Mafalda

I also have a sister, and her name is Mafalda. She's 21 and we are very close.

I haven't seen her for more than three months and I miss her. I am sure that she misses me too. Actually, some days ago, she must been missing me a lot, because she sent me a very sweet sms to let me know that she loves me very much... at 1.49 am...

Either she was drunk or she loves me truly!

Well, I and Mafalda have many things in common. At the end of the day, things in common are the ones which bring you close to other persons, and I think this is why I and Mafalda are so close. We have two other brothers and there would be many logical reasons for each one of us to feel closer to another one of them, but I guess it just didn't happen.

One of the things we share is the appreciation for another Mafalda: Mafalda Veiga, one Portuguese composer and singer.

I first heard about Mafalda Veiga in 1987, when, at the age of 21, she launched her first album, "Pássaros do Sul". This was a quiet unbalanced album, and I'm sure that the ones of you who remember this album do it basically because of the fact that many people have joked about the way Mafalda singed the single "Planície", after which lyrics the album was named. I tend to agree that this wasn't her best musical moment...

Many of you would have, however, to recognize that this album included also one of the most beautiful Portuguese pop songs of the late 80s: "Restolho". With this song, Mafalda showed very clearly what she would become some years after: a talented songwriter, able to compose beautiful melodies and write lyrics about those moments in life which many people identify them with. This song granted her the attention of many people who would never abandoned her ever after.

And she came a long way!

After two more albums ("Cantar" in 1988, and "Nada se Repete" in 1992), Mafalda entered a new era with her 1996 album "A Cor da Fogueira": a firmer voice, more intimate lyrics and passionate sonorities. "Tatuagem", launched in 1999, confirmed her maturity. The lyrics show now a deep attention to day-to-day small details, and the listeners cannot help to immediately establish a connection to them. At least, I can't!

Since then, Mafalda has launched a live album ("Mafalda Veiga Ao Vivo", 2000) and another original's ("Na Alma e na Pele", 2003), but "Tatuagem" is still my favorite. It has been my companion in many and different, yet important, moments of my recent life. And one can't ask much more from a music album, can we?