Grândola, Vila Morena
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"Grândola, Vila Morena" (English: ''Grândola, Swarthy Town'') is a
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
song by singer-songwriter
José Afonso José Manuel Cerqueira Afonso dos Santos (2 August 1929 – 23 February 1987), known professionally as José Afonso and also popularly known as Zeca Afonso or simply Zeca, was a Portuguese singer-songwriter. One of the most influential folk and ...
, recorded in 1971. It was originally released in Afonso's 1971 album ''
Cantigas do Maio ''Cantigas do Maio'' (English: "Songs of May") is the fifth studio album by Portuguese singer-songwriter José Afonso. It was released in December 1971 by Portuguese label Orfeu. It is widely considered the best of Afonso's career and one of the a ...
'' and later released in an EP of the same name in 1973, and as a
single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...
in 1977. "Grândola, Vila Morena" became an iconic song in Portugal after being used as a radio-broadcast signal by the Portuguese Armed Forces Movement during their
military coup A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such ...
operation in the morning of 25 April 1974, which led to the
Carnation Revolution The Carnation Revolution ( pt, Revolução dos Cravos), also known as the 25 April ( pt, 25 de Abril, links=no), was a military coup by left-leaning military officers that overthrew the authoritarian Estado Novo regime on 25 April 1974 in Lisbo ...
and the transition to democracy in Portugal. It has since been considered a symbol of the revolution and
anti-fascism Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were ...
.


Composition and structure

José Afonso was inspired to write a song about the town of
Grândola Grândola () is a town (''vila'') and municipality in Setúbal District in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 14,826, in an area of 825.94 km2. Included in this municipality is Tróia (part of Carvalhal parish), a peninsula between the At ...
after performing at the ''Sociedade Musical Fraternidade Operária Grandolense'', a working-class musical fraternity in Grândola, on 17 May 1964. Afonso created the lyrics and melody while driving back home from Grândola. In the car were also guitarists
Carlos Paredes Carlos Paredes ComSE (; 16 February 1925 – 23 July 2004) was a virtuoso Portuguese guitar player and composer. He is regarded as one of the greatest players of Portuguese guitar of all-time. Born in Coimbra, Portugal, in a family with a ...
and Fernando Alvim. "Grândola, Vila Morena" is an
a capella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...
song, sung in the style of cante alentejano, which tells about the fraternity among the people of
Grândola Grândola () is a town (''vila'') and municipality in Setúbal District in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 14,826, in an area of 825.94 km2. Included in this municipality is Tróia (part of Carvalhal parish), a peninsula between the At ...
, a town in the
Alentejo Alentejo ( , ) is a geographical, historical, and cultural region of south–central and southern Portugal. In Portuguese, its name means "beyond () the Tagus river" (''Tejo''). Alentejo includes the regions of Alto Alentejo and Baixo Alent ...
region of
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
. Each
quatrain A quatrain is a type of stanza, or a complete poem, consisting of four lines. Existing in a variety of forms, the quatrain appears in poems from the poetic traditions of various ancient civilizations including Persia, Ancient India, Ancient Greec ...
of the song is first sung solo, and is followed by a quatrain that repeats the same lines in reverse order, this time sung by a choir.


Recording

The recording of the album ''
Cantigas do Maio ''Cantigas do Maio'' (English: "Songs of May") is the fifth studio album by Portuguese singer-songwriter José Afonso. It was released in December 1971 by Portuguese label Orfeu. It is widely considered the best of Afonso's career and one of the a ...
'', in which "Grândola, Vila Morena" was included, took place at the Strawberry Studio in
Château d'Hérouville The Château d'Hérouville is a French 18th century château located in the village of Hérouville, in the Val d'Oise département of France, near Paris. The château was built in 1740 by "Gaudot", an architect of the school of Rome, from the r ...
, in Hérouville,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, in October 1971. It was arranged and produced by
José Mário Branco José Mário Branco (25 May 1942 – 19 November 2019) was a Portuguese singer-songwriter, actor, and record producer. Biography José Mário Branco was born in Porto, the son of primary school teachers, and became politically involved in the ...
, an also notorious Portuguese singer-songwriter of '' canções de intervenção'' (Portuguese protest songs), whom Afonso had met and befriended in 1969, in France. The footsteps that can be heard throughout the song marking the rhythm were recorded on an early morning, on a
gravel Gravel is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally throughout the world as a result of sedimentary and erosive geologic processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone. Gravel is classifi ...
floor outside of the studio building. Branco, Afonso and two other musicians, Francisco Fanhais and Carlos Correia, went out at 3 a.m. to do the recording, in order to avoid the noise caused by passing cars on a nearby road. Later that day, in the afternoon, the vocals were recorded in the studio.


