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.
Nas Asas de um Passarinho
Alceu Valença Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Meu amor dance comigo
Ciranda, côco de roda
Maracatu e caboclinho
Andei muitas léguas a pé
Naveguei mares e rios
Procurando quem me quer
Nas asas de um passarinho
Nas asas de um passarinho
Sobrevoei a cidade
Eu te via tu fugias
Como se fora miragem
Bem te vi no Viradouro
Na ribeira, no mercado
No bloco da flor da lira
Nos carnavais do passado
Nas asas de um passarinho
Avistei velhos telhados
Uma janela entreaberta
De um conhecido sobrado
Foi um rasgo de lua
Tomei teu quarto de assalto
Das asas de um passarinho
Caí todinho em seus braços.
The lyrics of Alceu Valença's "Nas Asas de um Passarinho" describe a nostalgic journey through the streets of Olinda, Brazil, seeking the singer's lost love. He sings about walking down the Sé hill, a famous landmark in the historic city, and inviting his lover to dance different traditional Brazilian rhythms such as ciranda, côco de roda, maracatu, and caboclinho. He reminisces about traveling many miles by foot and navigating different bodies of water searching for someone who loves him, eventually finding them "on the wings of a little bird."
The song's lyrics are filled with vivid imagery of the singer's journey, highlighting specific locations in Olinda that evoke memories of his past. He recalls seeing his love and chasing them through the streets of Viradouro, near the river, at the market, and in the flower block, a traditional carnival parade. The singer then explores the rooftops of the city and finds an open window in a familiar building. A moonbeam shines upon them, and the singer takes the opportunity to declare his love and falls into his lover's arms.
Overall, "Nas Asas de um Passarinho" is a melody about the beauty and allure of Olinda, Brazil, and the romantic journey of a narrator seeking his beloved.
Line by Line Meaning
Descendo a ladeira da Sé
Walking down the slope of Sé with a passionate spirit
Meu amor dance comigo
My love, let's dance together
Ciranda, côco de roda
Circle dance, wheel coconut
Maracatu e caboclinho
Traditional music and dance from Northeast Brazil
Andei muitas léguas a pé
I have walked many miles
Naveguei mares e rios
I have sailed across seas and rivers
Procurando quem me quer
Searching for someone who loves me
Nas asas de um passarinho
On the wings of a bird
Sobrevoei a cidade
I flew over the city
Eu te via tu fugias
I saw you, but you ran away
Como se fora miragem
As if it was just a mirage
Bem te vi no Viradouro
I saw you at Viradouro
Na ribeira, no mercado
At the riverbank, at the market
No bloco da flor da lira
In the flower of lira carnival group
Nos carnavais do passado
In the past carnivals
Avistei velhos telhados
I spotted old rooftops
Uma janela entreaberta
A half-opened window
De um conhecido sobrado
Of a familiar mansion
Foi um rasgo de lua
It was a ray of moonlight
Tomei teu quarto de assalto
I invaded your room
Das asas de um passarinho
From the wings of a bird
Caí todinho em seus braços
I fell completely into your arms
Contributed by Connor S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@JoyceAlvarenga
Posso morrer em paz, vi o lançamento de um clipe do Alceu. Amo tanto você!
@MarciaSykes
Tem outros.
@Clara-zy3fp
Joyce Alvarenga minha amiga, eu tbm não acreditei kkkkkkkk
@Clara-zy3fp
Fala Pandinhas acho que ela estava se referindo a sua idade, já que os mais jovens não eram vivos na época em que ele e outros cantores estavam no auge nacional
@paulodasilvaalves8265
+Joyce Alvarenga, é 2
@callesacir
Assisti ao vivo e a cores 😍 aqui no Rio de Janeiro
@cassiobuendia8089
É isso! Tão raro e tão comum, tão facil e tão dificil. Lindo e poético Brasil!
@CoupleofThings
:)
@fanpagewarleysouza8788
Me pergunto o porquê os artistas nordestinos entram para a seleta lista de mitos da música brasileira. Chego a conclusão pela sua originalidade e poesia. Salve a Alceu Valença, Fagner, Ze Ramalho Belchior entre outros tanto.
@steniodlucenamedeiros5059
O Nordeste é o berço da cultura do Brasil. Os maiores artistas dentre eles cantores, atores, escritores e poetas, são nascidos aqui. Aliás, o próprio descobrimento do Brasil se deu aqui no nordeste onde Salvador era a capital do país. Nordeste é cultura!