Alcione (Alcione Nazaré, São Luís, Maranhão, November 21, 1947) also known … Read Full Bio ↴Alcione (Alcione Nazaré, São Luís, Maranhão, November 21, 1947) also known as Marrom (brownie) is one of the most successful female sambists in Brazil who first claimed international recognition in the late 1970s, and has had 19 gold records and two platinum records.

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.

Maranhão Meu Tesouro Meu Torrão
Alcione Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Maranhão, meu tesouro, meu torrão
Fiz esta toada pra ti, Maranhão

Terra do babaçu que a natureza cultiva
Esta palmeira nativa é que me dá inspiração
Na praia dos lençóis tem um touro encantado
E o reinado do rei Sebastião

Sereia canta na proa
Na mata o guriatã
Terra da pirunga doce
E tem a gostosa pitombotã
E todo ano, a grande festa da Juçara
No mês de Outubro no Maracanã

No mês de Junho tem o bumbá-meu-boi
Que é festejado em louvor a São João
O amo canta e balança o maracá
A matraca e pandeiro é que faz tremer o chão

Esta herança foi deixada por nossos avós

Hoje cultivada por nós
Pra compôr tua história Maranhão

Overall Meaning

The song "Maranhão Meu Tesouro Meu Torrão" by Alcione is an ode to the state of Maranhão in northeast Brazil, where the singer was born. The lyrics express love and admiration for the region and its people, highlighting its unique natural beauty, cultural traditions, and historical legacy.

The first two lines, "Maranhão, meu tesouro, meu torrão / Fiz esta toada pra ti, Maranhão," can be translated as "Maranhão, my treasure, my land / I made this tune for you, Maranhão." The singer is showing her pride for her homeland and celebrating it with a musical tribute.

The song goes on to mention several specific aspects of Maranhão that are meaningful to the singer and important to the state's cultural identity. For example, the babaçu palm tree is native to the region and is a source of inspiration for the singer. The beach of Lençóis Maranhenses is said to have an enchanted bull and is connected to the mythological figure of King Sebastião. The sereia (mermaid) sings on the prow of ships, and the guriatã is a bird that sings in the forest. There are also references to local delicacies and festivals, such as the pitombotã fruit and the Juçara festival in October.

Overall, the song is a beautiful tribute to the state of Maranhão and its cultural richness. It celebrates the natural beauty, folklore, and traditions of the region, and honors the legacy of the singer's ancestors who helped shape its identity.

Line by Line Meaning

Maranhão, meu tesouro, meu torrão
Oh Maranhão, my treasure, my land

Fiz esta toada pra ti, Maranhão
I made this tune for you, Maranhão

Terra do babaçu que a natureza cultiva
Land of the babassu that nature cultivates

Esta palmeira nativa é que me dá inspiração
This native palm is what inspires me

Na praia dos lençóis tem um touro encantado
On the beach of Lençóis there is an enchanted bull

E o reinado do rei Sebastião
And the reign of King Sebastião

Sereia canta na proa
Mermaid sings in the bow

Na mata o guriatã
In the forest, the guriatã

Terra da pirunga doce
Land of sweet pirunga

E tem a gostosa pitombotã
And has the delicious pitombotã

E todo ano, a grande festa da Juçara
And every year, the great Juçara festival