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.
O Surdo
Alcione Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Você chora na avenida
Pro meu povo se alegrar
Eu bato forte em você
E aqui dentro do peito uma dor
Me destrói
Mas você me entende
E diz que pancada de amor não dói
Meu surdo parece absurdo
Mas você me escuta
Bem mais que os amigos lá do bar
Não deixa que a dor
Mais lhe machuque
Pois pelo seu batuque
Eu dou fim ao meu pranto e começo a cantar
Meu surdo bato forte no seu couro
Só escuto este teu choro
Que os aplausos vêm pra consolar
Meu surdo, velho amigo e companheiro
Da avenida e de terreiro,
De rodas de samba e de solidão
Não deixe que eu vencido de cansaço
Me descuide desse abraço
E desfaça e compasso do passo do meu coração
The lyrics to Alcione's song O Surdo express a deep emotional connection between the singer and her surdo (a type of Brazilian drum). The first verse sets the scene with the singer observing her friend crying on the street while her people are rejoicing. Despite the singer's conflicting feelings about hitting her surdo, she acknowledges that her friend understands the "painful love" that comes with their relationship.
The chorus praises the surdo for listening to the singer, even more so than her friends at the bar. The surdo is a source of comfort and a way to overcome her sadness through music. The final verse addresses the surdo directly, calling it an old friend and companion of the street parties and samba circles. The singer begs the surdo not to let her give up or lose pace with its rhythm. The surdo is the beating heart of the singer's music, giving her strength and purpose.
Overall, the lyrics to O Surdo convey a bittersweet emotion of love and pain, friendship and dependence. The surdo represents both the source of the singer's joy and the weight of her sorrows. It is a beautifully crafted metaphor that captures the essence of Brazilian music and culture.
Line by Line Meaning
Amigo, que ironia desta vida
Oh, friend, what irony this life has
Você chora na avenida
You cry on the avenue
Pro meu povo se alegrar
To make my people happy
Eu bato forte em você
I hit hard on you
E aqui dentro do peito uma dor
And inside my chest, there is pain
Me destrói
It destroys me
Mas você me entende
But you understand me
E diz que pancada de amor não dói
And you say that a blow of love doesn't hurt
Meu surdo parece absurdo
My drum seems absurd
Mas você me escuta
But you listen to me
Bem mais que os amigos lá do bar
Much more than the friends at the bar
Não deixa que a dor
Don't let the pain
Mais lhe machuque
Hurt you even more
Pois pelo seu batuque
Because of your beat
Eu dou fim ao meu pranto e começo a cantar
I stop crying and start singing because of your beat
Meu surdo bato forte no seu couro
My drum hits hard on your skin
Só escuto este teu choro
I only hear your cry
Que os aplausos vêm pra consolar
That the applause comes to comfort
Meu surdo, velho amigo e companheiro
My drum, old friend and companion
Da avenida e de terreiro
From the avenue and the temple
De rodas de samba e de solidão
From samba circles and solitude
Não deixe que eu vencido de cansaço
Don't let me, defeated by tiredness
Me descuide desse abraço
Neglect this embrace
E desfaça e compasso do passo do meu coração
And undo the rhythm of my heart's beat
Contributed by Lila P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mr.daleolusesi6115
Friend, what an irony of this life
Amigo, que ironia desta vida
You cry on the avenue
Você chora na avenida
For my people to rejoice
Pró meu povo se alegrar
I hit you hard
Eu bato forte em você
And here inside the chest a pain
E aqui dentro do peito uma dor
Destroy me
Me destrói
But you understand me
Mas você me entende
And it says that love blow doesn't hurt
E diz que pancada de amor não dói
My deaf sounds absurd
Meu surdo parece absurdo
But you listen to me
Mas você me escuta
Much more than friends at the bar
Bem mais que os amigos lá do bar
Don't let the pain
Não deixa que a dor
Hurt you the most
Mais lhe machuque
Because for your drumming
Pois pelo seu batuque
I break my cry and start singing
Eu dou fim ao meu pranto e começo a cantar
My deaf thud hard on your leather
Meu surdo bato forte no seu couro
I just hear your cry
Só escuto este teu choro
That the applause comes to comfort
Que os aplausos vêm pra consolar
My deaf, old friend and mate
Meu surdo, velho amigo e companheiro
From the avenue and from the terreiro,
Da avenida e de terreiro,
Of samba and solitude wheels
De rodas de samba e de solidão
Don't let me overcome with tiredness
Não deixe que eu vencido de cansaço
Take care of that hug
Me descuide desse abraço
And undo the pace of my heart
E desfaça o compasso do passo do meu coração
@reginakumuene6819
Eu sou angolana, amo Alcione.
Essa música além de linda é um clássico.
Alcione é uma ícone.
@eliabbarrosmadeira3518
Este samba cantado por Alcione, intitulado O surdo, fala da importância do surdo na cadência no ritmo do samba de maneira magistral. Alcione nessa fase começa se afirmar como grande cantora MPB.
@cleberglicerio9553
Fala se dos negros que apanhava muito nos morros . Só no surdo da gente entende. A linha da malandragem e a revivência não é facil
@paulmkumbo9899
I jst love alcione...i even don't knw wat it means..Love from Tanzania
@andremaximino2065
Me marcou minha mãe. Quando eu vacilava quando pequeno e apanhava. Ela depois vinha e cantava esse samba pra mim. Aí eu me derretia todo. Aliás. Hoje sem ela. Choro mais ainda! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
@MrLucas9907
A saudade pode ser leve ou doída. Ela está orgulhoso do filho que tem .
@nayanebeatriz4866
Demorei 19 anos pra descobrir essa música, meu Deus... Musa 💛
@Arthursabbatinibuoro
Na sua idade pensava o mesmo. Toquinho e Vinícius aos 17, só surpresa boa!
@robeiltondesouzagomes940
Sugiro Pandeiro é meu nome, do Chico da Silva. É da mesma época, cantada também pela Alcione e faz uma excelente intertextualidade com a música “Surdo”.
@alexandregasperini9783
Antes tarde do que nunca... 👋👋👋