Grândola Vila Morena
Encyclopedia
"Grândola, Vila Morena" is a Portuguese
song by Zeca Afonso
, that tells of the fraternity among the people of Grândola
, a town in the Alentejo. Salazar's
Estado Novo regime considered the song to be associated with Communism
, and as a result it was banned from being played or broadcast. On April 25, 1974, at 12:20AM the song was broadcast on Portuguese radio as a signal to start the revolution
that overthrew the regime
; it thus became commonly associated with the Carnation Revolution
and the beginning of democratic rule in Portugal
.
Grândola was first sung at a Zeca Afonso concert in Galicia´s capital of Santiago de Compostela, on May 10, 1972.
* Sometimes translated as "tanned village" or "brown village".
The highly disciplined verse form is notable. Each quatrain
is followed by a quatrain that repeats the identical lines in reverse order.
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
song by Zeca Afonso
Zeca Afonso
José Manuel Cerqueira Afonso dos Santos, known as Zeca Afonso or just Zeca , was born in Aveiro, Portugal, the son of José Nepomuceno Afonso, a judge, and Maria das Dores. Zeca is among the most influential folk and political musicians in Portuguese history...
, that tells of the fraternity among the people of Grândola
Grândola
Grândola is a town and municipality in Portugal with a total area of and a total population of 14,543 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 5 parishes and is located in Setúbal District....
, a town in the Alentejo. Salazar's
António de Oliveira Salazar
António de Oliveira Salazar, GColIH, GCTE, GCSE served as the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1932 to 1968. He also served as acting President of the Republic briefly in 1951. He founded and led the Estado Novo , the authoritarian, right-wing government that presided over and controlled Portugal...
Estado Novo regime considered the song to be associated with Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
, and as a result it was banned from being played or broadcast. On April 25, 1974, at 12:20AM the song was broadcast on Portuguese radio as a signal to start the revolution
Revolution
A revolution is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time.Aristotle described two types of political revolution:...
that overthrew the regime
Regime
The word regime refers to a set of conditions, most often of a political nature.-Politics:...
; it thus became commonly associated with the Carnation Revolution
Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
and the beginning of democratic rule in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
.
Grândola was first sung at a Zeca Afonso concert in Galicia´s capital of Santiago de Compostela, on May 10, 1972.
Lyrics
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The highly disciplined verse form is notable. Each quatrain
Quatrain
A quatrain is a stanza, or a complete poem, consisting of four lines of verse. Existing in various forms, the quatrain appears in poems from the poetic traditions of various ancient civilizations including Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and China; and, continues into the 21st century, where it is...
is followed by a quatrain that repeats the identical lines in reverse order.