Amália and the Poets

And there are more reflections of this controversy, when, in 1966, Amália was present at an interview in which the defendant was herself and the accusers belonged to the public opinion, judging her for the crime of singing Camões and for leaving the said to be “authentic” fado behind. In an astonishing way, Amália says that she does not understand the difference between the authentic fado of before and the fado that she sings. She also assumes that a defect she sees in herself is that of authenticity.

Previously, Amália had already flown higher. In 1962, she released an album with music by Alain Oulman, entitled Busto, although we know that Amália started working with him in 1959. This album is a true surprise. Firstly, because in the opening number, “Asas Fechadas”, Amália’s voice is only accompanied by a piano, without the usual and traditional guitar and fado guitar sounds. Secondly, because the melodic and harmonic lines change and the responsible for this innovation is, indeed, Oulman. In this sense, Amália already interprets compositions of famous poets, among them Luís Macedo (author to “Asas Fechadas”, “Cais de Outrora”, “Vagamundo”), David Mourão-Ferreira (author to “Maria Lisboa”, “Madrugada de Alfama”, “Abandono”, “Aves Agoirentas”), Pedro Homem de Mello (author to “Povo que Lavas no Rio”, “Fria Claridade”, “Rapaz da Camisola Verde”) and, also, herself, with the poem “Estranha Forma de Vida”.

It was officially open a new era of fado, and, without a doubt, a new era in Amália’s career.

In this album, we can already witness the initiative that will last for the decades to come, which consisted in Amália interpreting poets that belong to her circle of friends and acquaintances, and who frequented her house.

It was remarkable how Amália was such a genius for the words, which is revealed not only on the poem that she wrote and recorded, “Estranha Forma de Vida”, but also in the way that she intoned every single word. We highlight “Povo Que Lavas No Rio”, just as we could highlight many others, in which the way Amália sings “Povo” (“People”), holding the music note in the right measure, reveals to the listener that the Portuguese people, that poor people who washes in the river, can be all in that one voice. The people, or the meaning of being the people. Pedro Homem de Mello, of whom Amália first interprets the poem “Fria Claridade”, revealed in the national channel that her poetry, by the voice of Amália, had risen to the people. With this simple sentence, Pedro Homem de Mello revealed in the national TV that, by Amália’s voice, the people could hear Camões, poets of Cancioneiro Geral, D. Dinis, and could learn and enjoy all this poetry through Amália’s voice.

But the artist went even further. She interpreted in a fascinating way the popular songs. In that sense, they tell stories of the discontent of the poets and musicians who accompanied her, when Amália decided to play “Cochico da Menina” or even “Casa da Mariquinhas”. We must not forget the way Amália also raised Portuguese folklore to its greatest exponent, taking it to the great theatres of the world, Hollywood Bowl, and Lincoln Center, in 1966, accompanied by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and directed by the maestro Andre Kostelanetz.

It is also important to remember another famous name in this context, Alberto Janes. He appeared in Amália’s house with a fado in his pocket, “Foi Deus”. He sat on the piano, played it, and sang. It appears he sang very badly and played even worse. What saved that fado, today one of the most beautiful by Amália, was her own imagination, in which she saw herself singing it, with her charming voice. Alberto Janes was also the author to “Caldeirada”, a reflexion on pollution, and still “É Ou Não É”, and “Oiça Lá Ó Senhor Vinho”.

The gatherings at Amália’s house are also featured in a 1970 album, by the name Amália / Vinicius. This LP allows us to imagine, see, contemplate in which way Amália Rodrigues interacted with her circle of poets and friends during her famous gatherings in the street of São Bento (Amália’s house). This fascinating relic, recorded at the end of the decade of 60 and edited in 1970, reveals to us the evenings full of poetry, fado, and conversation that happened at this house. In it, Natália Correia reads “Defesa do Poeta”, José Carlos Ary dos Santos reads “Retrato de Amália”, and Vinicius de Moraes sings “Saudades do Brasil em Portugal”, his own song. This album also features David Mourão-Ferreira, the guitarist Fontes Rocha and the fado guitarist Pedro Leal, besides Amália, Natália Correia, Ary dos Santos and Vinicius de Moraes. This last name almost begs us to enter the Brazilian poetry, and, in this context, Amália also interprets Cecília Meireles, being a supreme example of that the famous fado “As Mãos que Trago”.

But the poems she interpreted the most were the ones written by herself. In the 80s, Amália recorded two albums only with poems of her authorship, with music by Fontes Rocha and Carlos Gonçalves. The album Gostava de Ser Quem Era is recorded in 1980 and Lágrima in 1983. In this sense, Amália, who only had attended primary school, reveals herself as a poet of simple words, but of complex senses and feelings. Although she cannot be included in the poetry canons of that century, Amália is a separate case in this field, with her own characteristics. Deep down, there is an opposition between the past and the inherent present of what was her life and career. The title Gostava de Ser Quem Era offers us that same interpretation too. This feeling is also present in the paradigmatic fado “Lavava no Rio Lavava”. Here, there is a clear opposition between the pain of the past, physical, and the bitterness of the present, which materialize in the very longing of suffering. From these feelings, we can extract two paradigmatic verses: “já não temos fome mãe/mas também já não temos vontade de a não ter” (“we are no longer hungry mother/but we no longer have the desire of not having it”).

In another hand, if there is a place for pain, and if this one fills a space in the poetic work of Amália, then the joy and funny spirit are also there. This last aspect is especially evident in her poetry work, Versos (Verses), published in 1997, with poems such as “A Onda” (“The Wave”) and tongue twisters as “335 Gafanhotos” (“335 Locusts”).

With this, Amália travels through all Portuguese poetry, at different levels, allowing herself to raise famous poets to the people, but also to promote in front of the said to be literary elites the Portuguese folklore and the popular songs. And she also ends up becoming the poet of a lifetime.

Let us still mention some notes about the maestro Frederico Valério and about the innovation he represented to fado, with his own composing style, to what some call “Fado Canção Moderna” (Fado New Song). This maestro composes for Amália some of the most beautiful fados of the 40s. It is to especially praise the commitment of this composer to the cinema, environment where Amália met him. He composes the soundtrack to Capas Negras and Sangue Toureiro.

Also innovative, and whose reference is indispensable, is the songwriter and composer Carlos Paião. His presence in Amália’s career was not so effective as the others, but he wrote and composed to Amália an unusual song entitled “O Senhor Extraterrestre” (“Sir Alien”). This song is about an alien that visits the yard of a lady who is afraid that her neighbour sees her with a strange man. At first, they do not get each other, because Sir Alien was badly tuned. In the meantime, the lady offers coffee to the alien asking him if he knows of someone to get her codfish. The lyrics of this song are especially humoristic and versatile and link the strangeness of a grotesque episode to what may be more Portuguese: the coffee, the wine, the codfish, the flannel shirt, the good welcoming, and mostly the moment of leaving, the deep, profound thank you. Sir Alien pulls the little button just to say “Deus lhe pague” (“May God pay you”).

And, although we do not have that little button, we are left with a thank you to Amália for the itinerary she makes through the Portuguese poetry, passing by Cantigas de Amigos, by the Cancioneiro Geral, singing Camões, and interpreting contemporary poets.

Her voice helps, therefore, to immortalize them.