I’m sure you who study Portuguese are all up to your necks from hearing about Noel Rosa, Zeca Pagodinho, Jorge Ben Jor, and Exaltasamba and how these are all samba and whatnot. Which isn’t untrue. But when was the last time you heard something new? I feel like it’s the cool new hipster thing to listen to independent bands, so why not independent samba bands?
Here’s a song from a São Paulo based band (ok, ok, this is a plug, they’re friends of mine…), A Caçamba de Dona Madalena. It’s really hard to find samba bands whose components aren’t under 50 years old, so it’s really refreshing to listen to these guys who are all in their 20s and know that this genre will certainly live on!! I’ve done my best with the lyrics below 🙂
Do you guys know of any other independent Brazilian bands you’d like me to check out and post lyrics for here?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs7l3JqQgxw
Alice
by Fernando Mostaço da Mata e Lucas Marques.
Alice se vira na vida
Que a vida te vira
Te leva pra frente
Vovó já falou
Que viver de rancor
É só um cobertor
Pra essa dor que se sente
Vai pro Equador
Lá faz muito calor
Pensativo que sou
Não serei convincente
Alice se vira na vida
Que a vida te vira
Te leva pra frente
A TV já chegou
A rotina cansou
O amor acabou
Mas viverá contente
Lhe entreguei uma flor
O seu rosto corou
Esse gesto calhou
para dias mais quentes
Como te ver tranqüila?
Um sonho não te anima?
Quero te ver menina
Em nuvens de parafina
Vovó já falou
Que viver de rancor
É só um cobertor
Pra essa dor que se sente
Lhe entreguei uma flor
O seu rosto corou
Esse gesto calhou para dias mais quentes
Como te ver tranqüila?
Um sonho não te anima?
Quero te ver menina
Em nuvens de parafina
Alice se vira na vida
Que a vida te vira
Te leva pra frente
Comments:
Ed Hoos:
I like this. Thanks for sharing.
alice:
Is this samba?
Charles:
loved the jazzy quality of this song.
Jeremy:
Two relatively young paulistana samba groups I enjoy are Quinteto Em Preto E Branco and Dose Certa. Both play more traditional samba de mesa/pagode/partido alto styles of samba. I don’t know how much of what they are doing are originals because the song is not often credited to the original artist on youtube or it’s assumed to be known because the popular older songs are generally in wide circulation.
Several carioca acts that come to mind are Bambas de Berço, composed of some of the children of well known sambistas, and some of the younger lapa set, particularly Marcos Sacramento and Moyseis Marques, who I am honorored to be able to call a friend.
Traditional styles of samba are definitely not going away, even with the younger crowd. I honestly don’t know how “independent” any of these groups are – I’m undereducated on the workings of the record industry in Brazil. They’re definitely not operating at Revelação/Exaltasamba levels of support.
polyana:
thanks for the comments and the suggestions of other bands to check out!