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.
Nosso Nome: Resistência
Alcione Lyrics
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Conjugando no presente o verbo resistir
Nossos corpos densos respondendo à opressão
Nossos nervos tensos suportando a humilhação
O olho cresceu, tumbeiro chegou
O couro comeu, o pau roncou
Mas o negro é aroeira
Preto velho tem mandinga
De amansar feitor
Nega mina tem um dengo
De matar de amor
Palmares, balaios, malês, alfaiates
Fugas, guerrilhas, combates
Mão na cara, dedo em riste
Pagodes, fundos de quintal, candomblés
Jongos, blocos, afoxés
Assim também se resiste
Negritude resplandecente
Consciente a se reconstruir
O nosso nome é resistência
Olha o nosso povo aí
The lyrics to Alcione's song "Nosso Nome: Resistência" speak to the resilience and strength of the Black community in the face of oppression and violence. The first few lines set the tone for the entire song by stating that "our people" are currently "conjugating" or practicing the verb of resisting in the present moment. The dense bodies of Black people are mentioned in response to the weight of oppression they bear, and their tense nerves are acknowledged as they endure the humiliations they face.
The second verse is a reference to the transatlantic slave trade, in which enslaved Africans were brought to the Americas on ships called "tumbeiros." The lyrics mention the brutality of the conditions on these ships, and how the enslaved people being transported were often beaten (with "o pau roncou") and had their skin eaten away by the chains that bound them ("o couro comeu"). But despite this, the Black community is compared to the aroeira tree, which may bend under pressure but does not break. The following lines reference the spiritual and cultural traditions of the Black community, with mentions of black elder ("preto velho") magic and the "dengo" or loving sweetness of Black women.
The final verse mentions various historical events and cultural practices that have been used as tools of Black resistance, such as the quilombo settlement of Palmares, the Malê Revolt, and the work of enslaved tailors ("alfaiates"). Other forms of resistance mentioned include guerrilla warfare, music and dance ("pagodes, fundos de quintal, candomblés, jongos, blocos, afoxés"), and direct confrontation ("mão na cara, dedo em riste"). The song ends on a note of pride and affirmation, with the lyrics stating that Blackness is "resplandecente" ("resplendent" or shining brightly) and consciously striving for reconstruction, and that the community's name is resistance.
Line by Line Meaning
Olha nosso povo aí
Observe o povo que estamos mencionando
Conjugando no presente o verbo resistir
Estamos usando o verbo resistir no presente
Nossos corpos densos respondendo à opressão
Nossos corpos estão lidando com a opressão de forma pesada
Nossos nervos tensos suportando a humilhação
Nossos nervos estão aguentando a humilhação de forma intensa
O olho cresceu, tumbeiro chegou
Os olhos se abriram, o navio negreiro chegou
O couro comeu, o pau roncou
Apanhamos severamente, o chicote estalou
Mas o negro é aroeira
Mas as pessoas negras são resistentes
Envergou, mas não quebrou
Eles se curvaram, mas não se quebraram
Preto velho tem mandinga
Os anciãos negros têm conhecimentos mágicos
De amansar feitor
Que podem acalmar o feitor
Nega mina tem um dengo
As mulheres negras têm uma natureza dócil
De matar de amor
Que podem estragar com amor
Palmares, balaios, malês, alfaiates
Comunidades de Palmares, balaios, malês, alfaiates
Fugas, guerrilhas, combates
Fugas, forças de guerrilha e confrontos violentos
Mão na cara, dedo em riste
Mãos na cara, dedos apontando
Pagodes, fundos de quintal, candomblés
Eventos culturais negros, quintais e cerimônias de candomblé
Jongos, blocos, afoxés
Tipos de músicas e festas negras
Assim também se resiste
A resistência também é realizada dessa forma
Negritude resplandecente
A identidade negra brilhante
Consciente a se reconstruir
Estar consciente da necessidade de reconstrução
O nosso nome é resistência
Nosso nome é sinonimo de resistência
Olha o nosso povo aí
Observe o nosso povo mencionado
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NEI BRAZ LOPES, JOSE LUIZ COSTA FERREIRA, JALCIRENO FONTOURA DE OLIVEIRA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind