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Aquarela do Brasil
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Wikipedia article
"'Aquarela do Brasil'" (, 'Watercolor of Brazil'), written by Ary Barroso in 1939 and known in the English-speaking world simply as "'Brazil'", is one of the most famous Brazilian songs.
Background and composition
Ary Barroso wrote "Aquarela do Brasil" in early 1939, when he was prevented from leaving his home one rainy night due to a heavy storm. Its title, a reference to watercolor painting, is a clear reference to the rain. He also wrote "Trs lgrimas" (Three Teardrops) on that same night, before the rain ended. [http://cifrantiga3.blogspot.com/2006/04/aquarela-do-brasil.html About "Aquarela do Brasil" at blog Cifra Antiga]. Accessed on March 30, 2009.
Describing the song in an interview to Marisa Lira, of the newspaper 'Dirio de Notcias', Barroso said that he wanted to "free the samba away from the tragedies of life, of the sensual scenario already so explored". According to the composer, he "felt all the greatness, the value and the wealth of our land", reliving "the tradition of the national panels".
Initially, he wrote the first chords, which he defined as "vibrant", and a "plangent of emotions". The original beat "sang on [his] imagination, highlighting the sound of the rain, on syncope beats of fantastic tambourins". According to him, "the rest came naturally, music and lyrics at once". He declared to have felt like another person after writing the song.
Release and reception
Before being recorded, "Aquarela do Brasil", initially named "Aquarela brasileira", was performed by the baritone on 'Joujoux e Balangandans', a benefit concert sponsored by Darci Vargas, then the First Lady of Brazil. It was then recorded by Francisco de Morais Alves, arranged by Radams Gnattali and his orchestra, and released by Odeon Records in August 1939. Dicionrio Cravo Albin de Msica Popular Brasileira. [http://www.dicionariompb.com.br/detalhe.asp?nome=Ary+Barroso&tabela=T_FORM_A&qdetalhe=art Ary Barroso - Artistic database] . Accessed on March 30, 2009. It was also recorded by Araci Cortes, but despite the singer's huge popularity at the time, the song was not a success, perhaps because the song was not adjusted to her tenor voice.
"Aquarela do Brasil" took a while to succeed. In 1940, it was not among the top three songs of that year's Carnival in Rio. The president of the jury was Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Barroso, offended that his masterpiece was not on the list, ended his relationship with him. The two men would only speak to each other again fifteen years later, when both received the National Order of Merit.
The song only became famous after it was included in Walt Disney's 1942 animated film 'Saludos Amigos', sung by Alosio de Oliveira. After that, the song became known not only in Brazil, but worldwide, becoming the first Brazilian song to be played over a million times on American radio. Due to the huge popularity achieved in the United States, it received an English version by songwriter Bob Russell.
It was voted by the Brazilian edition of 'Rolling Stone' as the 12th greatest Brazilian song.
Controversy
This song, because of its exaltation of Brazil's great qualities, marked the creation of a new genre within samba, known as (exaltation samba). This musical movement, with its extremely patriotic nature, was seen by many as being favorable to the dictatorship of Getlio Vargas, generating criticism towards Barroso and his work, which was perceived as Barroso's prostration to the regime. The Barroso family, however, strongly denies these claims, pointing out that he also wrote an anti-Nazi song named "Salada Mista" (Mixed salad), recorded by Carmen Miranda in October 1938. Vargas, although not a fascist himself, was as sympathetic to such regimes in the early years of his presidency as the European governments of the time.THOMPSON, Daniella. [http://daniellathompson.com/Texts/Ary_Barroso/Salada_Mista.htm "The political side of Ary Barroso"]. Published on August 6, 2002. Accessed on March 30, 2009.
The Department of Press and Propaganda, the official censorship body of the regime, wanted to censor the verse "terra do samba e do pandeiro" ("land of samba and the pandeiro"), which was seen as being "derogatory" for Brazil's image. Barroso persuaded the censors to keep the line. . Accessed on March 30, 2009. [https://web.archive.org/web/20091019052148/http://br.geocities.com/musicaschiado/AquareladoBrasil.htm Archived] 2009-10-25.
Some criticism to the song, at the time, was that it used expressions little known by the general public, such as "inzoneiro", "merencria", and "trigueiro" (intriguing, melancholic, and swarthy), and that he was too redundant in the verses "meu Brasil brasileiro" ("my Brazilian Brazil") and "esse coqueiro que d coco" ("this coconut palm that produces coconut"). The composer defended his work, saying that these expressions were poetic effects inseparable from the original composition. On the original recording, Alves sang "mulato risoneiro" (laughing mulatto) instead of "inzoneiro" because he was unable to understand Barroso's illegible handwriting. . Accessed on March 30, 2009. [https://web.archive.org/web/20091019052148/http://br.geocities.com/musicaschiado/AquareladoBrasil.htm Archived] 2009-10-25.
