Clementina De Jesus
The low voice of the partido-alto singer Clementina de Jesus was only disco… Read Full Bio ↴The low voice of the partido-alto singer Clementina de Jesus was only discovered outside her community when she was 62. Immediately acknowledged both nationally and internationally as a highly expressive singer, she still had time to participate in historic events like the Rosa de Ouro, Zicartola (at the Teatro Opinião), Noitada de Samba, and others. She has recorded and performed with artists of stature such as Nelson Cavaquinho, Turíbio Santos, Pixinguinha, João da Baiana, and many others. As a child, Clementina de Jesus listened to folkloric and religious music (jongo, partido-alto, ladainhas, etc.) sung by her mother. She remained an amateur for decades, participating in Carnaval blocos, and singing in church choirs and rodas de samba (samba get-togethers). After 20 years working as a maid, her career was launched in December 1964 by the classical guitarist Turíbio Santos at Kleber Santos' Teatro Jovem (Rio de Janeiro) in the show O Menestrel. A few months later, in 1965 when she was 63, Clementina de Jesus had her definitive public consecration after being featured in Hermínio Bello de Carvalho's musical Rosa de Ouro at the same theater. Performances, which also featured Araci Cortes, Paulinho da Viola, and Elton Medeiros, followed in Bahia and São Paulo. De Carvalho's first album was this live show, released in the same year as Rosa de Ouro, Vol. 1, followed by a second volume released two years later. On this album, Clementina de Jesus presented the virtually unknown genre of jongo with songs like "Benguelê" (Pixinguinha/Gastão Vianna) and "Boi Não Berra." She also performed sambas like "Sementes do Samba" (Hélio Cabral) and "Nasceste de Uma Semente" (José Ramos), and the lundu "Bate Canela." In August 1983 she was paid tribute by the Brazilian state government at Rio de Janeiro's Teatro Municipal. The gala event attracted many artists like Elizeth Cardoso, Beth Carvalho, Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira, João Nogueira, Paulinho da Viola, Gilberto Gil, Dona Zica, Dona Neuma, accompanied by the bateria (percussion section) of the Mangueira samba school. In 1985 de Jesus was decorated by the French government. Also known as Quelé (a corrupted use of her name) and as Rainha Ginga (Ginga Queen), she had her majesty truly expressed through this award.

In 1966 she represented Brazil together with Paulinho da Viola, Elizeth Cardoso, and Elton Medeiros at the Black Arts Festival in Dakar and Senegal. In the same year she performed at the Cecília Meireles Hall (in Rio) José Maria Neves' Missa de São Benedito, for tamba (Hélcio Milito) and voice. Also in that year she recorded her first individual LP, Clementina de Jesus. Together with Pixinguinha and João da Baiana, she participated in the album Gente da Antiga, produced by Odeon in 1968. In the same year she also appeared on the LP Mudando de Conversa, a recording of the show of the same name, along with Ciro Monteiro and Nora Ney, produced at the Teatro Santa Rosa (Rio de Janeiro). In 1970 she had another LP released, Clementina Cadê Você?, edited by the Museu da Imagem e do Som (Sound and Image Museum, Rio de Janeiro), with corimás, jongos, modas, and sambas. In 1973 she had thrombosis, but five months later recorded the LP Marinheiro Só, which had songs by Paulinho da Viola and adaptations of popular songs like "Fui Pedir Às Almas Santas," "Atraca, Atraca," and "Incelença." In that year she also participated in Milton Nascimento's Milagre dos Peixes, recording "Escravo de Jó" (Milton Nascimento/Fernando Brant). In 1982 she was paid tribute by the Lins Imperial samba school, with the play Clementina -- Uma Rainha Negra. In the next year she recorded with Doca and Geraldo Filme the LP Canto dos Escravos, in which she interpreted slave songs from Minas Gerais collected by the researcher Aires da Mata Machado Filho. In 1985 she recorded Clementina e Convidados, which had her composition "Laçador" (co-written by Catoni). The album also had as guests Clara Nunes, João Bosco, Roberto Ribeiro, Martinho da Vila, Ivone Lara, Adoniram Barbosa, and Carlinhos Vergueiro. De Jesus also performed live with Nelson Cavaquinho in São Paulo, upstate Rio de Janeiro, and in Curitiba, Paraná. Her last live performance was in 1987 at the Teatro Carlos Gomes (Rio de Janeiro).
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Marinheiro Só
Clementina De Jesus Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Eu não sou daqui - marinheiro só
Eu não tenho amor - marinheiro só
Eu sou da Bahia - marinheiro só
De São Salvador - marinheiro só

