Sobral was born in Lisbon, into a former noble family the son of Salvador Luís Cabral Braamcamp Sobral, and is related to politician Hermano José Braamcamp de Almeida Castelo Branco. He has lived in Lisbon most of his life. At the age of ten, he participated in the TV programme Bravo Bravíssimo, and at 20 he was one of the ten finalists of Ídolos, the Portuguese version of the Idols franchise. As a finalist he sang music by Stevie Wonder, Leonard Cohen and Rui Veloso. As an Erasmus student (he studied Psychology in the Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada, in Lisbon), Salvador moved to Mallorca, where he started singing in bars. After he left the Psychology program, he applied to the Taller de Músics, a music school in Barcelona, where he finished his studies in 2014. In 2015 he participated in the Vodafone Mexefest and EDP Cool Jazz festivals. In 2016 he released his first album, Excuse Me.
Salvador Sobral is a fan of Chet Baker and bossa nova singers (Caetano Veloso, Chico Buarque). He speaks four languages: Portuguese, Spanish, English and a little Italian.
Salvador Sobral drew attention to the European migrant crisis by turning up to the first semi-final winners' press conference in an 'S.O.S. Refugees' shirt. 'If I'm here and I have European exposure, the least thing I can do is a humanitarian message,' Sobral said. 'People come to Europe in plastic boats and are being asked to show their birth certificates in order to enter a country. These people are not immigrants, they're refugees running from death. Make no mistake. There is so much bureaucratic stuff happening in the refugee camps in Greece, Turkey and Italy and we should help create legal and safe pathways from these countries to their destiny countries,' he added, earning a round of applause.
Cerca del Mar
Salvador Sobral Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ayer tuve que rendirme ante la soledad
Necesité ahogar mis penas
Dejarlas llevar por la marea, en luna nueva
Hoy tuve que gritarle
Al miedo de cambiar
No persigo destinos
Como el rio en su camino
Me desvío para basar
Cuando el barco parezca perdido
Recuérdame para que lo hicimos
Cuando el barco parezca perdido
Recuérdame a donde quisimos llegar
Cuando el barco parezca perdido
Recuérdame para que lo hicimos
Cuando el barco parezca perdido
Recuérdame a donde quisimos llegar
Cuando el barco parezca perdido
Recuérdame para que lo hicimos
Cuando el barco parezca perdido
Recuérdame a donde quisimos llegar
Los barcos llegan a la orilla
El sol se hunde atrás
Con solo un respiro, la niebla se va
Para ver frente a mis ojos
Que no necesito más
Salvador Sobral's song Cerca del Mar is a beautiful tribute to embracing change and facing life's uncertainties. The song finds the singer grappling with his emotions as he seeks solace in the ambience of the shore. The first stanza speaks to his need to confront his feelings of loneliness and dejection. He had to approach the sea to drown his sorrows and let them drift away with the changing tides. This first verse is beautifully and poetically written, evoking vivid images of the sea and its mesmerizing effect on the mind and soul.
The second verse attempts to reconcile the singer's fear of change with his desire to keep moving forward. He cries out to his fear of change, letting it know that he is not seeking a predetermined destiny, but a way to walk his own path. He likens himself to a river that, while always flowing forward, may occasionally deviate to find its footing. The chorus acts as a reminder that no matter what challenges come his way, he should always remember why he started his journey and where he wishes to end up. It's a powerful message that speaks to the human spirit's resilience and determination.
Overall, the lyrics of Cerca del Mar are poetic, heartfelt, and beautifully executed. They express emotions that are universal and relatable, and Salvador Sobral's vocals elevate the message, adding to the song's poignancy and power.
Line by Line Meaning
Ayer tuve que acercarme al mar, al mar
Yesterday, I had to approach the sea, seeking solace near the ocean.
Ayer tuve que rendirme ante la soledad
Yesterday, I had to surrender to loneliness.
Necesité ahogar mis penas
Dejarlas llevar por la marea, en luna nueva
I needed to drown my sorrows and let the tide take them away, during a new moon.
Hoy tuve que gritarle
Al miedo de cambiar
No persigo destinos
Sino formas de andar
Como el rio en su camino
Me desvío para basar
Today, I had to yell at the fear of change, and understand that I'm searching for ways to walk instead of destinations. Like a river changes course, I deviate to establish myself.
Cuando el barco parezca perdido
Recuérdame para que lo hicimos
Cuando el barco parezca perdido
Recuérdame a donde quisimos llegar
Cuando el barco parezca perdido
Recuérdame para que lo hicimos
Cuando el barco parezca perdido
Recuérdame a donde quisimos llegar
Cuando el barco parezca perdido
Recuérdame para que lo hicimos
Cuando el barco parezca perdido
Recuérdame a donde quisimos llegar
When the ship seems lost, remember why we did it. When the ship seems lost, remember where we wanted to go. When the ship seems lost, remember why we did it. When the ship seems lost, remember where we wanted to go. When the ship seems lost, remember why we did it. When the ship seems lost, remember where we wanted to go.
Los barcos llegan a la orilla
El sol se hunde atrás
Con solo un respiro, la niebla se va
Para ver frente a mis ojos
Que no necesito más
Boats reach the shore and the sun sets. With just one breath, the fog disappears, and I see in front of me that I don't need anything else.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Leonardo Aldrey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Luciana Galter
😍😍😍❤❤❤❤
J. Davis
BEAUTIFUL and HEARTFELT 🎤🎼
Aleksandra Peneshko
You are so cool! Your sing is magic! Hello from Ukraine!
Yvette Mondok
Amazing! 💕
seoul peach
So beautiful song!!! Thank you Salvador for all your perfect songs...❤❤👏😍😍😍
Shekolate
Salvador Sobral's voice is one of the best things I've found lately.
account1
The clarinet is so beautiful with this song 😍😍😍😍😍😍
Танюша Танюша
💖✨
scgn
Maravilloso
interesting huh?
Tasteful music, beautiful video, meaningful lyrics. Just love it