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 do Cartaz
Joana Amendoeira Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
De paredes de caliça
Um cartaz se destacava;
Foi uma grande toirada
Disse, da mesa avinhada
Um campino que ali estava
De manhã o sol nascia
Os foguetes a estalar
Vinha a tarde sorridente
Foi aos toiros toda a gente
Estava a praça a abarrotar
O Simão, alegre e vivo
Cravou seis ferros ao estribo Num toiro dos de Bandeira
Mascarenhas, de meia praça
Pega com a fina graça
Desse Marquês de Fronteira
Depois, o mestre João
Arrancou grande ovação
Com o seu novo tourerar
E num toiro de Salgueiro
Foi Ricardo o cernelheiro
Jorque Duque a rabejar
Quando o campino acabou
Toda a gente reparou
Que estava quase a chorar
Ficou na tasca castiça
Com paredes de caliça
Um cartaz p'ra recordar
The lyrics of Joana Amendoeira's "Fado do Cartaz" tell the story of a bullfight that took place in a traditional tavern with limestone walls. In the tavern, a poster advertising the bullfight was prominently displayed. As the day progressed, the sound of fireworks could be heard in the distance, and as evening approached, the tavern was packed with people eager to witness the spectacle.
The bullfighter Simão performed his routine, impressing the crowd with his six successful lance thrusts on a Bandeira bull. Mascarenhas showed his skillful grace as he corralled a Marquês de Fronteira bull into submission with half a plaza. The master João earned a standing ovation with his innovative techniques, while Ricardo demonstrated his courage as a bullfighter by engaging a Salgueiro bull. Finally, the campino who was watching from the tavern shed tears of nostalgia as the event ended.
Line by Line Meaning
Numa tasca bem castiça
In a very traditional tavern
De paredes de caliça
With walls made of chiseled stone
Um cartaz se destacava;
A poster stood out;
Foi uma grande toirada
It was a great bullfight
Disse, da mesa avinhada
Said, while drinking from the table
Um campino que ali estava
A cowboy who was there
De manhã o sol nascia
In the morning the sun rose
E já ao longe se ouviam
And already in the distance were heard
Os foguetes a estalar
The cracking fireworks
Vinha a tarde sorridente
The afternoon came smiling
Foi aos toiros toda a gente
Everyone went to the bulls
Estava a praça a abarrotar
The arena was packed
O Simão, alegre e vivo
Simon, happy and lively
Cravou seis ferros ao estribo Num toiro dos de Bandeira
Pierced six darts on the stirrup of a Flag bull
Mascarenhas, de meia praça
Mascarenhas, from half a plaza away
Pega com a fina graça
Caught with fine grace
Desse Marquês de Fronteira
From that Marquis of Fronteira
Depois, o mestre João
Then, the master João
Arrancou grande ovação
Received a great ovation
Com o seu novo tourerar
With his new bullfighting technique
E num toiro de Salgueiro
And in a Salgueiro bull
Foi Ricardo o cernelheiro
Ricardo was the bull catcher
Jorque Duque a rabejar
Jorque Duque was the horse-assistant
Quando o campino acabou
When the cowboy finished
Toda a gente reparou
Everyone noticed
Que estava quase a chorar
That he was almost crying
Ficou na tasca castiça
He stayed in the traditional tavern
Com paredes de caliça
With walls made of chiseled stone
Um cartaz p'ra recordar
A poster to remember
Contributed by Alexander O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.