Alcione was introduced to the traditional Brazilian music by her father. He was a military musician who worked as the conductor of the corps marching band. At the age of thirteen, she was already able to give vocal performance in college parties. At this same age, she began to study clarinet, and then learnt to play the trumpet.
At age 20 Alcione moved to Rio de Janeiro. There she worked at the city's TV Excelsior, and later went on tour in Argentina and Chile for four months. On returning to Brazil, she settled in São Paulo, working in nightclub and making appearances on television. In 1970, she started her two-year tour in Europe, performing as a vocalist and a trumpet artist.
In 1972, when back to Brazil, Alcione recorded her first single. The following year, she traveled to sing in Mexico and, in 1974, Portugal, where she recorded her first full-length album. In 1975 Alcione released her LP, A Voz do Samba, which achieved gold sales status and featured several hit tracks. The most successful songs were Não Deixe o Samba Morrer, written by Edson and Aloiso, and O Surdo, written by Totonho/Paulinho Resende.
In the late 1970s, Nazaré became well-known as a samba artist and achieved international recognition. She recorded Alerta Geral for Philips Records and, in 1978, released this album, the title of which was taken from a television show that Alcione had hosted on TV Globo for two years. Following its success, Alcione continued to release several other full-length albums in late 1970s and early 1980s, including her self-titled album.
In 1997, Alcione signed with Universal Records, subsequently releasing a label debut named Valeu, through Polygram the next year. This was followed by Celebração that same year, and Claridade---Uma Homenagem A Clara Nunes in 1999. In December 2002 Alcione was recognized for playing an important part in founding the Paraíso School of Samba in London, England. She also helped organizing and preparing the stage for a British version of the Carnival Brasil, Paraíso dos Orixás (Brazil, Paradise of the Gods). In 2003, her 2002 album, Ao Vivo, received the Best Samba/Pagode Album Award at fourth Latin Grammy Award ceremony.
She has interpreted several hits such as Não deixe o samba morrer, Lá vem você, Gostoso veneno and Ilha da maré.
On July 7, 2007 she performed at the Brazilian leg of Live Earth in Rio de Janeiro.
Corpo Fechado
Alcione Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Acendi vela pra Deus me iluminar
Fui na Bahia fazer um canjerê
Num cortejo de fé andei no mar
Nem te conto as bocadas que zuei
Com tanta promessa de dor pra cumprir
Entre umas e outras eu fumei
Na cachoeira de noite, me banhei
Pra lavar teu perfume barato, que ficou
Nem sei mais quantas bocas beijei
Em quantas madrugas molhei meu cobertor
Ainda bem que vovó saravô
Ainda bem que vovó saravô
Minha vó é show de bola
Aprendeu lá em Angola
Encontrou meu corpo aberto e fechou
Ainda bem que vovó saravô
Ainda bem que vovó saravô
Minha vó é show de bola
Aprendeu lá em Angola
Encontrou meu corpo aberto e fechou
Não tô mais na tua cola
Tirei meu pé da argola
Não tem caô
The lyrics of Alcione's song, Corpo Fechado, are a reflection of the singer's journey to overcome a past love. The first verse talks about the various spiritual rituals she undertakes to forget the person she still loves. She kneels before the Conga and lights a candle to seek guidance from God. She then goes to Bahia, a region in Brazil renowned for its Afro-Brazilian spiritual practices, to perform a Canjerê, a ritual that involves seeking divine guidance through prayers and offerings. She also takes part in a procession of faith and walks through the sea, which is believed to be a purifying element in many spiritual traditions.
In the second verse, Alcione reflects on the emotional turmoil she has been through since the breakup. She talks about the promises of pain she made to herself and the many times she got intoxicated to numb herself. She has also been with other people, trying to move on and forget her past love. However, the memories of the person are still too strong, and she tries to wash away the scent of his cheap perfume that still lingers on her.
