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.
Roda Ciranda
Alcione Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
De samba de roda da vida
Que girou, que gira
Na roda da saia rendada
Da moça que dança a ciranda
Ciranda da vida
Que gira e faz girar a roda
É na força do bom Santo Amaro
Que é da purificação
E nas águas que rodeiam a ílha
De São Luis do Maranhão
Na rodilha embaixo da talha
E em cima do torso da negra
Que ainda rebola
Nas curvas da vida da velha
Que ainda consola
A criança que chora
A roda é pra rodar na gira
Da vida que roda
(olha a roda, olha a roda)
A roda é pra rodar na gira
Da vida que roda
Olha a roda ciranda
The song "Roda Ciranda" by Alcione is a celebration of life and the various cycles that it goes through. The recurring circle dance, or "ciranda de roda," is used as a metaphor for the rotations of life. The samba rhythm adds to the upbeat nature of the song as it highlights both the ups and downs of life.
The lyrics describe the girl dancing in her lacy skirt in a circle, while the wheel of life continues to turn. The song acknowledges that life is not always smooth and easy, but we must keep dancing and spinning with it, just like the circle dance. The lyrics also pay tribute to the city of Saint Louis in Maranhão, Brazil, and the purifying powers of Saint Amaro.
Line by Line Meaning
Ciranda de roda
This dance is a circle
De samba de roda da vida
It is a dance of life, with a swinging rhythm
Que girou, que gira
It has turned and still turns
Na roda da saia rendada
In the wheel of the lace skirt
Da moça que dança a ciranda
Of the girl who dances the circle
Ciranda da vida
The circle of life
Que gira e faz girar a roda
That spins and makes the wheel spin
Da vida que gira ...
Of the life that spins...
É na força do bom Santo Amaro
It is in the strength of the good Saint Amaro
Que é da purificação
Who is for purification
E nas águas que rodeiam a ílha
And in the waters that surround the island
De São Luis do Maranhão
Of São Luis do Maranhão
Na rodilha embaixo da talha
In the rice basket under the pot
E em cima do torso da negra
And on the black lady’s torso
Que ainda rebola
That still shakes
Nas curvas da vida da velha
In the curves of the old woman’s life
Que ainda consola
That still comforts
A criança que chora
The crying child
A roda é pra rodar na gira
The wheel is made to spin in the circle
Da vida que roda
From life that spins
(olha a roda, olha a roda)
(look at the wheel, look at the wheel)
A roda é pra rodar na gira
The wheel is made to spin in the circle
Da vida que roda
From life that spins
Olha a roda ciranda
Look at the circle dance
Contributed by Matthew T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Samuel
MEU DEUS QUE MÚSICA PERFEITA
Renata Alencar
Junção Perfeita