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
Rosa Sem Espinhos
Joana Amendoeira Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A ninguém mostras rigor!
Que rosa és tu sem espinhos?
Ai, que não te entendo, flor!
Se a borboleta vaidosa
A desdém te vai beijar,
O mais que lhe fazes, rosa,
E quando a sonsa da abelha,
Tão modesta em seu zumbir,
Te diz: «ó rosa vermelha,
Bem me podes acudir:
Deixa do cálix divino
Uma gota só libar...
Deixa, é néctar peregrino,
Mel que eu não sei fabricar ...»
Tu de lástima rendida,
De maldita compaixão,
Tu à súplica atrevida
Sabes tu dizer que não?
Tanta lástima e carinhos,
Tanto dó, nenhum rigor!
Rosa e não tens espinhos!
Ai !, que não te entendo, flor.
The song "Rosa Sem Espinhos" by Joana Amendoeira talks about a rose that seems to have no thorns and is gentle to everyone, showing nothing but kindness and compassion. The author of the lyrics seems to be perplexed by the rose's behavior because every other rose has its thorns and can be sometimes unforgiving. The lyrics describe how the rose reacts when a vain butterfly ignores it and how it responds to a shy bee who asks to sip some of its nectar.
The author admires the rose's ability to show kindness and compassion, even to those who ignore or mistreat it, and wonders how it is possible to be so forgiving without showing any signs of displeasure. By the end of the song, the author still cannot understand the rose's behavior, but admires it for being a rare example of kindness and compassion in the world.
Overall, the song's message encourages kindness and understanding, even in difficult situations, and reminds us that compassion is always an option, no matter how others may treat us.
Line by Line Meaning
Para todos tens carinhos,
You show affection to everyone,
A ninguém mostras rigor!
You don't show any strictness to anyone!
Que rosa és tu sem espinhos?
What kind of rose are you without thorns?
Ai, que não te entendo, flor!
Oh, I don't understand you, flower!
Se a borboleta vaidosa
If the vain butterfly,
A desdém te vai beijar,
bestows disdainful kisses upon you,
O mais que lhe fazes, rosa,
the most you do, rose,
Sorrir e é corar.
is smile and blush.
E quando a sonsa da abelha,
And when the simple bee,
Tão modesta em seu zumbir,
so modest in her buzzing,
Te diz: «ó rosa vermelha,
says to you: 'Oh, red rose,
Bem me podes acudir:
you can indeed come to my aid:
Deixa do cálix divino
Leave just one drop of the divine cup,
Uma gota só libar...
let me drink just one drop...
Deixa, é néctar peregrino,
Let it be, it's a rare nectar,
Mel que eu não sei fabricar ...»
Honey that I don't know how to make...'
Tu de lástima rendida,
You are surrendered to pity,
De maldita compaixão,
damned compassion,
Tu à súplica atrevida
You are shameless to the bold request,
Sabes tu dizer que não?
Do you know how to say no?
Tanta lástima e carinhos,
So much pity and affection,
Tanto dó, nenhum rigor!
So much grief, no strictness!
Rosa e não tens espinhos!
You are a rose and yet you have no thorns!
Ai !, que não te entendo, flor.
Oh, I don't understand you, flower.
Contributed by Josiah Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
DoC
Wonderful!