Lyrics
{|class="toccolours" cellpadding="10" rules="cols"
!Portuguese lyrics!!English translation from the Portuguese!!S. K. (Bob) Russell English Lyrics
|-
|-
|
|
My intriguing mulatto,
I will sing you in my verses:
Brazil, samba that gives,
A swaying that makes you waddle;
Brazil of my love,
Land of our Lord.
Brazil! Brazil! For me! For me!
Oh, open the curtains of the past;
Take the black Mother from the cerrado;*
Put the Congo king in the congado.
Brazil! Brazil!
Let the minstrel sing again,
Under the melancholic moonlight,
All the songs of my love.
I want to see this lady walking,
Through the halls, dragging
Her garments made of lace.
Brazil! Brazil! For me! For me!
Brazil, beautiful and pleasant land,
Of the mischievous brunette little girl,
With her air of indifference.
Brazil, a greenness that is offered
For the admiration of the world.
Brazil of my love,
Land of our Lord.
Brazil! Brazil! For me! For me!
This coconut tree that gives coconuts,
Where I tie my hammock
In the bright moonlit nights.
Brazil! Brazil!
Oh! These murmuring fountains,
Where I quench my thirst,
And where the moon comes to play.
Oh! This Brazil, beautiful and swarthy,
Is my Brazilian Brazil,
Land of samba and tambourine,
Brazil! Brazil! For me! For me!
|
Brazil ...
The Brazil that I knew
Where I wandered with you
Lives in my imagination
Where the songs are passionate
And a smile has flash in it
And a kiss has art in it
For you put your heart in it
And so I dream of old ...
'(Most recordings start here)'
Brazil ...
Where hearts were entertaining June
We stood beneath an amber moon
And softly murmer'd "some day soon"
We kissed and clung together
Then
Tomorrow was another day
The morning found me miles away
With still a million things to say
Now
When twilight dims the sky above
Recalling thrills of our love
There's one thing I'm certain of
Return I will
To old Brazil
|}
The Portuguese lyrics are as sung by Francisco Alves (chorus in brackets). The S. K. Russel English version is from the sheet music by Southern Music Publishing Company. The tune of the first four lines of the introduction is the same as the first instrumental break in the Alves version.
Notable recordings
recording on Decca, 18460B. 2008 Grammy Hall of Fame inductee.The song has received many successful recordings through the years, being played in many different genres, ranging from its original samba genre to disco. It is one of the 20 most recorded songs of all time.
In 1943, Spanish-born bandleader Xavier Cugat reached number two on the Best Sellers List and number nine on the Harlem Hit Parade with his version of "Brazil". Django Reinhardt recorded "Brazil" three times between 1947 and 1953. In 1957, Frank Sinatra recorded the song in 'Come Fly With Me'. He was followed by other successful artists of the time such as Bing Crosby, Ray Conniff, and Paul Anka.
During the Brazilian military dictatorship, MPB singer Elis Regina performed what is perhaps the darkest version ever of "Aquarela do Brasil", accompanied by a chorus of men reproducing chants of the Native Brazilians. In 1975, American band The Ritchie Family reached number-one on the 'Billboard' Hot Dance Club Play chart for seven weeks and number eleven Pop with their disco version of the song.Other successful Brazilian singers such as Antnio Carlos Jobim, Erasmo Carlos, Joo Gilberto (with Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and Maria Bethnia), Gal Costa, and Simone also recorded versions of the song at the same period.
The song was featured prominently in Terry Gilliam's 1985 film 'Brazil', which was named after it. It was recorded by Geoff Muldaur for the soundtrack, but parts of the song were also incorporated throughout the orchestral score by Michael Kamen, including a Kate Bush version. Afterwards, in the 1990s, it was recorded by both Harry Belafonte and Dionne Warwick.
In 2007, singer-songwriter Daniela Mercury, which recorded the most recent cover of the song by a Brazilian artist, was invited to perform the song at the end of the opening ceremony of the XV Pan American Games, held in Rio de Janeiro.
In 2009, the Recording Academy added the 1942 recording of "Brazil (Aquarela do Brasil)" by Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra, released as Decca 18460B, to the Grammy Hall of Fame.[http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/3415503.php 28 Titles Being Added to Grammy Hall of Fame][http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/awards/hall-of-fame Grammy Hall of Fame award] Jimmy Dorsey was the first to record the song on July 14, 1942, and release it with the English lyrics by Bob Russell sung by Bob Eberly and Helen O'Connell.[http://www.secondhandsongs.com/performance/159067 Brazil. Second Hand Songs.]
Also in 2009, American band Beirut performed "Brazil" for their live DVD 'Beirut: Live At The Music Hall Of Williamsburg'.
ITV used a cover of this song by Thiago Thom as the theme song for their coverage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup which took place in Brazil in June and July 2014. During the tournament's opening ceremony, its first verses were performed live by Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte before being joined onstage by Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez to sing "We Are One (Ole Ola)".
Usage in popular culture
'Films'
'Television programs'
References
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