple, painting a vivid picture of the train ride and the different personalities on board. But beneath the surface lies a deeper theme about the diversity of human experiences and how we often interact differently with each other depending on the circumstance.
Line by Line Meaning
No comboio descendente
On the descending train
Vinha tudo à gargalhada.
Everyone came laughing.
Uns por verem rir os outros
Some because they saw others laughing,
E outros sem ser por nada
And others for no reason at all.
De Que luz à Cruz Quebrada...
From Que Luz to Cruz Quebrada...
Vinham todos à janela
Everyone came to the window
Uns calados para os outros
Some silent, to the other
E os outros a dar-lhes trela
And others giving them the leash
De Cruz Quebrada a Palmela...
From Cruz Quebrada to Palmela...
Mas que grande reinação!
What a great prank!
Uns dormindo, outros com sono,
Some sleeping, others drowsy,
E os outros nem sim nem não
And others neither yes nor no.
De Palmela a Portimão
From Palmela to Portimão
Contributed by Bentley S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.