The chorus talks about the intervention of her grandmother, who is believed to have healing powers acquired from her ancestors. The phrase "corpo fechado" means "closed body," which in this context, refers to the idea of being protected from harm or negative energy. Alcione is saying that her grandmother found that her body was open, vulnerable to harm, and that she was able to close it, protecting her from any negative influence. The song ends with Alcione affirming that she has moved on from her past love and that she is finally free from his influence.
Line by Line Meaning
Ajoelhei no congá pra te esquecer
I kneeled in front of the sacred space to forget about you
Acendi vela pra Deus me iluminar
I lit a candle for God to enlighten me
Fui na Bahia fazer um canjerê
I went to Bahia to perform a ritual
Num cortejo de fé andei no mar
I walked in the sea in a procession of faith
Nem te conto as bocadas que zuei
I won't even tell you about the troubles I caused
Com tanta promessa de dor pra cumprir
With so many promises of pain to fulfill
Entre umas e outras eu fumei
In between everything else, I smoked
Me entoquei, num cafofo em Acari
I took shelter in a small hidden place in Acari
Na cachoeira de noite, me banhei
At night, I bathed in the waterfall
Pra lavar teu perfume barato, que ficou
To wash away your cheap perfume that lingered
Nem sei mais quantas bocas beijei
I don't even know how many lips I kissed
Em quantas madrugas molhei meu cobertor
In how many early mornings I wet my sheets
Ainda bem que vovó saravô
Thank goodness my grandma healed me
Minha vó é show de bola
My grandma is amazing
Aprendeu lá em Angola
She learned it in Angola
Encontrou meu corpo aberto e fechou
She found my open body and closed it
Não tô mais na tua cola
I'm no longer on your tail
Tirei meu pé da argola
I took my foot out of the loop
Não tem caô
There's no more trickery
Contributed by Connor V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@thepharaoh6677
"eu já tive um cara assim!"...o dito e a cara não tem preço!! sou estrangeiro que nem mora no Brasil (moro no Uruguai) mas sou fã dessa deusa desde que eu tinha dezessete anos e ela e a Clara apareceram na minha vida (e hoje tenho sessenta anos) com uma voz privilegiada como todos aqueles presentes ainda neste plano físico e que já estão no plano espiritual; quando a música era música es os cantores (falando no genêrico) tinham vozes de verdade e não feitas no "studio" na base do autotune e outros truques e quado cantam ao vivo despencam; coitado do Brasil e de muitos outros países latinos que desde anos atrás vem adoeçendo do surgimento de interpretes de mentira, de gêneros musicais marginais que na base do argumento de que "são manifestações socias" até fazem apologia da delinquencia e da drogadição em muitas músicas; em outras com letras nas quais denigrem às mulheres e o pior são essas mesmas mulheres que logo dançam essas músicas as que reclamam por respeito e pedem leis contra a violência de gênero; um mundo realmente muito louco e incoerente.
@floresleia9311
Salve todas as vovós! !! Salve o povo baiano! !! Salve vovó Maria Baiana! !! Ainda bem q vovó saravou!!!☺☺☺
@hermanot0rres
"Saravou" vem de "saravar". Que nesse contexto significa que a vovó "benzeu", "trabalhou", pra fechar o corpo, ela saravou.
@rebobinandootempo6667
Minha vó Luzia ela amava essa música, tem 5 anos morta ela amava canta essa música cozinhando, eu sempre choro ouvindo ela lembrando!!
@shidoasgard9069
Adorei! Me arrepiei com o trecho da letra que ela diz: minha vó é show de bola aprendeu lá em angola...
@rosangelateixeira8575
Salve todas as vovó, salve minha vovó Maria conga 🙌
@silvanagonzaga4445
Paixão eterna por essa mulher 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏😘💕💞
@venusinolino8377
Imortal voz
@Gugamathias
"ainda bem que vovó Saravô"
@lindy1536
Diva Alcione 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Quantas mulheres precisam acordar para a vida e se livrar dos grilhões mentais masculinos. É isso aí, mestre da música 💐