Pontes started her career as a mainstream pop artist, but over the years she has evolved to become a world music singer. She blends traditional fado with contemporary styles and searches out new forms of musical expression. She introduced musical traditions of the Iberian Peninsula in her work, rediscovered many long forgotten popular tunes and found use for obsolete musical instruments. Her work is inspired and influenced not only by Iberian musical tradition, but also Arabic, African, Brazilian and Bulgarian sounds. She sings mostly in her native Portuguese, as well as Spanish, Galician, Mirandese, Italian, English, Arabic and Greek.
Dulce Pontes has collaborated with Cesária Évora, Caetano Veloso, Marisa Monte, Carlos Núñez, the Chieftains, Kepa Junkera, Eleftheria Arvanitaki, George Dalaras, Andrea Bocelli (O Mar e Tu, duet sung by Pontes in Portuguese and Bocelli in Neapolitan, for his 1999 album Sogno), and others. Her song "Canção do Mar" appeared on the soundtrack of Hollywood film Primal Fear. A 30-second piece of that same song serves as the theme to the NBC police drama Southland. Her album Focus is the fruit of a collaboration with Italian composer Ennio Morricone with whom she has also performed live.
In June 2006, Pontes prepared her double LP O Coração Tem Três Portas (The Heart Has Three Doors). It was recorded live without an audience in Convent of the Order of Christ in Tomar and St Mary Church in Óbidos. According to the artist, it is "her most personal and intimate album." It includes Portuguese folk music, mostly fado. "[1] It was released in December 2006.
In 2009, Pontes released Momentos, a double disc collection that includes songs from her 20 year career as well as several previously unreleased tracks.[2] Currently, she is working on an album of all new songs which is titled Nudez.
As Sete Mulheres Do Minho
Dulce Pontes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mulheres de grande valor, mulheres de grande valor
Armadas de fuso e roca, armadas de fuso e roca
Correram com o regador, correram com o regador
Essa mulher là do Minho, essa mulher là do Minho
Que da foice fez espada, que da foice fez espada
Hà-de ter na lusa història, hà-de ter na lusa història
Viva a Maria da Fonte, viva a Maria da Fonte
Com as pistolas na mão, com as pistolas na mão
Para matar os cabrais, para matar os cabrais
Que são falsos à nação, que são falsos à nação.
The song "As Sete Mulheres Do Minho" by Dulce Pontes praises the valor of women from the Minho region of Portugal. The first stanza acknowledges their strength and resourcefulness, as they are armed with a spindle and distaff and can even run while carrying a watering can. The second stanza specifically refers to a woman who was able to turn a harvesting tool like a sickle into a weapon. Her bravery in defense of her country is said to earn her a golden page in Portuguese history.
The chorus of the song then celebrates the uprising of women fighting against the Cabrais, who were seen as traitors to the nation. These women, led by a figure known as Maria da Fonte, took up arms and literally held pistols in their hands to fight against those who would betray the Portuguese people. This act of defiance is seen as noble and worthy of praise.
Overall, the song celebrates the strength and bravery of women in the Minho region and their contributions to Portuguese history. It also highlights the historical context of the Maria da Fonte rebellion, which is still remembered and celebrated today.
Line by Line Meaning
As sete mulheres do Minho, as sete mulheres do Minho
There were seven women from Minho, seven women from Minho.
Mulheres de grande valor, mulheres de grande valor
These were women of great value, women of great value.
Armadas de fuso e roca, armadas de fuso e roca
They were armed with spindle and spinning wheel, armed with spindle and spinning wheel.
Correram com o regador, correram com o regador
They ran with the watering can, ran with the watering can.
Essa mulher là do Minho, essa mulher là do Minho
That woman from Minho, that woman from Minho.
Que da foice fez espada, que da foice fez espada
Who turned a scythe into a sword, turned a scythe into a sword.
Hà-de ter na lusa història, hà-de ter na lusa història
She will have a golden page in Portuguese history, she will have a golden page in Portuguese history.
Uma pàgina doirada, uma pàgina doirada
A golden page, a golden page.
Viva a Maria da Fonte, viva a Maria da Fonte
Long live Maria da Fonte, long live Maria da Fonte.
Com as pistolas na mão, com as pistolas na mão
With pistols in hand, with pistols in hand.
Para matar os cabrais, para matar os cabrais
To kill the Cabral family, to kill the Cabral family.
Que são falsos à nação, que são falsos à nação.
For they are false to the nation, for they are false to the nation.
Contributed by Aiden V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.