In June 2001, a young Capeverdean singer, hardly 16 years old, completely unknown until then, won a gold medal at the Plays of Francophonie singing contest in Ottawa Hull in Canada among 35 competitors from around world. Mayra Curado Andrade obtained the first Gold medal for her country during an international singing competition.
This event was huge for Cape Verde , since music is one of the principal exported wealth for this small archipelago of ten islands lost in the Atlantic Ocean 500 kilometers of the coasts of Senegal . The young Mayra, who is today the figurehead of the rising generation of singers of her country, was born in Cuba from Capeverdean parents. Mayra lived in Senegal, in Angola, then in Germany.
At 13 years old, she was already noticed for her voice and her personality. She was selected to sing in Belgium during a conference dedicated to Dalaï LAMA' students. After her victory at the Francophonie in Canada, Mayra did not stop performing. She toured Cape Verde, in particular at Praia and Mindelo.
Then, in the mythical room the "Coliseu Dos Recreios" in Lisbon , she sang alongside Bau, former instrumentalist of Césaria Evora. It is in July 2002 that Mayra is invited for the very first time in France, to the Festival of Jazz of "Rendezvous de l'Erdre". On stage, at the sides of two great ladies of the international jazz, the New-Yorker Sheila Jordan and Armenian Datévik Hovanessian, Mayra obtained an enormous success.
She enchanted the Congress of the City of Nantes during the opening of the 24th International Festival of film of the three continents while singing "a Cappella". Then, it was at the "Festival de la Harpe" that Mayra was the headline for the first time. The invitations began to follow: at the Africajarc Festival, she performed beside Joe Zawinul, Ismael Lo, and Angélique Kidjo. She opened for Césaria Evora at New Morning in Paris, for Enrico Macias in the "Festopale" at Etaples and for the Cuban Ernesto Titos Puentes at the time of the "Festival of Jazz" of Valves.
Mayra imposes consequently her own style. She is astonishingly at ease with Morna, Funana, Coladera, and Batuque while adding a bit of jazz. Her personality and her talent bring a true new breath to the music of the islands of Cape Verde, heir of a mixture of rhythms of Africa, the Old man-Continent.
We Used to Call It Love
Mayra Andrade Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm sitting down here wondering why, oh, why
Babe′s gone away, so far away
I'm sitting down wondering what to say
Babe's gone away just for a while
I′m sitting down here wondering why, oh, why
Babe′s gone away, so far away
And I'm sitting down wondering what to say
We used to call it love
Used to call it love
We used to call it love
Used to call it love
Babe′s gone away now from the shore
Here I am crying out for more
Baby's gone, yeah, heading north
Let me down feeling blue and cold
We used to call it love
Used to call it love
We used to call it love
Used to call it love
Love, love
De maio ochum pudisda tanto
Ausencia tchal um vazio tao grand
Sem rumo el anda txeu temp cretxeu
Bai xpiá se liberdade longe dess mund, oh
Baby′s gone away, gone through the night
Lying down, wondering why and how
Is there anything I could have done?
Is there anything I should have done before?
We used to call it love
Used to call it love
We used to call it love
Used to call it love
We used to call it love
Used to call it love
The song "We Used to Call It Love" by Mayra Andrade is a melancholic tribute to a past love. The opening lines indicate that the singer's significant other has gone away, leaving her to wonder why he left and what she could have done differently. As the song progresses, Andrade notes the pain she feels as she remembers their past love, even as her partner is now gone. She describes crying out for more, feeling blue and cold, and struggling with the sense of emptiness left behind.
The lyrics are also infused with a sense of nostalgia, as the singer reflects on what she and her partner used to call their love. The chorus repeats the lines "We used to call it love" four times, emphasizing the fact that things have changed and the love they once shared is no longer present.
As the song moves into its final verse, Andrade inserts a few lines in Cape Verdean Creole that further emphasize the theme of loss and absence. She speaks of the void left behind by her partner's absence and notes that he is now wandering aimlessly in search of freedom.
Overall, "We Used to Call It Love" is a poignant reflection on the end of a relationship and the lasting impact of lost love. Andrade's emotive vocals and heartfelt lyrics make it a powerful addition to her discography.
