Coimbra: April in Portugal - Avril au Portugal -Abril em Portugal
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Coimbra: April in Portugal - Avril au Portugal -Abril em Portugal
$17.99

A completely curious idea: take one of the most famous songs of Portugal and collect all the various versions of it together. Arists include Perez Prado, Louis Armstrong, Amália Rodrigues, Bing Crosby, Caetano Veloso, Eartha Kitt, Chet Atkins, Liberace, Bert Kaempfert, Enoch Light, Vic Damone, Xavier Cugat and many more. 24 versions as varied as the planet they came from, sung in a variety of languages or performed instrumentally, from jazz to swing, fado to folk, pop and even Trinidad steel band. Beautifully packaged in a small hardcover book with extensive intro notes in Portguguese and English, and individual songs notes only in Portuguese. (An English translation of the introduction is included below)

The song "Coimbra," written by Raul Ferrão (music) and José Galhardo (lyrics), has been the source of a wide variety of vocal and instrumental performances by many popular interpreters. These adaptations, produced over the last sixty-five years, cover a range of musical genres including jazz, its by-products, and a variety of Latin-American musical traditions. Coimbra compiles twenty four of the most significant interpretations of the song, chosen from a list of approximately two hundred, recorded between 1947 and 2002. 

Coimbra do Choupal 
ainda és capital
Do amor em Portugal, ainda ... 

Coimbra onde uma vez 
Com lágrimas se fez
A história dessa Inês, tão linda

Coimbra das canções
Tão meigas que nos pões
Os nossos corações à luz

Coimbra dos doutores
P'ra nós os seus cantores
A fonte dos amores és tu

Coimbra é uma lição de sonho e tradição
O lente é uma canção e a lua a faculdade
O livro é uma mulher só passa quem souber
E aprende-se a dizer saudade
The original lyrics of the song Coimbra allude to strong poetical images that remain alive in the city of today. Coimbra, the city, is indelibly linked to its University, one of the oldest in Europe. The lyrics make intertwined references to love and university life, the students and their fado singing, saudade (a peculiar type of longing) and how to learn its meaning. They also refer to places of extraordinary beauty such as the Choupal, along the Mondego river, and even Quinta das Lágrimas, in the allusion to the famous medieval Fonte dos amores (Fountain of love) located there. In a passing reference, the poem invoques, as well, the famously poignant medieval drama of crown prince D. Pedro and his illegitimate lover Inês de Castro, a story that concludes with the defunct Inês crowned queen of Portugal. These references contributed to the success of the song Coimbra both as emotional nourishment and as a celebration of tradition. The poetry, as well as the beautiful melodic and rhythmic structure, were key factors of success; however, one should not overlook the contribution of the political and cultural context, both in Portugal and abroad – and, in particular, the role of an influential player in the world of Portuguese folk music: Amália Rodrigues. By Amália's own intervention, Coimbra turned into Avril au Portugal, and from there, through a complex articulation of symbols, tastes, and interests, it became a tourism symbol of unforeseen relevance. The government propaganda was not alien to this transformation. Abril em Portugal became a tourism slogan, originated pamphlets, and in 1955 it was used in a medium-length propaganda movie called April in Portugal, with Amália performing the song. The following year Abril em Portugal was the title of a Revista, a Portuguese musical theater genre, in Teatro Variedades, in Lisbon, with texts by José Galhardo, Ascenção Barbosa, and Carlos Lopes, and music by Frederico Valério, Fernando de Carvalho, and João Nobre. The following decade, still, the National Secretariat of Information (governmental organism in charge of cultural policy) would launch the Mercado de Abril in Portugal. This was an annual festival with craft shows, performances, and gastronomic events from the whole country. It took place in Praça do Império, Lisbon, benefiting from the infrastructure built in 1940 along the Tagus river for the larger-scale Portuguese World's Fair (Exposição do Mundo Português). The festival, which could last for several months starting in April of each year, was at the core of the governmental tourism strategy from 1965 to 1974. Its successive names included Mercado de Abril, Mercado da Primavera, and finally Mercado do Povo (People's Festival). It promoted initiatives of strong national projection, most notably in restaurant industry, folk music in general, and fado in particular. The program often included sports, theater, and various recreational activities that could take place in Lisbon or elsewhere in the country in a coordinated Portuguese tourism program that would open by April 20th of each year. In 1966, this day was instituted as National Day of the Tourist. Portugal thus became a self-proclaimed pioneer of the devotion to the tourist, in the name of "universal brotherhood" and "fraternity among peoples and races". The government created not only a national day, but also a Diploma of Touristic Merit, issued by the Commissariat of Tourism, that awarded "the designation of 'Honor tourist' as dignified representative of its country" to any tourist arriving on April 20th.

