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.
Se Voaras Mais Ao Perto
Dulce Pontes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Com o teu bico dentado trazias mais um na asa
Vem longe o dia da monda não é tempo de mondar
Ò cigana ò ciganinha que nome te hei-de eu dar
Andorinha de asa preta vai gritando em altos brados
Chega-te à minha janela livra-me destes cuidados
Se voaras mais ao perto a tua sorte era a minha
Diz-me là ò ciganita o que nos quer a andorinha
O que nos quer a andorinha bem gostara de saber
O mundo é bola de fogo nem todos ficam a arder.
The song "Se Voaras Mais Ao Perto" by Dulce Pontes speaks about the theme of distance and how individuals yearn to be closer to one another. The lyrics describe how if the swallow were to fly closer, it would perch on another windowsill and bring with it one more guest. The idea of physical proximity and the exchange of communication and relationship is emphasized in this stanza. The vocals evoke yearning and desire for connection, highlighting the importance of relationship-building as fundamental to the human experience.
In the second stanza, Dulce Pontes speaks of a day of mowing, a time when the fields are cleared. The lyrics show that relationships and life's problems are not solved in one day, as there is no perfect timing for every occurrence. Thus, there is a sense of the inevitability of life's challenges, even in the face of relationships.
The stanza follows with a reference to a gypsy woman who is being addressed by the singer. The swallows are described as having black wings and calling from high up in the sky. They cry out to the singer to come to their adjacent window and free them from their worries. They represent an escape from reality and the burdens that inevitably come with it.
Overall, the song emphasizes the importance of human connection, relationship-building, and desire for escape in moments of hardship.
Line by Line Meaning
Se voaras mais ao perto poisavas noutra vidraça
If you flew closer, you would land on another window
Com o teu bico dentado trazias mais um na asa
With your sharp beak, you carried one more on your wing
Vem longe o dia da monda não é tempo de mondar
The harvest day is far away, it's not time to harvest yet
Ò cigana ò ciganinha que nome te hei-de eu dar
Oh gypsy girl, what name shall I give you?
Andorinha de asa preta vai gritando em altos brados
The Black-winged swallow is screaming loudly
Chega-te à minha janela livra-me destes cuidados
Come to my window and free me from these worries
Se voaras mais ao perto a tua sorte era a minha
If you flew closer, your fate would be mine
Diz-me là ò ciganita o que nos quer a andorinha
Tell me, oh gypsy girl, what does the swallow want from us?
O que nos quer a andorinha bem gostara de saber
I would really like to know what the swallow wants from us
O mundo é bola de fogo nem todos ficam a arder.
The world is a ball of fire, but not everyone is burning.
Contributed by Bentley S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.