Music

There are only a few pieces of music entirely attributable to Macau, notably Macau Lullaby, an old, traditional nursery rhyme.

Macau Lullaby:

An old Macanese nursery rhyme, some versions with bawdy lyrics

Ore, Harry, Music score

Programme of Concert by Ligia Pinto Ribeiro and Prof Harry Ore at Clube de Recreio, 6 May 1950

National Anthem of Portugal

Maria da Fonte

Os membros portugueses do Corpo Voluntário de Defesa de Hong Kong adoptaram, nos campos de prisioneiros-de-guerra, uma marcha, “Maria da Fonte”*. De acordo com Luigi Gosano, os japoneses proibiram o canto de qualquer Hino Nacional, então, os prisioneiros portugueses animavam os espíritos a cantar “Maria da Fonte”. O livro de Les Fisher, I will Remember p. 119, dá um relato ligeiramente diferente (em inglês):

Na mesma noite, o contingente de 200 pessoas partiu para destino desconhecido. Na saída os rapazes deram três vivas ao comandante do acampamento Honda, porque ele é o único que tivemos que foi decente conosco. Ao saírem cantaram uma canção de marcha portuguesa. Honda e todos os guardas ficaram em posição de sentido pensando que era o hino nacional.

*     Maria foi uma mulher da freguesia de Fontarcada que iniciou uma revolução na região do Minho, Portugal, em 1846 contra as políticas impopulares do ministro do governo António Bernardo da Costa Cabral. Isto deu origem à queda do governo. A revolução do Minho ficou com o nome dela. Angelo Frondoni compôs esta música que rapidamente ganhou popularidade e se tornou quase num segundo hino nacional português.

 The Portuguese members of the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps adopted in Prisoner-of-War camp a rousing marching song, “Maria da Fonte”*. According to #23424 Luigi Gosano , the Japanese forbade the singing of any national anthem, so the Portuguese prisoners raised their spirits by singing instead “Maria da Fonte”. Les Fisher’s book, I will Remember p. 119, gives a slightly different account:

The same evening the draft of 200 left for an unknown destination. As it left the lads gave three cheers for the camp commandant Honda, because he is the only one we have had who has been decent to us. As they left they sang a Portuguese marching song. Honda and all the guards then stood to attention thinking it was the national anthem.

*     Maria was a woman from the parish of Fontarcada in Portugal who sparked an uprising in the district of Minho, Portugal in 1846 against the unpopular policies of government minister António Bernardo da Costa Cabral. This led to the overthrow of the government. The Minho Revolution was named after her. Angelo Frondoni composed this tune which quickly gained popularity and is almost a second Portuguese national anthem.

My thanks to Bosco Correa for initiating interest in this, to Gerry McDougall and Tony Jorge da Silva for research into the background, to Meno Baptista for relaying the story from Luigi Gosano, and to Peter Guterres for suggestions on translation. – HdA

Unga casa macaista

A popular traditional Portuguese song with Macanese words

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