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.
O Desempregado Com Filhos
Cristina Branco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
E do trabalho restavam cadilhos
E da fome sobravam rastilhos.
Disseram-lhe:
Só te oferecemos emprego se te cortarmos a mão.
Ele estava desempregado há mais tempo do que sabia;
E mesmo se não queria, tinha filhos, aceitou.
A mão, a mão, a mão.
Outra vez despedido de novo procurou emprego.
Só te oferecemos emprego se te cortarmos a mão;
Aquela que te resta. A 2ª mão.
Ele estava desempregado; tinha filhos, aceitou.
Porque o tempo lhe fugia
Entre os últimos dedos lhe fugia
A mão, o tempo, a mão.
Porque o tempo lhe fugia
Entre os últimos dedos lhe fugia
A mão, o tempo, a mão.
E quando um dia lhe disseram:
só tens emprego se te cortarmos a cabeça.
Ele estava desempregado há mais tempo do que podia;
Tinha filhos, aceitou
e baixando a cabeça assentou.
Porque o tempo lhe fugia
Entre os últimos dedos lhe fugia
A mão, o tempo, a mão.
The song "O Desempregado Com Filhos" by Cristina Branco speaks of the struggles of a man who has been unemployed for a long time and has children to take care of. The first stanza talks about how all that's left of his work are scraps, and how there's not enough to go around. The second stanza describes the man being offered a job, but on the condition that he be willing to sacrifice his hand. Despite not wanting to, the man accepts because he feels like he has no other choice in order to provide for his family.
The third stanza talks about the man being fired again, and being offered another job, but this time he only has one hand left. The final stanza brings the story to a tragic conclusion, as the man is offered a job but must sacrifice his head in order to take it. The man accepts and bows his head, as the time slips through his fingers.
The theme of this song is the desperation of a man who is willing to do anything in order to support his family. The sacrifice of his body parts symbolizes the lengths he is willing to go to in order to provide for his children, even though it comes at a cost to himself. The song speaks to the difficult choices that people have to make when they are in difficult circumstances, and the harsh reality of the consequences of those choices.
Line by Line Meaning
Ele estava desempregado há muito tempo; tinha filhos, E do trabalho restavam cadilhos E da fome sobravam rastilhos.
He had been unemployed for a long time, had children, and had nothing left from work except scraps. He was struggling to survive with his family.
Disseram-lhe: Só te oferecemos emprego se te cortarmos a mão.
They told him: We will only offer you a job if we cut off your hand.
Ele estava desempregado há mais tempo do que sabia; E mesmo se não queria, tinha filhos, aceitou. Logo ali no cepo a deixou. A mão, a mão, a mão.
He had been unemployed for longer than he could remember, but he had no choice but to accept the offer as he had children to support. He reluctantly agreed to have his hand cut off and left it on the block.
Outra vez despedido de novo procurou emprego. Só te oferecemos emprego se te cortarmos a mão; Aquela que te resta. A 2ª mão. Ele estava desempregado; tinha filhos, aceitou. Porque o tempo lhe fugia Entre os últimos dedos lhe fugia A mão, o tempo, a mão.
He was fired again and had to search for another job. The only offer he received was to cut off his remaining hand. He had to make the same choice again because he had children and time was running out. He felt like time was slipping away between his fingers, like his hand.
Porque o tempo lhe fugia Entre os últimos dedos lhe fugia A mão, o tempo, a mão.
He felt like time was slipping away between his fingers, like his hand.
E quando um dia lhe disseram: só tens emprego se te cortarmos a cabeça. Ele estava desempregado há mais tempo do que podia; Tinha filhos, aceitou e baixando a cabeça assentou. Porque o tempo lhe fugia Entre os últimos dedos lhe fugia A mão, o tempo, a mão.
One day he was told: You will only get a job if we cut off your head. He had been unemployed for so long that he could not refuse the offer. He reluctantly agreed to have his head cut off and bowed down. He felt like time was slipping away between his fingers, like his hand.
Contributed by William V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
António Rocha da Fonseca
Para além duma voz única, a consciência e a sensibilidade dos problemas que afetam a humanidade. Bem hajas Cristina e muitos parabéns pelo trabalho.