Line by Line Meaning
Babe's gone away, just for a while
The person I love has left for a temporary period of time
I'm sitting down here wondering why, oh, why
I am sitting down and questioning why they have left
Babe's gone away, so far away
My loved one is physically distant from me
I'm sitting down wondering what to say
I am contemplating what I should say to them upon their return
We used to call it love
There was a time where we referred to our relationship as love
Babe's gone away now from the shore
My loved one has left the shore and our relationship
Here I am crying out for more
I am yearning for something more in our relationship
Baby's gone, yeah, heading north
My loved one has left and is traveling northward
Let me down feeling blue and cold
Their departure has left me feeling unhappy and lonely
De maio ochum pudisda tanto
I am overwhelmed with longing and sadness
Ausencia tchal um vazio tao grand
Their absence has created a large void
Sem rumo el anda txeu temp cretxeu
They are wandering without direction and time is passing
Bai xpiá se liberdade longe dess mund, oh
They are off searching for freedom, far from this world
Baby's gone away, gone through the night
My loved one has departed during the night
Lying down, wondering why and how
I am laying down and questioning the reasons for their departure
Is there anything I could have done?
I question if there was anything I could have done to prevent their leave
Is there anything I should have done before?
I question if there were any actions I should have taken prior to their departure
Love, love
Our relationship was once filled with love and affection
Writer(s): Mayra Andrade, Pascal Danae
Contributed by Sophie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kathlene Nascimento
Lyrics:
Babe's gone away, just for a while
I'm sitting down here wondering why, oh, why
Babe's gone away, so far away
I'm sitting down wondering what to say
Babe's gone away just for a while
I'm sitting down here wondering why, oh, why
Babe's gone away, so far away
And I'm sitting down wondering what to say
We used to call it love
Used to call it love
We used to call it love
Used to call it love
Babe's gone away now from the shore
Here I am crying out for more
Baby's gone, yeah, heading north
Let me down feeling blue and cold
We used to call it love
Used to call it love
We used to call it love
Used to call it love
Love, love
De maio ochum pudisda tanto
Ausencia tchal um vazio tao grand
Sem rumo el anda txeu temp cretxeu
Bai xpiá se liberdade longe dess mund, oh
Baby's gone away, gone through the night
Lying down, wondering why and how
Is there anything I could have done?
Is there anything I should have done before?
We used to call it love
Used to call it love
We used to call it love
Used to call it love
We used to call it love
Used to call it love
Lucas
Mayra a gravou em frances, portugues, espanhol... aí qdo grava em ingles causa essa polemica toda. A musica ficou linda, independente do idioma que é cantado. Sei que ela nao abandonará suas raizes, é uma artista do mundo, e portanto pode gravar até em chinês que continuará soando unico.
Ivan Almeida
Exacto! Quanta hipocrisia dessa gente amarga, comentando...
Eduard Cortes
Can you tell me the songs in spanish of Mayra, please?? I love her voice...
Ondrej Pazdernik
She's lovely.
NyanNayn
She sings beautifully in every language!
Kathlene Nascimento
Lyrics:
Babe's gone away, just for a while
I'm sitting down here wondering why, oh, why
Babe's gone away, so far away
I'm sitting down wondering what to say
Babe's gone away just for a while
I'm sitting down here wondering why, oh, why
Babe's gone away, so far away
And I'm sitting down wondering what to say
We used to call it love
Used to call it love
We used to call it love
Used to call it love
Babe's gone away now from the shore
Here I am crying out for more
Baby's gone, yeah, heading north
Let me down feeling blue and cold
We used to call it love
Used to call it love
We used to call it love
Used to call it love
Love, love
De maio ochum pudisda tanto
Ausencia tchal um vazio tao grand
Sem rumo el anda txeu temp cretxeu
Bai xpiá se liberdade longe dess mund, oh
Baby's gone away, gone through the night
Lying down, wondering why and how
Is there anything I could have done?
Is there anything I should have done before?
We used to call it love
Used to call it love
We used to call it love
Used to call it love
We used to call it love
Used to call it love
Aldo Vasquez
Muchas gracias Mayra, por entregarnos esta bella música. Desde de Chile, te envío todo mi cariño y admiración por el hermoso talento que el Creador te ha entregado...
Steven Andrews
I find it awesome, I love my cape verdean people. To try different types of music, and to expand her knowledge in music culture. Mayra is very talented.
Eduard Cortes
Es bueno ver que Mayra ya tiene publico hispanohablante, yo la escuché hace poco y me gustó su voz, ademas de ser una mujer muy linda...
Objective One
Myra’s music is super calming and enjoyable!