Interview with Mafalda Arnauth

 Posted in Interviews

The first time I saw fado singer Mafalda Arnauth perform live was in Porto. I had never heard of her but was intrigued by a poster that announced the concert in this Portuguese town that is famous for the sweet wine with the same name. A few years later I saw Mafalda again during a concert in the Prinsenhof in the historic town of Delft (Netherlands). “Oh yeah I remember that concert in Porto very well”, she smiles, surprised to hear that I was there in Porto. “The audience was marvellous, they gave me so many positive vibes. We were in that theatre for three days and we had plenty of time to rehearse and create a perfect sound and atmosphere.”

The day after the concert in Delft I spoke to Mafalda. While drinking a coffee we talked about fado music, her musical roots and her performance last night during a festival dedicated to Chamber Music.

“We noticed immediately that this was a ‘cultivated audience’. Especially when it comes to classical music. We were wondering how they would react to fado. It was a real challenge. A completely acoustic concert, without microphone. Fado is a very physical type of music. It requires a lot from your voice. So I hoped it wouldn’t lose strength during the performance.
There is always a certain tension. Will I be able to get the most out of me? Can I balance my emotions? I remember some performances in which I got angry because some things didn’t go the way I wanted. In such occasions I felt overwhelmed by my emotions. That’s not good, because you can’t really focus on your voice. ”

Fado comes from the very depths of yourself

A Portuguese newspaper wrote about her : ‘She not only sings fado, she is fado.’ “They described it very well”, she reacts with a big smile. “If you want to sing fado, you have to give yourself completely, you have to enter into the song, become one with the music and connect with your soul. Fado comes from the very depths of yourself.”

mafalda arnauth
When Mafalda Arnauth grew up in Lisbon, she never thought of being a fado singer.
“I don’t come from a musical family at all. As a teenager I didn’t listen much to fado music. I was more into rock music and listened to my brother’s records. Things like Pink Floyd and Genesis. It was during my study as a Veterinary that I sang a fado song at a party. People told me: ‘wow you’ve got talent’. That’s were it all started.”

Saudade

Fado music is often associated with a kind of melancholic feeling that Portuguese describe as saudade. “It’s true, i’m a melancholic person, but actually I search for that transcending feeling. My lyrics radiate melancholy but also hope. During the years I’ve learned that writing songs is not only inspiration. That’s probably 10%, the rest is respiration. Songwriting is a craft. Fado is often associated with a kind of bohemian lifestyle. But a good performance requires, discipline. It is a sport. I can’t keep my voice in good condition with wine and cigarettes.”

  –Lenmusicman.com –

Rua da Saudade - Estrela da Tarde - Mafalda Arnauth (Official Video)
Link do vídeo: https://youtu.be/yUyhx0LGhTM

Estrela da Tarde
Ary dos Santos/Fernando Tordo

Era a tarde mais longa de todas as tardes
Que me acontecia
Eu esperava por ti, tu não vinhas
Tardavas e eu entardecia
Era tarde, tão tarde, que a boca,
Tardando-lhe o beijo, mordia
Quando à boca da noite surgiste
Na tarde tal rosa tardia

Quando nós nos olhamos tardamos no beijo
Que a boca pedia
E na tarde ficámos unidos ardendo na luz
Que morria
Em nós dois nessa tarde em que tanto
Tardaste o sol amanhecia
Era tarde demais para haver outra noite,
Para haver outro dia.
Meu amor, meu amor
Minha estrela da tarde
Que o luar te amanheça e o meu corpo te guarde.
Meu amor, meu amor
Eu não tenho a certeza
Se tu és a alegria ou se és a tristeza.
Meu amor, meu amor
Eu não tenho a certeza.

Foi a noite mais bela de todas as noites
Que me adormeceram
Dos nocturnos silêncios que à noite
De aromas e beijos se encheram
Foi a noite em que os nossos dois
Corpos cansados não adormeceram
E da estrada mais linda da noite uma festa de fogo fizeram.


Foram noites e noites que numa só noite
Nos aconteceram
Era o dia da noite de todas as noites
Que nos precederam
Era a noite mais clara daqueles
Que à noite amando se deram
E entre os braços da noite de tanto
Se amarem, vivendo morreram.

Eu não sei, meu amor, se o que digo
É ternura, se é riso, se é pranto
É por ti que adormeço e acordo
E acordado recordo no canto
Essa tarde em que tarde surgiste
Dum triste e profundo recanto
Essa noite em que cedo nasceste despida
De mágoa e de espanto.
Meu amor, nunca é tarde nem cedo
Para quem se quer tanto!



RUA DA SAUDADE Canções de Ary dos Santos No ano em que assinala os 25 anos da morte de um dos mais talentosos poetas portugueses, Mafalda Arnauth, Susana Félix, Viviane e Luanda Cozetti reúnem-se para homenagear José Carlos Ary dos Santos. Numa selecção de 11 temas do vasto legado de Ary dos Santos, Rua da Saudade apresenta nova roupagem de canções singulares como Estrela da Tarde, Retalhos, Cavalo a Solta, entre outras. Um projecto único para se ouvir da primeira à última música, com interpretações que tocam diferentes sonoridades do pop, ao fado, passando pelo jazz e até o ritmo da bossa nova. #farolmusica
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