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.
Que Amor Não Me Engana
Dulce Pontes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Com a sua brandura
Se da antiga chama
Mal vive a amargura
Numa mancha negra
Numa pedra fria
Que amor não te engana
E as vozes embargam
Num silêncio aflito
Quanto mais se apartam
Mais se ouve o seu grito
Muito à flor das águas
Noite marinheira
Vem devagarinho
Para a minha beira
Em novas coutadas
Junto de uma hera
Nascem flores vermelhas
Pela primavera
Assim tu souberas
Irmã cotovia
Dizer-me se esperas
O nascer do dia
In Dulce Pontes's song "Que Amor Não Me Engana," the singer speaks about a love that will not deceive her. She describes this love as gentle and pure, yet still affected by the bitterness of past experiences. The lyrics convey a sense of longing for a love that is real and trustworthy. The singer suggests that this kind of love can be found even in the darkest moments, and that it will speak out even in silence.
The singer then imagines a scene of a deserted night, where only the sound of the sea can be heard. She says that in this desolation, she hears a voice that is full of pain and longing. As the voice gets closer, the singer is reminded of the springtime, where new life emerges even in the most unexpected places. The singer then calls out to a bird, asking if it too waits for the dawn.
Overall, the song is a poignant portrayal of the singer's search for a love that is true and unwavering, even in the midst of pain and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Que amor não me engana
Love that doesn't deceive me
Com a sua brandura
With its tenderness
Se da antiga chama
If the ancient flame
Mal vive a amargura
Barely lives the bitterness
Numa mancha negra
In a black spot
Numa pedra fria
On a cold stone
Que amor não te engana
Love that doesn't deceive you
Na noite vazia
In the empty night
E as vozes embargam
And the voices choke
Num silêncio aflito
In a distressed silence
Quanto mais se apartam
The more they move away
Mais se ouve o seu grito
The louder their cry is heard
Muito à flor das águas
Very close to the surface of the waters
Noite marinheira
Marine night
Vem devagarinho
Comes slowly
Para a minha beira
To my shore
Em novas coutadas
In new hunting grounds
Junto de uma hera
Next to an ivy
Nascem flores vermelhas
Red flowers are born
Pela primavera
During the spring
Assim tu souberas
Thus you would know
Irmã cotovia
Sister lark
Dizer-me se esperas
Tell me if you wait
O nascer do dia
For the sunrise
Contributed by Harper J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.