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
Plantei um cravo à janela I
Joana Amendoeira Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Para dar ao meu amor
Inventei a Primavera
Ao redor daquela flor
Dei-lhe um pouco de ternura
E muito de uma Saudade
À janela da loucura
Inventei a Felicidade
Nas praias do coração
À janela da loucura
Inventei uma paixão
Plantei um cravo à janela
Descobri a Primavera
Para dar ao meu amor
Que já estava à minha espera
The first verse of Joana Amendoeira's song "Plantei um cravo à janela" translates to "I planted a carnation at the window / To give to my love / I invented Spring / Around that flower." The song tells a story of the singer creating a beautiful and vibrant world around a simple carnation flower in order to impress and express love to their significant other. The singer attributes emotions like tenderness, nostalgia, and happiness to the flower and the scene that they have created, showing how love can transform even the smallest things into something magical. The chorus highlights the singer's feelings of anticipation and hopefulness, as they wait for something to come from their efforts: "I waited for the mist / On the beaches of the heart / At the window of madness / I invented a passion / I planted a carnation at the window / I discovered Spring / To give to my love / Who was already waiting for me."
Overall, this song can be interpreted as a romantic tribute to the power of love and the lengths people will go to express it. By using vivid language and metaphor, the singer paints a picture of a world they have created solely out of love and devotion. The simple act of planting a flower becomes an expression of deep emotion, and the song encourages listeners to find beauty in the everyday moments they share with their loved ones.
Line by Line Meaning
Plantei um cravo à janela
I planted a carnation at the window
Para dar ao meu amor
To give to my love
Inventei a Primavera
I invented Spring
Ao redor daquela flor
Around that flower
Dei-lhe um pouco de ternura
I gave it a little tenderness
E muito de uma Saudade
And a lot of longing
À janela da loucura
At the window of madness
Inventei a Felicidade
I invented happiness
Fiquei à espera da bruma
I waited for the mist
Nas praias do coração
On the beaches of the heart
Inventei uma paixão
I invented a passion
Descobri a Primavera
I discovered Spring
Que já estava à minha espera
That was already waiting for me
Contributed by Callie T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.