Lura was born in Portugal to Cape-Verdean parents in 1975. Her father came from Santiago and her mother from São Nicolau. Initially she wanted to become a dancer or a swimming instructor. She became a singer at the age of seventeen when Juka, an artist from São Tomé and Príncipe, asked her to sing a duet with him for a music album. The album became a success, and subsequently she participated in productions by artists such as Bonga, Tito Paris, Paulo Flores and Paulinho Vieira.
In 1996 she recorded her first album Nha Vida with her own compositions. In 1997 she participated in the AIDS awareness project Red Hot + Lisbon among famous artists such as Caetano Veloso, Marisa Monte, Djavan, Bonga and Teresa Salgueiro. Further album productions and concerts all over Europe followed. In 2007 she sang her song Morna in the film Fados by Spanish film director Carlos Saura.
Eclipse
Lura Lyrics
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Num note sereno d'Abril
Sê luz spadjâ na mato
Ma na rosto di nha crêtcheu
Nôte di luar di prata
Num céu bordado de strela
Nôte qui beija nha mulata
A mim el dixâm sô que sê recordaçon
Era um nôte de poesia na céu
Nôte de sonho e de amor celeste
Di luar sim c'ma névoa fria
Raiâ sê splendor na rosto de nha crêtcheu
Dipôs lua toldâ di névoa, mundo perdê sê ligria
Nôte merguiâ na treva, Morna perdê sê poesia
Sô um brisa leve d'amor fica ta ôndia na sucuro
Naquel silêncio di dor Eclipse el spadjâ
Num nôte di luar tão puro
Nha crêtcheu perdê sorriso di sê rosto
Se alegria di um moça fagueira
Pomóde lua nha companheira
Tem hora di alegria
E hora di disgosto
The song "Eclipse" by Lura is a poignant reflection on the ebb and flow of love and the changing nature of relationships. The singer opens with a poetic image of herself as a shaft of light piercing through the tranquil notes of an April night. She then contrasts this with the image of her beloved's face, and the moonlit night sky embroidered with stars. She remembers the night of pure poetry and celestial dreams, when the moon shone through the cold mist and illuminated her lover's face with its warm glow.
But all too soon, the moon is obscured by fog, and the world loses its joy. The night descends into darkness, and the sadness of the "Morna" - a style of Cape Verdean music and dance - overwhelms everything. Only a faint breeze of love remains to stir the darkness, as Lura's voice rises in a mournful lament. She describes the eclipse of her beloved's smile, and the ebb and flow of joy and sorrow that marks their relationship. Despite the pain and uncertainty, however, Lura affirms her love with a serene acceptance, and a heartfelt hope for a return to joy.
The poignant lyrics of "Eclipse" are accompanied by a haunting melody that draws its notes from the African rhythms and European melodies that merge in Cape Verdean "Morna". The evocative lyrics and music create an atmosphere of longing and melancholy that invites the listener to share in Lura's tale of love and loss. The song is a testimony to the power of music to express the complexities of human emotion, and to comfort and console those who have experienced the highs and lows of life and love.
Line by Line Meaning
Lua raia n'azul di céu
The moonlight shines in the blue sky
Num note sereno d'Abril
On a calm April night
Sê luz spadjâ na mato
Its light spills into the woods
Ma na rosto di nha crêtcheu
But on the face of my beloved
Nôte di luar di prata
The silver moonlit night
Num céu bordado de strela
In a sky embroidered with stars
Nôte qui beija nha mulata
The night that kisses my beloved
A mim el dixâm sô que sê recordaçon
To me, it speaks only of its memories
Era um nôte de poesia na céu
It was a night of poetry in the sky
Nôte de sonho e de amor celeste
A night of celestial dreams and love
Di luar sim c'ma névoa fria
Moonlight obscured by the cold mist
Raiâ sê splendor na rosto de nha crêtcheu
Its splendor shining on the face of my beloved
Dipôs lua toldâ di névoa, mundo perdê sê ligria
After the moon was covered by the fog, the world lost its joy
Nôte merguiâ na treva, Morna perdê sê poesia
The night plunged into darkness, the dance Morna lost its poetry
Sô um brisa leve d'amor fica ta ôndia na sucuro
Only a gentle breeze of love remains lost in the darkness
Naquel silêncio di dor Eclipse el spadjâ
In that silent pain, the Eclipse strikes
Num nôte di luar tão puro
On a night with such pure moonlight
Nha crêtcheu perdê sorriso di sê rosto
My beloved lost the smile on her face
Se alegria di um moça fagueira
The joy of a lively girl
Pomóde lua nha companheira
Alongside the moon, her companion
Tem hora di alegria
There are times of happiness
E hora di disgosto
And times of grief
Writer(s): b. leza
Contributed by Sophie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.