Armando Zeferino Soares

Infobox_Person
name = Armando Zeferino Soares
birth_date = 1920
birth_place =
death_date = April 3, 2007
occupation = composer

Armando Zeferino Soares, (1920 in São Nicolau, Cape Verde - April 3, 2007) was a Capeverdean composer, author of the famous song Sodade. He was born in Praia Branca in the island of São Nicolau and worked there as a salesman.

He had several disputes due to the authorship of Sodade with other composers, including Amândio Cabral and Luís Morais. Finally on December 2006, the court declared Armando Soares the author of the famous song. He told the newspaper "A Semana" that he created the music in the 1950s in a farewell celebration to a group of friends that embarked for São Tomé e Príncipe.

Sodade

The song "Sodade" turned out to be emblematicFact|date=June 2008 to Cape Verde and its culture, mainly after the interpretation of Cesária Évora but also with the aid of a lot of other Capeverdean and foreign singers. "Sodade" became an unofficial anthemFact|date=June 2008 of the "islands of saudade".

"Sodade" describes with great simplicity the dilemma of Capeverdean emigrants' suffering, specially the ones who were hired to work (almost as slaves) in the cocoa and coffee plantations of São Tomé e Príncipe.

Here is the song written in the São Vicente Crioulo: Quem mostra' bo Ess caminho longe? Ess caminho Pa Sã Tomé Sodade Dess nha terra d’Sã Nicolau Si bô 'screvê' me 'M ta 'screvê be Si bô 'squecê me 'M ta 'squecê be Até dia Qui bô voltá(Armando Zeferino Soares, "Sodade" (excerpt))

English translation: Who told you Of this distant path? This path To São Tomé Sodade ("impossible to translate in a single word, see Saudade) Of my homeland of São Nicolau If you write me I'll write you If you forget me I'll forget you 'Till the day You come back(Armando Zeferino Soares, "Sodade" (excerpt translations))

External links

* [http://www.asemana.cv/article.php3?id_article=23465 Information from "A Semana"] "(in Portuguese)"
* [http://www.vozdipovo-online.com/noticias/cultura/armando_soares_autor_de_%93sodade%94_eternizada_pela_cesaria_evora_morreu/ Information from "Voz di Povo Online"] "(in Portuguese)"