Playing the Lisbon Portuguese Guitarra by Ronald Louis Fernandez (continued)
Section15c. Açoreana Bonita. Words and Chords Shown below. Composed in 1972 by Artur Gaipo. Released on an 45 rpm EP entitled Uma Guitarra Nos Açores.





The words and music for this song was composed by Artur Gaipo in 1972 while living in Montreal. He located Adriano Pereira, who had immigrated from the Azores to sing the song for a professional recording. Adriano had a wonderful full voice. A local business man in the Portuguese immigrant community, António Mota, funded a recording session at RCA Studios in Montreal and then had the records pressed. This was released in a small quantity by Mil Records, 4068 Blvd. St. Laurent, Montreal.

Artur Gaipo played the lead melody on a cypress back Lisbon style Portuguese guitar. Fernando Rocha played a second part on a Brazilian Rosewood Lisboa style Guitarra. Ronald Fernandez (the present writer) played the Portuguese viola part on a Miguel Rodriguez Flamenco Guitar and José Marques played a bass part on a bass guitar made by Artur Gaipo.

Recently (2022) Rosa Cartwright, originally from Northern Portugal who had lived in the Azores, helped transcribe the words. She lived in Montreal when Artur lived and performed there. Daniel Gouveia, the composer of Fado Daniel, publisher, fine editor and fado scholar also helped with the transcription. I mention these two people because they are both native Portuguese speakers and I am not.  Their transcriptions were very close but there were few differences. I want to thank them both.

Here are a few points about this song.

The title uses an old spelling (Açoreana) of the now standard Açoriana.

The 2nd line of the 3rd verse may have originally been "De raça portuguesa" but it could be "De graça portuguesa". I hear it as graça, but Daniel transcribed it as raça and Rosa seem unsure but thought graça was prettier. Knowing Artur as I did and understanding the time he came from I think it might have been raça. I explain all of this so any singer can make their own decision about this ambiguity.

While the title means Beautiful Acorean Girl the song is really about the beauty of the Azores Islands. I like this uncertainty of the meaning
 





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Here are the words with chord symbols. The verse of the song starts in the key of A minor and for the chorus modulates to the key of A Major. There is a nice chromatic chord sequence (A, G#, G, F#) which is played between the 2nd and 3rd lines of the chorus.

AÇOREANA BONITA

(Verse)
Am          Dm
Açoreana bonita

               E7
Airosa e catita
                 Am
De graça serena
                       Dm
Teus olhos de romã
                         E
São como uma manhã
E7                  A
De sol ou um poema

---------------
( Chorus)
A
Açores

Terra dos meus amores
                                      A G# G F#
Jardins cheios de flores

F#7                   Bm     F#7  Bm
Nunca te esquecerei

Açores
  E7                        A
Tantos cravos e rosas
                  D
Raparigas airosas
   E7                     A
Terra onde me criei
---------------
(Verse)
Am                    Dm
Negros são teus olhos
                          E7
Com graça aos molhos
                        Am
Que prendem os meus
                      Dm
Que loucos desejos
                      E
Eu tenho ensejos
E7                  A
Dos lábios teus

----------------
(Repeat the chorus)
-----------------
(Verse)

Am                     Dm
És linda por natureza
                         E7
De raça (graça) portuguesa
                           Am
Como tu não há igual
                           Dm
Só teu nome dá glória
                            E
Porque estás na História
E7                 A
Do nosso Portugal
-----------------------
(Repeat the chorus)

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