How Language and Music Became My Calling

My fingers are so sore… — I remarked to my dad when I was twelve years old trying to make a bar chord properly. I was determined to play Mmmbop, the hit from my first favourite band which I was exposed to at school during recess time, on the radio. The music was so different and so good! Without even seeing them at that point, I heard in excitement the radio announcer saying  the band was very young, they were only pre-teens but they would write their own songs! I was inspired, so dad would try to come up with chords that would make sense by ear, and teach them to me.
By the way, what does Mmmbop mean? — dad asked. That was the question that would begin an avalanche of curiosity and discovery.

In Brazil, as a Portuguese native country (yes, not ”brazilian speaking" as many would assume), no one relates to English as well as Spanish, because of the language distance. It was there, on the radio, on MTV, but honestly, we couldn‘t understand a thing. It seems that the rhythm was what mattered the most. But for me, it was not enough, and learning what people had to say in such a captivating way, was an easy road to take.

From Literal Translation to Worship Song Adaptation

In 1997, the Internet was not a thing in people‘s lives. The home computer came to me at least five years later, but all I needed at that time was the dictionary, my dad, who was versed in black and white wild west american movies, and my pen. That was when I came to my first attempts at literal song translation from English to Portuguese, and things like “the way you walk around me” were translated as “o caminho por onde você me cerca” (the circuit in which you would close me in). Very hard to convince my mother they were a nice cheerful band to be a fan of in my early teens.

Church, Community, and the Birthplace of Songs

As a Christian family church goer, we would sing a lot. I remember being in the choir and the leader would come up with a new song. They were such good quality songs, having the right energy and many interesting elements to learn to sing! — This is from Hosana Music, from Ron Kenoly, she said. At that time, Igreja Bíblica da Paz was recording albums and was probably the main church group putting foreign music to church life in Brazil. This pastor was responsible to translate and make versions of those energetic and grand music pieces. The exercise of learning them in English and in Portuguese, and testifying to worship services, made me improve my judgement immensely. 

My radio devotion kept going strong, as the Rádio Gospel in Brazil would bring pop and alternative music styles to the plate. Got some new favourites like DC Talk, Jars of Clay, Newsboys and Kirk Franklin, and at that point, I had a thick file (not digital, analogic, yes) of typewritten originals and translated songs with chords. Really thick, like an open hand thick, believe me.

Fast forward when cd players turned into dvd players and Christian media was my addiction, I got to see a beautiful purple and pink dvd cover, with a radiant blond woman smile and the title “Blessed” at my cousin‘s vast collection. I screamed — Do you have this! Oh my God, I always saw this cover on the shelves but never could afford it. You are so lucky! Do you want to borrow? — she said. And that is how she never saw that dvd again. 

How can I describe that album? A feast. An abundant gracious feast of everything I could only dream of. Every single time I would hear “Hear our prayer...” I would be crying my guts out. It is just impossible not to. My heart was burning so high that I thought I had an epiphany — more people need to experience this. That is when I began my early experiments in worship song adaptation for congregational singing.

For me it was not enough to understand it and have my personal worship moments. I felt eager to have my friends get to know those powerful cries and statements in praise, so I knew they would grow in their relationship with Christ. I ended up having  the opportunity to do it, in a small Baptist Church, when invited to lead worship for the first time, due to the absence of all other worship leaders that day. I was not prepared but I was ready.

Bit by bit, and having a good relationship with my worship pastor, I was able to introduce some versions I had done of international music. That was a time of testing and learning what would work for our services. It was a great challenge, to get wordings and song choices right to better serve our community. I needed that gracious moment to be put forward. ‘Til the time it was time to go to Hillsong International College, where I officially began translating and adapting worship songs within a church context, in Sydney Australia.

Hillsong, Global Worship, and Cross-Cultural Formation

I might say it is uncomfortable to be a 29 year old exchange student amongst 18 year olds, sons and daughters of pastors, worship leaders and with proper music education together in a worship class, especially if you lack all of it. But I was amongst the best, and I couldn‘t believe I was there. This was beyond my dreams yet it felt familiarly godlike stuff.

I got to have a pastoral foundation there, with theology, world religions, Christian history and a lot of pastoral care, which gave me great insights on people‘s cultures and struggles. Got to share life with people from all places of the world, in and out of church, as Australia only can offer. Embraced the unsponsored student life working as a barista, a face painter, and handwoman for party decorations, all of that while refining my choruses, verses and bridges to look good in the Songwriting stream classes.

It was 2 years immersed in Hillsong Church life, seeing ridiculous amazing things every day, being in awe of God‘s love and having zero control over things, ha! It was not about my English language or Portuguese language advancements, it was about life, about roots, about the collective, about culture, about loving others, about a commission you are not fit for, yet you are found as an intrinsic part in its fulfillment. Stronger than any song, is the community where it was born in, and how they live what they sing. How it resonates is consequence. 

Official Song Versions and Life in Congregational Worship

In this College, I was officially translating songs with the team, mostly sung in Nations Festivities items and some partner churches around Brazil, but I could not see what was coming. Even being inside, I couldn‘t dare to think or wish for anything like having Hillsong Church in my city. That racked me in a life turning way. I decided to be at the birth of Hillsong São Paulo, have the experience of church planting and living the dream I never dared to have, back at home!

Now I had the culture of the song's birth permeating the songs in worship services. It was not like imported great songs, it was ours, fruit of our church life, and in Portuguese. What we lived there was indescribable. The power of the collective worship, in one voice, amazes me more than anything. That season of half a decade was the most productive in terms of official versions I got to be part of.

I have embraced more jobs, like christian blogs translations and videos subtitling, and partnered with the legend Toni Romero for some more song adaptations for Portuguese. It has been an amazing journey, piling up incredible seasons and memorable moments. But for every pick, there is a whole mountain of work, research, study and experimentation underneath. 

I‘m humbled to have song adaptations recorded and sung so many times in worship, and even more proud about those that stick to memory, reminded in those narrow spaces, where only the Holy Spirit can whisper, that I will probably never have a feedback from. 

Why I Continue Translating Worship Songs Today

What enables me to invest in producing song versions is the experience I got with a multitude of songs in thousands of services I have been in, in Brazil, EUA, Australia and Portugal, but also, in quiet moments, sometimes dark, that I could remember a resounding tune carrying back to my heart those words of truth that I desperately needed.

That is why I keep doing it. The fisherman mission. There are people waiting to be found, and they are under many different waters needing to hear something that resonates with them, so they can follow it. There are many words yet to be spoken like hooks. Too many to be limited by a language barrier or one local culture. Every type of fish needs adequate gear to be caught. May I be a good hook maker.

Today, I help churches and artists bring worship songs across cultures by creating Portuguese worship lyric versions that remain faithful to the original message while fully alive in a new language.