Kayah is a pseudonym of Katarzyna Rooijens (b. Katarzyna Szczot, 5 Nov 1967… Read Full Bio ↴Kayah is a pseudonym of Katarzyna Rooijens (b. Katarzyna Szczot, 5 Nov 1967, in Białystok, Poland), a successful female Polish singer-songwriter. She has released several albums & won numerous awards. At the start of her career, Kayah sang in choirs and with many bands (such as Tilt and Atrakcyjny Kazimierz). She made her solo debut with the song Daughter in 1988 at the Sopot Festival.

She released her first, self-produced solo album, Kamien (Stone), in 1996. It was a great success, consisting of melancholy pop songs. In the same year, she was voted ‘Vocalist of the Year’ by the Polish music industry and received a Fryderyk in recognition of her achievements.

In 1997, she received another Fryderyk, this time for the album Zebra, in the category of ‘Composer of the Year’. With Zebra she changed her style, moving in the direction of American soul music.

In 1999, she recorded one of the most popular Polish albums ever, with the Balkan composer Goran Bregović, entitled Kayah & Bregović: it is a blend of old Slavic songs and modern rhythms. Most of the music was composed by Bregović for the band Bijelo Dugme (White Button), which he had been a part of and movie soundtracks that he had worked on. The lyrics are both translations of the original text and inspired. In the same year she was awarded a Wiktor and another Fryderyk, in the category ‘Vocalist of the Year’.

In 2000, she released the album Jaka Ja Kayah which featured pop, jazz, and techno-influenced songs. She also released the single "Aniol Wiedzial" ("The Angel Knew") from the album, duetted with Cesaria Evora in Portuguese, and recorded English-language versions of some of her songs.

She was twice cast in advertisements for Polish mobile phone's Web - Orange POP (formerly Idea POP).

Sites: En.Wikipedia.

Embarcacao
Kayah Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ai, ness mundo ca tem sô sofrimento
Ma naquel olhar cheio di mágoa
Modê crê tão cedo na felecidade
Tcheu titá fogá na solidão
Ma na embarcação quta levá nôs vida
Um bom timonero nô ta desejá, pa guiá-no
Na temporal nô ta reá vela
Pa nô ca perdê na profundeza dum amargura

Terra longe à vista é um doce promessa
Ma qui ta desfazê nindiferença
Um sonho nascê na porto dilusão
Fgi pa longe parcê um solução
Ma na rota incerta di nôs destino
Nô ta pô esperança num brisa mansa e constante
Pintchi vela dnôs existencia
E na paz levá, assim, nôs nau
Pum horizonte cheio di luz e bonança
Pintchi vela dnôs existencia

E na paz levá, assim, nôs nau
Pum horizonte di luz e bonança

Overall Meaning

The lyrics in Kayah feat. Cesaria Evora's song Embarcacao talk about the hardships of life and the desire for happiness. The opening line "Ai, ness mundo ca tem sô sofrimento" translates to "Oh, in this world there's only suffering" which sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer then describes seeing someone with a look of sadness and wishing they could believe in happiness again. The idea of being stuck in loneliness is also mentioned in the line "Tcheu titá fogá na solidão" which means "I see myself burning in solitude".

The metaphor of a boat is then introduced as a way to navigate through the difficult times in life. The lyrics mention the importance of having a good leader, or "timonero", to guide the way through storms and prevent falling into the depths of despair. The promise of a distant land is seen as a hopeful sign that things can get better, but it is also acknowledged that this hope can be fleeting and easily shattered. The idea of setting sail towards the unknown is seen as a way to find a solution to one's problems, but the destination remains uncertain. The song ends with the idea of setting sail towards a peaceful horizon, where there is light and calm waters.

Overall, Embarcacao is a song about the hardships of life, the desire for happiness, and the uncertain journey towards it. The use of a boat metaphor adds an element of hope and possibility in the face of difficulty.

Line by Line Meaning

Ai, ness mundo ca tem sô sofrimento
Oh, in this world there is no lack of suffering

Ma naquel olhar cheio di mágoa
But in that gaze full of sorrow

Modê crê tão cedo na felecidade
How can we believe so soon in happiness?

Tcheu titá fogá na solidão
Often we are lost in solitude

Ma na embarcação quta levá nôs vida
But in the boat that carries our life

Um bom timonero nô ta desejá, pa guiá-no
We wish for a good helmsman to guide us

Na temporal nô ta reá vela
In the storm we must trim the sails

Pa nô ca perdê na profundeza dum amargura
So that we don't lose ourselves in the depths of bitterness

Terra longe à vista é um doce promessa
Land far from sight is a sweet promise

Ma qui ta desfazê nindiferença
But it can also destroy indifference

Um sonho nascê na porto dilusão
A dream is born in the port of illusion