Eu não sou daqui - marinheiro só
Eu não tenho amor - marinheiro só
Eu sou da Bahia - marinheiro só
De São Salvador - marinheiro só




Ô, marinheiro marinheiro - marinheiro só
Ô, quem te ensinou a nadar - marinheiro só
Ou foi o tombo do navio - marinheiro só
Ou foi o balanço do mar - marinheiro só

Ô, marinheiro marinheiro - marinheiro só
Ô, quem te ensinou a nadar - marinheiro só
Ou foi o tombo do navio - marinheiro só
Ou foi o balanço do mar - marinheiro só

Lá vem, lá vem - marinheiro só
Como ele vem faceiro - marinheiro só
Todo de branco - marinheiro só
Com o seu bonezinho - marinheiro só

Lá vem, lá vem - marinheiro só
Como ele vem faceiro - marinheiro só
Todo de branco - marinheiro só
Com o seu bonezinho - marinheiro só

Ô, marinheiro marinheiro - marinheiro só
Ô, quem te ensinou a nadar - marinheiro só
Ou foi o tombo do navio - marinheiro só
Ou foi o balanço do mar - marinheiro só

Ô, marinheiro marinheiro - marinheiro só
Ô, quem te ensinou a nadar - marinheiro só
Ou foi o tombo do navio - marinheiro só
Ou foi o balanço do mar - marinheiro só

Lá vem, lá vem - marinheiro só
Como ele vem faceiro - marinheiro só
Todo de branco - marinheiro só
Com o seu bonezinho - marinheiro só

Lá vem, lá vem - marinheiro só
Como ele vem faceiro - marinheiro só
Todo de branco - marinheiro só
Com o seu bonezinho - marinheiro só

Overall Meaning

The song Marinheiro Só by Clementina De Jesus is about a sailor who is alone and has no love, but is proud of his origins, being from Salvador, Bahia. The repetition of the verse "Eu não sou daqui, marinheiro só" emphasizes the loneliness of the sailor, who is from a different land than the one he is in. The sailor is also proud of his profession, showcased in the chorus "Ô, marinheiro, marinheiro, marinheiro só/Ô, quem te ensinou a nadar".


The song reflects the life of sailors, who traveled far from their homes, alone and without love. The reference to the "tombo do navio" (falling of the ship) or "balanço do mar" (sway of the sea) suggests the dangers they face in their profession. The sailor's appearance in white clothes with a cap is typical of sailors at that time, highlighting their pride in their profession.


Line by Line Meaning

Eu não sou daqui - marinheiro só
I am not from here, just a lonely sailor.


Eu não tenho amor - marinheiro só
I have no love, just a lonely sailor.


Eu sou da Bahia - marinheiro só
I am from Bahia, just a lonely sailor.


De São Salvador - marinheiro só
From São Salvador, just a lonely sailor.


Ô, marinheiro marinheiro - marinheiro só
Oh, sailor sailor - just a lonely sailor.


Ô, quem te ensinou a nadar - marinheiro só
Who taught you how to swim - just a lonely sailor.


Ou foi o tombo do navio - marinheiro só
Or was it the falling of the ship - just a lonely sailor.


Ou foi o balanço do mar - marinheiro só
Or was it the sway of the sea - just a lonely sailor.


Lá vem, lá vem - marinheiro só
Here he comes, here he comes - just a lonely sailor.


Como ele vem faceiro - marinheiro só
How handsome he is - just a lonely sailor.


Todo de branco - marinheiro só
All dressed in white - just a lonely sailor.


Com o seu bonezinho - marinheiro só
With his little cap - just a lonely sailor.




Contributed by Chase I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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