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
Fado Cor Do Sentimento
Joana Amendoeira Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
É uma espécie de duende
Que domina a nossa alma
Que invade a nossa calma
E que vem mesmo esquecido
Vive num canto escondido
À espera de sua hora
Pode ser dor e lamento
Mas também é a alegria,
É a paixão e fantasia,
É aquilo que nós somos
Nossas vidas, nossos sonhos,
O que eu fui e o que fizermos.
Quem vê o fado como coisa do passado,
Não entende que este fado
É o agora do futuro
E até o traz na alma quem não quer!
Não se manda no querer,
Nem se é dono da paixão!
The lyrics of Joana Amendoeira's "Fado Cor Do Sentimento" shed light on the indescribable and intangible nature of fado. The song explains that fado is not something that can be taught or learned; it is a kind of spirit or duende that overwhelms our souls and takes over our peace of mind. Fado lives hidden in a corner, waiting for its moment to come to the surface. It is the color of emotion, capable of expressing both pain and lamentation, as well as joy, passion, and fantasy.
The song suggests that fado is not something that belongs to the past as many people assume. Instead, fado is the present manifestation of our future, and even those who don't want it in their souls will have it. The lyrics argue that we cannot control our desires or passions, nor can we own them. The essence of fado is an enchanting and elusive feeling that captures the sadness and beauty of life. It is a phenomenon that goes beyond music, as it reflects the cultural identity of Portugal and the shared experiences of its people.
Overall, "Fado Cor Do Sentimento" reflects the power of fado and how it transcends time and space to touch the deep emotions of people around the world.
Line by Line Meaning
O fado não se ensina, não se aprende,
Fado cannot be taught, it cannot be learned,
É uma espécie de duende
It's like a trickster spirit
Que domina a nossa alma
That dominates our soul
Que invade a nossa calma
That invades our calmness
E que vem mesmo esquecido
And even though it's forgotten
Vive num canto escondido
It lives in a hidden corner
À espera de sua hora
Waiting for its time
O fado é a cor do sentimento
Fado is the color of emotion
Pode ser dor e lamento
It can be pain and mourning
Mas também é a alegria,
But it's also joy,
É a paixão e fantasia,
It's passion and fantasy,
É aquilo que nós somos
It's what we are
Nossas vidas, nossos sonhos,
Our lives, our dreams,
O que eu fui e o que fizermos.
What I was and what we will do.
Quem vê o fado como coisa do passado,
Those who see Fado as a thing of the past,
Não entende que este fado
Don't understand that this Fado
É o agora do futuro
Is the now of the future
E até o traz na alma quem não quer!
And even those who don't want it, carry it in their soul!
Não se manda no querer,
We don't control our desires,
Nem se é dono da paixão!
Nor are we owners of passion!
Contributed by Bailey B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.