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.
Marcas do Passado
Alcione Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
São marcas vivas de um passado exposto
São sucos mortos, restos do que foi em vida o nosso amor
Ah! Se eu pudesse, as arrancarias
Se ainda pudesse, o tempo voltaria
Pra recompor as pétalas em flor do nosso amor
Ah! Saudade tenho dos meus vinte anos
Idade cheia de sonhos e planos
Ah! Livro da vida escrita sem memória
Se eu morro hoje, acaba nossa história
Quem sabe a vida até nem começou
Minha existência agora é tão vazia
Meu Deus do céu oh, quanta ironia
Pra quem o amor foi marco de uma vida
Por um simples gesto teu, o meu ciúme
Tão doentio como de costume
Fez-se veneno abrindo essa ferida
Tu não suportando mais tantas perguntas
De malas feitas, roupas todas juntas
Dissestes adeus ás nossas ilusões
Lenço branco em punho longe acenando
Nossos olhares foram se afastando
Como de resto nossos corações
In Alcione's song "Marcas do Passado," she sings about the physical and emotional marks left behind by a past love. The wrinkles on her face are living reminders of the love she once shared with her partner, now reduced to dead juices and remnants of what once was. The singer, filled with nostalgia, longs to turn back time to when the petals of their relationship were still in bloom. The lyrics reflect on how time and circumstances can change what was once beautiful into something mangled and painful. The singer lives with regret for something that cannot be changed, as the book of life has been written without memory.
Alcione's powerful lyrics express a universal feeling of loss and regret over a broken relationship. The imagery of the wrinkles on her face shows how something once beautiful can turn into something painful, and the longing to turn back time to fix things that have already passed. The lyrics also touch on the theme of memory and how our past experiences shape who we are. The singer is filled with sadness and regret as they come to the realization that life may have ended without true love.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah! Olha essas rugas todas em meu rosto
Oh! Look at all these wrinkles on my face
São marcas vivas de um passado exposto
They are lively marks of an exposed past
São sucos mortos, restos do que foi em vida o nosso amor
They are dead juices, remains of what was once our love
Ah! Se eu pudesse, as arrancarias
Oh! If I could, I would pluck them out
Se ainda pudesse, o tempo voltaria
If only I could, time would turn back
Pra recompor as pétalas em flor do nosso amor
To restore the flower petals of our love
Ah! Saudade tenho dos meus vinte anos
Oh! I miss my twenties
Idade cheia de sonhos e planos
An age full of dreams and plans
Que existe apenas por que aqui estou
That only exists because I am here
Ah! Livro da vida escrita sem memória
Oh! Life's book written without memory
Se eu morro hoje, acaba nossa história
If I die today, our story ends
Quem sabe a vida até nem começou
Who knows, maybe life hasn't even begun
Minha existência agora é tão vazia
My existence now is so empty
Meu Deus do céu oh, quanta ironia
Oh, my God, how ironic
Pra quem o amor foi marco de uma vida
For whom love was a milestone in life
Por um simples gesto teu, o meu ciúme
Because of a simple gesture of yours, my jealousy
Tão doentio como de costume
As sick as usual
Fez-se veneno abrindo essa ferida
It became poison, opening up that wound
Tu não suportando mais tantas perguntas
You, not being able to handle so many questions anymore
De malas feitas, roupas todas juntas
With suitcases packed, clothes all together
Dissestes adeus ás nossas ilusões
You said goodbye to our illusions
Lenço branco em punho longe acenando
White handkerchief waving from afar
Nossos olhares foram se afastando
Our gazes started drifting apart
Como de resto nossos corações
Just like the rest of our hearts
Contributed by Natalie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Fabio de Sampa
Lindos esses graves da Marrom!!!! Os mais bonitos da mulherada da MPB.
Clarisse Silva
Com certeza meu amigo, com certeza!!!
Renata Santos
Sentença