ldo Lobo, son of Antoninho Lobo, also a singer, was descended from a long l… Read Full Bio ↴ldo Lobo, son of Antoninho Lobo, also a singer, was descended from a long line of musicians and vocalists. Born in Pedra de Lume on the island of Sal on the 25th November 1953, Ildo Lobo passed away the 20th October 2004, at his home in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde. He was a giant of the Capeverdean music – both physically and in terms of his talent.
In his native Cape Verde, Ildo Lobo is seen as the archipelago's greatest singers, heir to a tradition shaped by Bana and popularized worldwide by Cesaria Evora. Lobo also has strong political commitments and his plain speaking is legendary.
For years, he was the singer and star of the Os Tubaroes group, long viewed as Cape Verde's "official" band in the days of the Marxist government. As such, he regularly traveled abroad to represent his country. Os Tubaroes (The Sharks) became the ambassadors of Capeverdean music, exporting their funana, coladera and morna beats all over the world.
Today, the group is no more. One of its particularities was that none of its members was a full-time musician, they were also lawyers, doctors, civil servants and so on. In fact, Ildo Lobo is a customs officer. As you might imagine, it is difficult to keep up another career while working in the performing arts, but in countries such as Cape Verde (or Martinique for Malavoi in Paul Rosine's day), it is rarely an option for musicians to practice their art full-time. In 1996, Ildo Lobo recorded his first solo album, "Nos Morna". The record was a tribute to his father who had died a few years before and was composed entirely of mornas. Antoninho Lobo was one of Cape Verde's great singers, leaving his personal mark on the morna played on the island of Santiago, and his son is carrying on the tradition today. « Nos Morna » was produced by Mario Lucio, the charismatic front man of the band Simentera, and recorded in Paris with the finest musicians from the island of Santiago. In 2001, Ildo has released his new album entitled «Intelectual», still in partnership with his old songwriting companions, but accompanied by Cesaria Evora's musicians this time. After some health problems that kept him away from his musical activities for a while, Ildo returned to the studio during the summer 2004, together with Cesaria Evora’s musicians. The pianist Fernando (Nando) Andrade, who made the arrangements on Cesaria’s two last albums, produced the album.
Ildo decided to name the album from the song «INCONDICIONAL», the title of a morna composed by Constantino Cardoso, a young writer he wanted to give his chance. Another beautiful morna opens the CD, Nha Fidjo Matcho, the last song written by Ildo, in which a father gives advice to his son: «My son listen to my advice, Do not open your mouth to sing, If you sing or play the music, Beautiful women will cause your lost».

Dor di Nh'alma
Ildo Lobo Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Doê'm tcheu, alma perta'm pam tchorá
Bô ê nha rainha, que ainda onte jura'm bô amor
m tava n'aquel mesmo lugar, que'm prová ma'm crebo tcheu
Kaí na braços qui ca di meu, qui ca di meu
Magoa'm la na fundo coraçon
Corpo derrete, solvê na mar d'imgratidão
m ta lembrá nôs primeiro beijo, era segredo d'nôs paixão
Pa acaba assim di noite pa dia, noite pa dia.

Hoje pa bô mi'm ca nada
Cu indiferença bô ta s'pia'm, ca t'odja'm pior qui morte
Cu indiferença bô ta s'pia'm, ca t'odja'm
Ma disilusão ta doê, ta quemá qui nem lume
Ta foga qui nem água

Ta razá qui nem vento
Nha'amor, nha fantasia.

Overall Meaning

The song "Dor Di Nh'Alma" by Ildo Lobo is a powerful expression of heartbreak and emotional pain. The opening verse, "Doê'm tcheu, alma perta'm pam tchorá," translates to "My soul hurts, it's closing in on me, making me cry." This sets the tone for the rest of the song, which is about a failed love affair and the lingering pain it has left behind.

The lyrics describe the singer's former lover as "bô ê nha rainha," or "you are my queen," which shows just how much he loved and respected her. He remembers the times they spent together, including their first kiss, which was a secret they shared. But now, things have changed, and the singer is left alone with his pain and disillusionment.

The chorus, "Cu indiferença bô ta s'pia'm, ca t'odja'm pior qui morte," means "With your indifference, you hurt me so much, it's worse than death." The singer feels like his former lover doesn't care about him anymore, and this hurts him deeply. He compares his pain to fire, water, and wind, which shows just how intense it is.

Overall, "Dor Di Nh'Alma" is a raw and emotional song that captures the pain of a broken heart. The lyrics are heartfelt and poetic, and the music is hauntingly beautiful.

Line by Line Meaning

Doê'm tcheu, alma perta'm pam tchorá
I am in so much pain, my heart is tight and I feel like crying

Bô ê nha rainha, que ainda onte jura'm bô amor
You are my queen, the one who yesterday swore your love to me

m tava n'aquel mesmo lugar, que'm prová ma'm crebo tcheu
I was in that same place where I felt a strong heartache

Kaí na braços qui ca di meu, qui ca di meu
Falling into someone's arms who doesn't belong to me

Magoa'm la na fundo coraçon
It hurt me deep in my heart

Corpo derrete, solvê na mar d'imgratidão
My body melts, dissolves in a sea of ingratitude

m ta lembrá nôs primeiro beijo, era segredo d'nôs paixão
I remember our first kiss, it was a secret of our love

Pa acaba assim di noite pa dia, noite pa dia.
To end like this, from night to day, night to day.

Hoje pa bô mi'm ca nada
Today, to you, I mean nothing

Cu indiferença bô ta s'pia'm, ca t'odja'm pior qui morte
With your indifference, you hurt me, it's worse than death

Cu indiferença bô ta s'pia'm, ca t'odja'm
With your indifference, you hurt me