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.
Um Ser De Luz
Alcione Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Um ser de luz nasceu
Numa cidade do interior
E o menino Deus lhe abençoou
De manto branco ao se batizar
Se transformou num sabiá
Dona dos versos de um trovador
E a rainha do seu lugar
Sua voz então a se espalhar
Corria chão
Cruzava o mar
Levada pelo ar
Onde chegava espantava a dor
Com a força do seu cantar
Mas aconteceu um dia
Foi que o menino Deus chamou
E ela se foi pra cantar
Para além do luar
Onde moram as estrelas
E a gente fica a lembrar
Vendo o céu clarear
Na esperança de vê-la, sabiá
Sabiá
Que falta faz sua alegria
Sem você, meu canto agora é só
Melâncolia
Canta meu sabiá,
Voa meu sabiá,
Adeus meu sabiá...
Até um dia...
The song "Um Ser De Luz" by Alcione tells the story of a special person who was born in a small town and blessed by the Child God. The person baptized in a white robe, symbolizing purity, transformed into a sabiá, a bird often referred to as the king of Brazilian songbirds. The individual became a troubadour and poet, creating beautiful verses and spreading their voice across the land, sea, and air, bringing comfort and hope to those who heard them sing.
However, one day, the Child God called them back to the heavens, where they would sing among the stars, leaving the people behind to feel the emptiness and sorrow of their absence. The song speaks of the longing and nostalgia left behind by the person, whose voice and joy brought light and hope to those around them.
This song is a tribute to Brazilian composer and singer, Luiz Gonzaga, who passed away two years before the song's release. The song mentions some of Gonzaga's most famous compositions, such as Asa Branca and Baião. "Sabiá" is also a reference to the famous Brazilian singer-songwriter, Tom Jobim, who sang the song Sabiá.
Line by Line Meaning
Um dia
Once upon a time
Um ser de luz nasceu
A being of light was born
Numa cidade do interior
In a small town
E o menino Deus lhe abençoou
And the child of God blessed him/her
De manto branco ao se batizar
Dressed in a white mantle, he/she was baptized
Se transformou num sabiá
Transformed himself/herself into a thrush
Dona dos versos de um trovador
Master of a troubadour's verses
E a rainha do seu lugar
And the queen of his/her place
Sua voz então a se espalhar
His/Her voice then spread
Corria chão
Ran on the ground
Cruzava o mar
Crossed the sea
Levada pelo ar
Carried by the air
Onde chegava espantava a dor
Wherever he/she arrived, he/she banished the pain
Com a força do seu cantar
With the power of his/her singing
Mas aconteceu um dia
But one day it happened
Foi que o menino Deus chamou
That the child of God was called
E ela se foi pra cantar
And she went away to sing
Para além do luar
Beyond the moonlight
Onde moram as estrelas
Where the stars live
E a gente fica a lembrar
And we remember
Vendo o céu clarear
Watching the sky clear up
Na esperança de vê-la, sabiá
In the hope of seeing her, the thrush
Sabiá
Thrush
Que falta faz sua alegria
How we miss your joy
Sem você, meu canto agora é só
Without you, my singing is just
Melâncolia
Melancholy
Canta meu sabiá,
Sing, my thrush,
Voa meu sabiá,
Fly, my thrush,
Adeus meu sabiá...
Farewell, my thrush...
Até um dia...
Until one day...
Contributed by Leah F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@CAPUD-oh3vx
Essa música dedico a meu pai que se foi a 4 anos, seu Nogueira, eu te amo pai 🖤 meu sabia 🤍🤍
@orlandoaparecidorossi5445
eu tive o prazer de acompanha-la durante sua carreira pois trabalhei na EMI durante 20 anos .UM GRANDE SER DE LUZ; ate um dia na eternidade CLARINHA.meu eterno SABIÁ orlando
@Rose38123
+Orlando Aparecido Rossi Que honra.
@jullyandebarros5487
Deve ter conhecido Dalva de Oliveira tbm
@profDenilson
A gente canta essa música com um nó na garganta
@carlosjr9576
Esses refrões no Samba com esse estilo de back vocal é de arrepiar
@wiliamnsfelix243
Amo a Alcione e essa homenagem linda feita a minha linda cantora, clara nunes, ficou showww
@andreoliveiraretro80
Que letra linda! ficou linda na voz da nossa querida alcione! Uma Bela homenagem a nossa Eterna Clara Nunes!
@rafapf2003
Nossa, 33 anos da morte dela e eu ainda choro com essa música!
@luiscarloslopesLopes105004
Ao som desta foram muitos momentos felizes, dignos de serem curtido eternamente. Um abraço aos que concordam.