She is one of the top-touring artists in Japan, becoming the first female artist to play all five of Japan's largest stadiums in 2004. Misia is famed for her five-octave vocal range and is widely recognized as the first Japanese R&B superstar.
Born and raised in Nagasaki, MISIA moved to Fukuoka at the age of 14 to pursue a recording career. There, she continued her secondary education and briefly attended Seinan Gakuin University before withdrawing to focus on her musical career. She was signed to BMG Japan in 1997, after auditioning for record producer Haruo Yoda.
Since 2001, she has been engaging in environmental and human rights activism. In 2008, she founded Child AFRICA, an organization aimed at supporting education and creating sustainable societies. In 2010, she was named Honorary Ambassador of the 10th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
For the Portuguese fado singer, see Mísia.
Joana Rosa
MISIA Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tchomal pa el, lá di cidadi
M'ton resolviiébai
Pa torna volta, num dia bonito
Ti felicidadi.
Ba pa Lisboa, adeus jam'bai
M'tem irmons, família pa tudo lado
Mala na mon perdida lá na mundo.
Cais di sodré sardinha bibu
Quem crê, quem crê
Pode escondjê
Rabidanti na cidadi
Boca modjado, soriso aberto de ingenuidadi.
Ba pa lisboa, Adeus 'jam'bai
M'tem irmons, família pa tudo lado
Entristecê, m'chora m'bebê
Longi di terra, m'fica co sodadi...
Ba pa Lisboa, adeus jam'bai
Mala na mon perdida lá na mundo
Entristecê, m'chora m'bebê
Longi di terra, m'fica co sodadi
Cais di sodré sardinha bibu
Quem crê, quem crê
Pode escondjê
Rabidanti na cidadi
Boca modjado, soriso aberto de ingenuidadi.
Ba pa lisboa, Adeus 'jam'bai
M'tem irmons, família pa tudo lado
Entristecê, m'chora m'bebê
Longi di terra, m'fica co sodadi...
The lyrics of MISIA's song "Joana Rosa" speak of a woman named Joana who is leaving her home and heading to Lisbon. The first verse speaks of Joana leaving her hometown by the sea and heading to the city in search of happiness. She is resolved to make the journey and find what she is looking for.
The second verse is more descriptive of Joana's journey. She is leaving behind her family and friends, and her suitcase is lost in the world. The imagery of the Cais di Sodré fish market in Lisbon is also woven into the lyrics. Joana is a young woman with a naive smile, who is confident in her ability to find what she is looking for in the city.
The chorus repeats the line "Ba pa Lisbon, adeus jam'bai" which means "Going to Lisbon, goodbye my love". The song ends on a note of longing, with Joana missing her home and feeling sad but still hopeful.
Overall, the lyrics convey the feelings of hope, determination, and sadness that come with leaving one's home behind and venturing out into the world to search for something better.
Line by Line Meaning
Joana Rosa, obi di mar
Referring to a person named Joana Rosa, who might be from a coastal area
Tchomal pa el, lá di cidadi
Leaving her hometown and heading towards the city
M'ton resolviiébai
She made up her mind to leave
Pa torna volta, num dia bonito
Hoping to return someday to her hometown on a beautiful day
Ti felicidadi.
With happiness in her heart
Ba pa Lisboa, adeus jam'bai
Saying goodbye to her hometown and heading to Lisbon
M'tem irmons, família pa tudo lado
She has siblings and family scattered everywhere
Poço di negro, bairro di sorti
Her hometown is a place with black people and good luck
Mala na mon perdida lá na mundo.
Her luggage is lost somewhere in the world
Cais di sodré sardinha bibu
At the Cais do Sodré market, she drinks and eats sardines
Quem crê, quem crê, pode escondjê
People who believe can hide it if they want
Rabidanti na cidadi
Living in the city as a stranger
Boca modjado, soriso aberto de ingenuidadi.
Her mouth is wet, and she has an innocent open smile
Entristecê, m'chora m'bebê
Getting sad, crying and drinking
Longi di terra, m'fica co sodadi...
Being far from home, she feels homesick
Contributed by Charlie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.