Luísa Sobral. A voice, guitar, paper and pen. From this an entire musical u… Read Full Bio ↴Luísa Sobral. A voice, guitar, paper and pen. From this an entire musical universe is created in each composition. 24 years of open choices. Instinctive and expectant. «The Cherry on my Cake» is the fruit of all those possibilities. Songs full of images. Videos that are imagined for the rhythm of each song. It’s her first full-length album under in her own name, outcome of a musical journey that started at the early age of 12.

The empathy with the musical instruments started with the guitar. It was with the guitar that she realised were the chords of her parent’s music come from. From The Beatles and from many others. And it was on an early age that she gave herself to the unique melodies that the jazz immortalized. The capacity of a melody to stand by itself, without the instruments. She embraced such artists as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzerald, Chet Baker, and many others and with them in her heart she set off to the Berklee College of Music, in Boston, USA, to study music. In her 4 year stay in Boston she was nominated for the «Best Jazz Song» at the Malibu Music Awards (2008); «Best Jazz Artist» at the Hollywood Music Awards ; «International Songwriting Competition» (2007) and «The John Lennon Songwriting Competition» (2008).

More than being nominated or completing her studies, Luísa was also discovering herself every year that went by. Her musical identity would further develop in New York, where she moved after finish her degree in Boston (2009). In her bags a lot of what would eventually give shape to songs that where already wandering inside her head. Hers and her mother’s who confessed to her she had dreamed that her first album would be called «The Cherry on My Cake». Maternal magic that made a dream come true.

The learning of the jazz standards, the practice done by playing a Brazilian music in bars and the stamina of her creativity all filtered into songs that would either gain live in paper or in chords. One after another. Well thought melodies with images inside. «I Would Love To», «Don`t Let Me Down», «Why Should I», among other songs that came together in an EP («My Funny Clementine»). The emphasis on the starting theme was obvious: «Not There Yet». A triple time rhythm, like a jazz waltz, colorful, an imposing chorus and violins in heaven. The record composition wasn’t to become limited to the English language. Between trips to and from Portugal, Luisa performed at the Super Bock Super Rock festival in Stock 2009. At this gig she mentions how much she would like to have a song in Portuguese. Upon her return to the States Luisa sketches a poem and melody for “O Engraxador” (the shoe shine man). That is followed by “Xico and Dolores”. For the upcoming record the will for a Portuguese cover song was still very much present. Nobody would be better to fill this part than Rui Veloso, artist that Luisa’s father listens to insistently. Luisa registers Carlos Te’s lyric and tries a different version of “Saiu para a Rua”.

«The Cherry on my Cake» is the result of all of this: of the person who dreams to live in Paris - totally inspired by French cinema. Result of the hectic New York vibe, of the familiar affection for Lisbon. From Regina Spektor to Elis Regina. From Billie Holiday to Bjork. From the 50’s to ingenuousness. From sound to image. From voice and talent: “I have a good life” she concludes.

Cupido
Luísa Sobral Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Não te ouvi chegar
Nem sei o que aconteceu
Sei que de repente
O mundo era tu e eu

E os dias que eram grandes
Ficaram bem menores
Pra te olhar com calma

E decorar os pormenores

Vieste de mansinho
Direto ao coração
Sem que houvesse tempo
Para alguma precaução

Não sei se foi destino
Não sei se existe ou não
Ou a seta do cupido
Com a força de um arpão

Foi um feliz acaso
Que me aconteceu
Ou um fenómeno astrológico
Que nos cruzou lá no céu

Pode ter sido a sorte
Ou talvez um Deus qualquer
Que te pôs no meu caminho
Para eu te conhecer

Vieste de mansinho
Direto ao coração
Sem que houvesse tempo
Para alguma precaução

Não sei se foi destino
Não sei se existe ou não
Ou a seta de cupido
Com a força de um arpão

Overall Meaning

Luísa Sobral's song "Cupido" is a beautiful ode to falling in love unexpectedly. The lyrics describe how the singer did not even realize that someone had come into their life, but suddenly, their world was only about that person. The days, which were once long and mundane, became short and sweet as the singer cherished each detail of their new love. The arrival of this person was sudden and took the singer's heart by surprise. They question whether it was fate, destiny, or simply Cupid's arrow striking them with the force of a harpoon. The song plays with the idea of not knowing if love is real or if some supernatural power brought the two people together. Perhaps it was luck or a divine being that placed this person in the singer's path, but no matter the reason, they are grateful to have met them.

Overall, "Cupido" is a poetic and romantic song that captures the magic and unpredictability of falling in love. It shows how love can take us by surprise, and sometimes, we don't know what causes us to fall for someone. It could be fate, luck, or something else entirely, but what matters most is that we cherish and appreciate the newfound love in our lives.

Line by Line Meaning

Não te ouvi chegar
I didn't hear you coming

Nem sei o que aconteceu
I don't even know what happened

Sei que de repente
All I know is that suddenly

O mundo era tu e eu
The world was just you and me

E os dias que eram grandes
The days that used to be so long

Ficaram bem menores
Now seem so much shorter

Pra te olhar com calma
So I can look at you calmly

E decorar os pormenores
And take in all the little details

Vieste de mansinho
You came quietly

Direto ao coração
Straight to my heart

Sem que houvesse tempo
With no time for