Raúl Ferrão (1890-1953) did not fully witness the success of his song; certainly, he did not foresee the wide popularity and propagandistic use that the initially neglected piece would enjoy in Europe, and around the world. The melody, conceived in the late 1930's, was repeatedly rejected in revista theaters for which Raúl Ferrão (and José Galhardo as well) produced great musical achievements. It only reached a wider public by 1947, in Armando Miranda's movie Capas Negras, where a lovestruck student sang Coimbra as a serenade. Still, the movie's version did not fare particularly well. Three more years would pass before the song reached full-blown success, in the voice of Amália Rodrigues. This happened in the international context of post-war cultural and economic recovery. According to Amália herself, who always liked the Coimbra, the decisive moment came in 1950 during a tour promoted by the U.S.-led Marshall plan for the reconstruction of Europe. One day, in Dublin, Yvette Giraud asked Amália to sing a few songs of her particular liking – with the prospect of producing one or more French adaptations. Amália sang Coimbra and Lisboa Não Sejas Francesa ('Lisbon do not be French') also by Raúl Ferrão, which were part of her orchestra repertoire. Thus appeared, through the choice and the voice of Yvette Giraud, Avril au Portugal, with lyrics by Jacques Larue.

Je vais vous raconter ce qu'il m'est arrivé
Sous un ciel où l'été s'attarde
Histoire d'amoureux, voyage aventureux
Que pour les jours heureux je garde
Un grand navire à quai, la foule débarquait
Les yeux sous les bouquets regardent
L'amour devait rôder on s'est regardé
Et mon cœur s'est mis à chanter

Avril au Portugal, à deux c'est l'idéal
Là-bas si l'on est fou le ciel l'est plus que vous
Pour un sentimental, l'amour existe-t-il
Ailleurs qu'au Portugal en Avril

Le soir sous mes yeux clos, je vogue au fil de l'eau
Je vois par les hublots, la ville
Les vagues et des couleurs, de doux parfums de fleurs
Qui font de bateleur la ville
Qui fendait comme il faut un verre d'eau dans l'air
Ou les regrets d'ailleurs nous suivent
L'amour devait savoir quand le suivant le soir
Que j'aimerais un jour le revoir

Avril au Portugal, à deux c'est l'idéal
Là-bas si l'on est fou le ciel l'est plus que vous
Pour un sentimental, l'amour existe-t-il
Ailleurs qu'au Portugal en Avril

Yvette Giraud's performances in Paris and London conquered public and musicians alike. Later on, through the work of Amália and many other singers, musicians, composers, and directors, the song would reach an impressively large audience all over the world. The CD Coimbra illustrates the historic and stylistic trajectory of the song. This compilation presents, for the first time, a broad and comprehensive selection of versions of the song. Vocal stiles range from Louis Armstrong's impressively free and intimate interpretation (accompanied by his trumpet) to the spectacular and much applauded version of the Antigos Orfeonistas de Coimbra choir. Along one also finds the voices of Amália Rodrigues, Alberto Ribeiro, Yvette Giraud, Bing Crosby, Caetano Veloso, Eartha Kitt, the guitar of Chet Atkins, the piano of Liberace, and the orchestra of Bert Kaempfert and Xavier Cugat among others. The variety extends to the languages spoken, the musical languages, and even the sound producing materials – from the bronze of the bells in Mafra's carillon, to the steel of the Caribbean steel drums played by children in England.

Coimbra / Avril au Portugal / April in Portugal / Abril em Portugal is a global phenomenon of popularity. It is a case of successful propaganda backed up by a wise harmonic structure and a brilliantly conceived melody. The opening melodic phrase of Coimbra – with no more than six notes – has survived more than sixty years of music. Despite the changing times the tune remains recognizable and catchy enough to warrant its appearance in a variety of circles. Take, for example, the news article from November 11, 2002, on The Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace webpage: "Over 1,000 admirers of piano legend Roger Williams enjoyed his wide-ranging musical stylings (É) as he set a new world record, playing for 13 hours and five minutes (É). Between medleys the tireless showman recounted Presidential anecdotes, telling the crowd about President Nixon's love of music and the piano. Mr. Williams also revealed that First Lady Pat Nixon always requested April in Portugal." In another example, in April 2001 a French website listed greatest hits of the French song, highlighting Jacques Larue's poem for Avril au Portugal displayed over an image of blooming trees.

Coimbra began as a reference to a city, student life, love, and longing. Later, it became a national banner and an ad for the seductive delights of Portugal in April. Finally, it turned into a melodic motto – adopted by several peoples for various aims. As it happens, the motto still refers to Portugal but has long gotten beyond its reach. The CD Coimbra tells the story of a song that transcended its boundaries and intended function. Crafted and publicized as a Portuguese song, it fit other musical traditions so well that it came to represent quite accurately, truthfully even, the musical style of many and disparate interpreters.

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