Live performances

The song was performed live by José Afonso for the first time at a show in
Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St ...
,
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
, on 10 May 1972. The show was part of an event organized by students involved in anti-
Francoism Francoist Spain ( es, España franquista), or the Francoist dictatorship (), was the period of Spanish history between 1939 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death in 1975, Spai ...
. On 29 March 1974, Afonso participated in a concert event at the
Coliseu dos Recreios The Coliseu dos Recreios (also known as Coliseu de Lisboa) is a multi-purpose auditorium located in Lisbon, Portugal. History The main building was constructed within a metal lattice by Francisco Goulard between 1888 and 1890. While the facade ...
in
Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
, called "First Meeting of the Portuguese Song" (Portuguese: ''Primeiro Encontro da Canção Portuguesa''). This was an event sponsored by Casa da Imprensa in which several folk singer-songwriters and musicians with anti- Estado Novo inclinations participated.J. Leitão, M. Romeiras
Relatório I Encontro da Canção Portuguesa
Secretaria de Estado da Informação e Turismo, 1 April 1974.
The state censorship still operated in the event, and Afonso was forbidden from performing some of his songs with more political messages, such as "Venham Mais Cinco" and "A Morte Saiu à Rua". "Grândola, Vila Morena", however, was not seen as a subversive song and was allowed to be performed. Afonso was the last performer of the evening and sang "Grândola, Vila Morena", which was received with enthusiasm by the audience. In a report covering the event, agents of the State Secretariat of Information and Tourism who were in the attendance described Afonso's performance: «Finally José Afonso also sang. But first all the artists joined their arms and began swinging their bodies from left to right, to which they were joined by the audience. He performed "Grândola, Vila Morena" and "Milho Verde" and again "Grândola", accompanied by the audience, which screamed, we think intentionally, the line "''o povo é quem mais ordena''" ("the people are the ones who order the most"). The ending can be considered apotheotic, with light effects focusing on the artists and the audience.»


Role in the Carnation Revolution

In early 1970's, a number of José Afonso's songs were banned by the Estado Novo censors from being publicly played or broadcast, as they were considered to be associated with
Communism Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
. "Grândola, Vila Morena" was not one of banned songs.
Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho Otelo Nuno Romão Saraiva de Carvalho, GCL (; 31 August 1936 – 25 July 2021) was a Portuguese military officer. He was the chief strategist of the 1974 Carnation Revolution in Lisbon. After the Revolution, Otelo assumed leadership roles in t ...
, the chief strategist of the military coup by the Armed Forces Movement (MFA), needed a signal that could be transmitted nationwide via radio to all the military officers of the MFA, to indicate the start of their operation. His initial idea was to transmit Afonso's song "Venham Mais Cinco", but João Paulo Diniz, a radio host who took part in the plan, convinced Saraiva de Carvalho that it was not a good idea since the song was forbidden by censors and that would raise suspicion. Two signals were then decided: the first would be
Paulo de Carvalho Paulo de Carvalho (born Manuel Paulo de Carvalho Costa, in Lisbon, on 15 May 1947) is a Portuguese singer. Career Carvalho co-founded the band The Sheiks in 1965. He sang and played the drums. He also played an instrumental role, either as a fo ...
's " E Depois do Adeus" (which was the Portuguese entry in the Eurovision Song Contest of 1974) and the second would be Afonso's "Grândola, Vila Morena". The plan was to transmit the first signal at 22:55 on 24 April, and the second signal between 00:00 and 01:00 on 25 April. "E Depois do Adeus" was aired by the Emissores Associados de Lisboa at 22:55, on 24 April 1974. "Grândola, Vila Morena" was afterwards aired by
Rádio Renascença Rádio Renascença, also known as 'RR' or just 'Renascença' (Renaissance in English), is a private, commercial radio station in Portugal, owned by various organizations within the Portuguese Catholic Church: among others, the Patriarchate of Lis ...
, at 00:20 on 25 April 1974. None of the radio hosts involved were aware that there was a plan for a
coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...
. After the broadcasts, strategic points in Portugal were occupied by the MFA troops. The military coup operation was successful and resulted in the
Carnation Revolution The Carnation Revolution ( pt, Revolução dos Cravos), also known as the 25 April ( pt, 25 de Abril, links=no), was a military coup by left-leaning military officers that overthrew the authoritarian Estado Novo regime on 25 April 1974 in Lisbo ...
, which overthrew the dictatorship of the Estado Novo regime and marked the beginning of the transition to democracy in Portugal.


