Maracajá
Alceu Valença Lyrics

The lyrics of Alceu Valença’s “Maracajá” paint a vivid picture of a sweet and sensual dancer in a blue dress, who inhabits an old dream that the singer dreams of day and night. As she descends to the sound of the Maracatu rhythm, the singer wonders whether she is the “anjo torto” (crooked angel) that the poet Carlos wrote about. The repetition of the line “Anjo Azul na noite dançando no Baque do Maracatu” (Blue Angel dancing to the beat of Maracatu in the night) gives the song a dreamlike quality, as if the singer is lost in a trance and mesmerized by the dancer’s graceful movements.

The lyrics are filled with references to Brazilian folklore and literary traditions, such as the Maracatu, a traditional Afro-Brazilian dance form from the state of Pernambuco, and the “anjo torto” from Carlos Drummond de Andrade’s poem “Anjo Torto”. The singer also wonders whether the dancer might be the legendary figure of Bela Inês, the “belle of the day” who inspired Portuguese troubadours in the Middle Ages. The lyrics are infused with a sense of longing and desire, as the singer asks the Blue Angel to take him to the edge of the sea and let him court her.

Overall, “Maracajá” is a beautiful and poetic ode to the power of music, dance, and imagination to transport us to a world of enchantment and passion.