Alceu Valenca was born in countryside Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil. He is considered the most successful artist in achieving an aesthetic balance between traditional northeastern Brazilian music and a broad range of electronic sounds and effects from pop music. One can find traces of maracatu, coco and "repentes de viola" (improvising fast-paced Brazilian folk music) in most of his songs. Alceu was able to utilize the electric guitar the electric bass, and lately even a synthesizer was added to his broad scope of musical instruments.
Because of that, Alceu was able to recreate Northeastern traditional music, like baiao, coco, toada, maracatu, frevo, caboclinhos, embolada and repentes: all sung with a sometimes rock sometimes alternative sounding music background. His music and his themes are intangible, universal and unlimited. However, his aesthetic basis is genuinely Brazilian Northeastern music.
Anunciação/Tomara
Alceu Valença Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Na bruma leve das paixões
Que vêm de dentro
Tu vens chegando
Prá brincar no meu quintal
No teu cavalo
Peito nu, cabelo ao vento
Nossas roupas no varal...(2x)
Tu vens, tu vens
Eu já escuto os teus sinais
Tu vens, tu vens
Eu já escuto os teus sinais...
A voz do anjo
Sussurrou no meu ouvido
Eu não duvido
Já escuto os teus sinais
Que tu virias
Numa manhã de domingo
Eu te anuncio
Nos sinos das catedrais...
Tu vens, tu vens
Eu já escuto os teus sinais
Tu vens, tu vens
Eu já escuto os teus sinais...
Ah! ah! ah! ah! ah! ah!
Ah! ah! ah! ah! ah! ah!...
------------------------------------
Tomara
Alceu Valença
Tomara meu Deus, tomara
Que tudo que nos separa
Não frutifique, não valha
Tomara, meu Deus
Tomara meu Deus, tomara
Que tudo que nos amarra
Só seja amor, malha rara
Tomara, meu Deus
Tomara meu Deus, tomara
E o nosso amor se declara
Muito maior, e não pára em nós
Se as águas da Guanabara
Escorrem na minha cara
Uma nação solidária não pára em nós
Tomara meu Deus, tomara
Uma nação solidária
Sem preconceitos, tomara
Uma nação como nós
The lyrics to Anunciação by Alceu Valença describe the arrival of a lover who appears suddenly and unexpectedly in the yard of the singer's house. The opening lines of the song set a romantic tone, as the singer describes the misty passion that comes from within. The arrival of the lover on horseback, with a bare chest and hair blowing in the wind, adds to the sensuality of the moment. The sun, beating down on their clothes hanging on the line, provides a visual of the heat between the two lovers. The chorus repeats the line "tu vens" (you come) twice, emphasizing the eagerness and anticipation of the singer for their lover's arrival.
The middle section of the song introduces a hint of spirituality, as the voice of an angel whispers in the singer's ear and signals the arrival of the lover. The imagery shifts to a Sunday morning, and the announcement of the lover's arrival in the bells of the cathedral. The repetition of the chorus once again emphasizes the eagerness and excitement of the singer. The song ends with a series of "ahs," providing an almost dreamlike quality to the romance that has been described.
Line by Line Meaning
Na bruma leve das paixões
Que vêm de dentro
Tu vens chegando
Prá brincar no meu quintal
No teu cavalo
Peito nu, cabelo ao vento
E o sol quarando
Nossas roupas no varal...(2x)
In the mist of passions that come from within, you arrive to play in my backyard on your horse with your chest bare, hair blowing in the wind, and the sun drying our clothes on the clothesline. (2x)
Tu vens, tu vens
Eu já escuto os teus sinais
Tu vens, tu vens
Eu já escuto os teus sinais...
You're coming, you're coming, I can already hear your signals. You're coming, you're coming, I can already hear your signals.
A voz do anjo
Sussurrou no meu ouvido
Eu não duvido
Já escuto os teus sinais
Que tu virias
Numa manhã de domingo
Eu te anuncio
Nos sinos das catedrais...
The voice of an angel whispered in my ear, and I do not doubt that I can hear your signals already. You would come on a Sunday morning, and I announce you in the bells of the cathedrals.
Ah! ah! ah! ah! ah! ah!
Ah! ah! ah! ah! ah! ah!...
Ah! ah! ah! ah! ah! ah! Ah! ah! ah! ah! ah! ah!
Tomara meu Deus, tomara
Que tudo que nos separa
Não frutifique, não valha
Tomara, meu Deus
Oh, my God, I hope that everything that separates us does not fruitify or have any value. I hope so, my God.
Tomara meu Deus, tomara
Que tudo que nos amarra
Só seja amor, malha rara
Tomara, meu Deus
Oh, my God, I hope that everything that ties us together is only love, a rare mesh of love. I hope so, my God.
Tomara meu Deus, tomara
E o nosso amor se declara
Muito maior, e não pára em nós
Oh, my God, I hope that our love is declared and much bigger than us, and it does not stop with us.
Se as águas da Guanabara
Escorrem na minha cara
Uma nação solidária não pára em nós
If the waters of Guanabara flow into my face, a united nation will not stop with us.
Tomara meu Deus, tomara
Uma nação solidária
Sem preconceitos, tomara
Uma nação como nós
Oh, my God, I hope for a united nation without prejudices, a nation like ours.
Contributed by Tristan T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.