Legacy


Political legacy

"Grândola, Vila Morena" continues to be sung in celebrations of the
Carnation Revolution The Carnation Revolution ( pt, Revolução dos Cravos), also known as the 25 April ( pt, 25 de Abril, links=no), was a military coup by left-leaning military officers that overthrew the authoritarian Estado Novo regime on 25 April 1974 in Lisbo ...
every year in Portugal, on 25 April. On 15 February 2013, the
Prime Minister of Portugal The prime minister of Portugal ( pt, primeiro-ministro; ) is the head of government of Portugal. As head of government, the prime minister coordinates the actions of ministers, represents the Government of Portugal to the other bodies of state, ...
was interrupted by a rendition of the song in the Assembly of the Republic (Portuguese Parliament). Protesters in the Assembly's public galleries, unhappy with the contemporary social and economic policies, expressed their discontent through the song. In September 2020, protests against the Portuguese far-right party Chega in
Évora Évora ( , ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. It has 53,591 inhabitants (2021), in an area of 1307.08 km2. It is the historic capital of the Alentejo and serves as the seat of the Évora District. Due to its well-preserved old to ...
were marked by crowds singing "Grândola, Vila Morena".


Cover versions

Various artists from around the world have recorded cover versions of "Grândola, Vila Morena". Portuguese artists who have covered the song include
Amália Rodrigues Amália da Piedade Rebordão Rodrigues GCSE, GCIH (23 July 1920 – 6 October 1999), better known as Amália Rodrigues () or popularly as Amália, was a Portuguese '' fadista'' (fado singer) and actress. Known as the 'Rainha do Fado' ("Queen ...
,
Dulce Pontes Dulce José Silva Pontes (; born 8 April 1969) is a Portuguese songwriter and singer who performs in many musical styles, including pop, folk, and classical music. She is usually defined as a world music artist. Her songs contributed to the 1990s ...
, Roberto Leal and UHF. Internationally, it has been covered by
Nara Leão Nara Lofego Leão (; January 19, 1942 – June 7, 1989) was a Brazilian bossa nova and MPB (popular Brazilian music) singer and occasional actress. Her husband was Carlos Diegues, director and writer of ''Bye Bye Brasil''. Life Leão was born ...
,
Franz Josef Degenhardt Franz Josef Degenhardt (3 December 193114 November 2011) was a German poet, satirist, novelist, and – first and foremost – a folksinger/songwriter ( Liedermacher) with decidedly left-wing politics. He was also a lawyer, bearing the academic d ...
,
Charlie Haden Charles Edward Haden (August 6, 1937 – July 11, 2014) was an American jazz double bass player, bandleader, composer and educator whose career spanned more than 50 years. In the late 1950s, he was an original member of the ground-breaking ...
,
Agit-Prop Agitprop (; from rus, агитпроп, r=agitpróp, portmanteau of ''agitatsiya'', "agitation" and ''propaganda'', "propaganda") refers to an intentional, vigorous promulgation of ideas. The term originated in Soviet Russia where it referred to ...
,
Betagarri Betagarri is a Spanish ska band from Vitoria-Gasteiz in the Basque Autonomous Community The Basque Country (; eu, Euskadi ; es, País Vasco ), also called Basque Autonomous Community ( eu, Euskal Autonomia Erkidegoa, links=no, EAE; es, Com ...
,
Autoramas The Autoramas are a Brazilian surf/garage rock/ garage punk/rockabilly band that started in the late 90s and continue playing to this day. History The Autoramas was formed by Gabriel Thomaz (guitar and vocals) that, after becoming known w ...
, Reincidentes and Garotos Podres. A version by Spanish singers
Cecilia Krull Cecilia Krull (born 29 June 1986) is a Spanish singer best known as the singer of "Something's Triggered", the theme song of ''Three Steps Above Heaven'', and " My Life Is Going On", the main theme song of '' Money Heist''. Biography Born to a ...
and Pablo Alborán is included in Season 5 of the
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
series '' Money Heist''.


Track listing

''Grândola, Vila Morena'' (1973 EP) * A1: "Grândola, Vila Morena" * A2: "Moda do Entrudo" * B1: "Traz Outro Amigo Também" * B2: "Carta a Miguel Djéje" ''Grândola, Vila Morena'' (1977 single) * A1: "Grândola, Vila Morena" * B1: "Traz Outro Amigo Também"


See also

*
Carnation Revolution The Carnation Revolution ( pt, Revolução dos Cravos), also known as the 25 April ( pt, 25 de Abril, links=no), was a military coup by left-leaning military officers that overthrew the authoritarian Estado Novo regime on 25 April 1974 in Lisbo ...
* Armed Forces Movement


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grandola Vila Morena 1971 songs Carnation Revolution Grândola Portuguese patriotic songs Portuguese-language songs Portuguese songs Songs about Portugal