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.
Trago Um Fado
Cristina Branco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Na palavra navegar
Onde o fado é mais sentido
E antes de ser fado, é mar
Eu trago um fado guardado
Dentro da palavra amor
Que é onde o fado é mais fado
Trago um fado que nasceu
Na palma da minha mão
Onde o fado é teu e meu
E antes de fado, é paixão
In Cristina Branco's song "Trago Um Fado," the singer talks about the essence of what fado is to her. She sings about how the word "navegar" (to navigate) represents a hidden fado that is deeply felt and before it becomes a musical genre, it is an ocean of emotions. Similarly, the word "amor" (love) represents the fado that is truly fado, and before it becomes a genre, it is just pain. She carries a fado that was born in the palm of her hand, where fado is something that connects her to others and is beyond just a musical style- it is a passion.
The lyrics of the song are written by Manuela de Freitas, a renowned poet and writer from Portugal. The song is composed by the famous Portuguese musician, Pedro Homem de Mello.
Line by Line Meaning
Eu trago um fado escondido
I carry a hidden fado
Na palavra navegar
In the word navigate
Onde o fado é mais sentido
Where fado is most felt
E antes de ser fado, é mar
And before it's a fado, it's the sea
Eu trago um fado guardado
I carry a guarded fado
Dentro da palavra amor
Within the word love
Que é onde o fado é mais fado
Where fado is most fado
E antes de ser fado, é dôr
And before it's a fado, it's pain
Trago um fado que nasceu
I carry a fado that was born
Na palma da minha mão
In the palm of my hand
Onde o fado é teu e meu
Where fado is yours and mine
E antes de fado, é paixão
And before it's fado, it's passion
Contributed by Layla O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Antônio Bocaiúva