Amendoeira was born in Santarém, Portugal in 1982, making her the youngest singer from Portugal performing fado around the world today. Her singing style is classic and traditional, yet her unique vocals bring a bright, new glow to fado.
In 1994, a young Amendoeira participated in the Lisbon Grand Fado Gala, where she received enthusiastic praise from the jury and the audience. In the following year, she won the “Female Interpreter Award” at the Oporto Gala. From that date on, she has been performing non-stop around Portugal and the world. Some of her favourite experiences include travelling to Budapest to perform in front of a remote Portuguese community, performing with fado legend Carlos do Carmo at the Radio Alpha Auditorium in Paris, and her first time in the Americas as a headliner at the Commemorations of the 500th Anniversary of the Discovery of Brazil.
Four years later her first album was released: 1998’s Olhos Garotos (Playful Eyes), thereby giving her the honour of being the youngest fado singer with a published CD. Her second CD followed shortly thereafter in 2000, when Aquela Rua (That Street) was released to outstanding reviews. This was also the year that Amendoeira began singing regularly at Clube de Fado (The Fado Club), one of most renowned fado houses in Lisbon.
Her growing international acclaim brought the fadista to more corners of the world, receiving invitations to sing in Japan, Moscow and Holland (at the prestigious Muziekcentrum Vredenburg). Meanwhile, back in her homeland of Portugal, Amendoeira was asked to take part in some of the top fado anthologies, such as Novas Vozes, Novos Fados (New Voices, New Fados) and Nova Biografia do Fado (Fado’s New Biography). She also contributed to the Moniz Pereira homage album, as well as the soundtrack to the TV series Jóia de África (African Jewel).
In 2003, her third CD, the self-titled Joana Amendoeira, received enthusiastic praise from fado devotees, reviewers and audiences alike. The album’s promotional tour sent Amendoeira once again through Europe, this time performing in Spain, France and Austria, to name a few. The tour also brought her to Canada for the first time, where she performed at Montreal’s Strictly Mundial.
Amendoeira achieved further success when she received the 2004 Revelation Award from Casa da Imprensa (The Portuguese Press Association). That same year she presented her first solo show at one of Lisbon’s oldest and most illustrious stages—The São Luiz Theatre. This performance would later be turned into her first live album, Ao Vivo Em Lisboa (Live in Lisbon), released in July 2005.
The complete biography and more info about this singer can be found on www.joanaamendoeira.com
Aquele Lápis De Carvão
Joana Amendoeira Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dançando no romper da madrugada,
Um lápis fez um rasgo desabrido,
O sonho que meu peito desvendava
Libertas do carvão entre silêncios,
Cresciam histórias vivas desenhadas,
E o traço do pintor nesse momento,
Nasceram aventuras delicadas,
Discretas fontes de água e de coragem,
E o tempo baloiçando nas pisadas,
Do fruto dos seus dedos em viagem
Tal como a voz que canta a melodia
Bailada neste verso dedilhado,
Assim dançavam loucos de alegria,
Os dedos de um sorriso apaixonado.
The lyrics to Joana Amendoeira's song Aquele Lápis De Carvão describe the power of imagination through the act of drawing. The first verse paints a picture of a pencil making a bold mark on a paper as it dances in the dawn of morning. The mark is so powerful that it reveals the dream that was hidden in the singer's chest. The second verse describes how the stories that come to life on the paper are created by the artist's hand and the pencil's lead, which takes on a life of its own. These drawings are delicate adventures, sources of courage and inspiration that come alive through the artist's gift.
The final verse compares the act of drawing to the act of singing a melody. Just as a voice dances over the melody, the artist's fingers dance over the paper with joy and passion. The pencil acts as an extension of the artist's voice, drawing out the beauty of their imagination onto a blank canvas.
Overall, the lyrics of Aquele Lápis De Carvão celebrate the power of creativity and imagination. Through the act of drawing, the artist is able to give life to their dreams and stories, inspiring others to explore the limitless potential of their own minds.
Line by Line Meaning
No verso de um papel adormecido,
On the back of a sleepy paper,
Dançando no romper da madrugada,
Dancing in the breaking of dawn,
Um lápis fez um rasgo desabrido,
A pencil made an unbridled tear,
O sonho que meu peito desvendava
Of the dream that my heart was revealing
Libertas do carvão entre silêncios,
Freed from charcoal amidst silence,
Cresciam histórias vivas desenhadas,
Alive stories grew drawn,
E o traço do pintor nesse momento,
And the painter's stroke at this moment,
Deixava um rasto cinza de passagem
Left a gray trail of passage
Nasceram aventuras delicadas,
Delicate adventures were born,
Discretas fontes de água e de coragem,
Discreet sources of water and courage,
E o tempo baloiçando nas pisadas,
And the time swaying in footsteps,
Do fruto dos seus dedos em viagem
Of the fruit from his fingers on a journey
Tal como a voz que canta a melodia
Just like the voice that sings the melody
Bailada neste verso dedilhado,
Danced in this plucked verse,
Assim dançavam loucos de alegria,
Thus danced madly with joy,
Os dedos de um sorriso apaixonado.
The fingers of a passionate smile.
Contributed by Sadie O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.