Alceu Valença (born July 1, 1946 in São Bento do Una, Pernambuco, Brazil) i… Read Full Bio ↴Alceu Valença (born July 1, 1946 in São Bento do Una, Pernambuco, Brazil) is a Brazilian composer, writer, performer, actor, and poet.

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.

Maria Sente
Alceu Valença Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Maria sente quando estou contente
Eu arreganho os dentes
Como quem vai gargalhar
E falo alto, e danço, e viro bailarino
E não me perco do menino
Que eles teimam me roubar
Pois eles temem nosso sonho
Vagabundo

A força do submundo
E do poder popular
E viva o morro, a voz do povo a
Rebeldia
John Lennon, Melodia, Charles Chaplin, Calabar
O Tiradentes, Frei Caneca, Virgulino

Com meu sonho de menino
Que eles teimam me roubar

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Alceu Valença's song "Maria Sente" are about the power of joy and rebellion. The singer sings about how his lover, Maria, can feel his happiness when he's smiling and laughing with his teeth bared. He speaks loudly, dances and becomes a dancer, and never loses sight of his childlike sense of wonder, which those who oppose him try to steal from him. The singer believes that those who grapple with him-- who are afraid of his dreams, vagabonds, and the power of the common people-- belong to the underworld. The song celebrates the resilience of marginalized voices and encourages people to embrace their desires, whether they are revolutionary or childlike. The song cites a list of influential figures from various walks of life, including John Lennon, Melody, Charles Chaplin, Calabar, Tiradentes, Frei Caneca, and Virgulino, who all share the singer's dream.

Line by Line Meaning

Maria sente quando estou contente
Maria can feel when I’m happy

Eu arreganho os dentes
I show my teeth

Como quem vai gargalhar
Like I'm going to laugh out loud

E falo alto, e danço, e viro bailarino
I speak loudly, dance and become a dancer

E não me perco do menino
I don't lose the child inside of me

Que eles teimam me roubar
That they insist on stealing from me

Pois eles temem nosso sonho
Because they fear our dream

Vagabundo
Vagabond

A força do submundo
The power of the underworld

E do poder popular
And the power of the people

E viva o morro, a voz do povo a Rebeldia
And long live the hill, the voice of the rebellious people