Carvalho was raised in a middle-class family in Rio de Janeiro's South Zone. Her father, João Francisco Leal de Carvalho, was a lawyer. She grew up influenced by different types of music. Her father used to take her to samba school rehearsals, and her mother was a lover of classical music who encouraged her to become a ballerina. She started playing the guitar as a teenager, and got involved with the emerging Bossa Nova movement, winning a nationwide song contest on TV at the age of 19. Her first record was 1968's "Andança", carrying the song of the same name to victory in a larger festival, which brought her to prominence. Although she started her career with Bossa Nova, that was an ephemeral phase which lasted less than one year. Beth started dedicating herself entirely to samba just as her fame began, working with legendary composers such as Nelson Sargento.
Carvalho is a very important artist in the history of samba, as she has celebrated and brought the spotlight to the work of legendary composers such as Cartola, Nelson Cavaquinho & Guilherme de Brito when they weren't receiving the attention they deserved. Almost all of her records have songs by these composers, among other legendary sambistas such as Nelson Sargento and the Old Guard of Portela. Her samba school is Mangueira, but that didn't stop her from recording dozens of songs from composers of Portela, the other great traditional samba school in Rio.
Later, in the late 1970s and early 80's, Beth helped bring to the public the work of other rising pagode artists from Cacique de Ramos, such as Almir Guineto, Jorge Aragão and the Fundo de Quintal group. Then, in 1983, she introduced Zeca Pagodinho who would become the major samba name of the 90's. Carvalho always tried to bring underrated composers the recognition they deserve, and she is regarded as madrinha do samba (the godmother of samba). She was a driving force in the modernization of samba in the 80s, and at the same time rejected commercial pop trends in samba arrangements, preserving tradition.
In the 1990s, Beth's popularity wasn't the strongest, but she was always popular. She recorded an album dedicated to the samba from São Paulo, rejecting the famous axiom that São Paulo is the grave of samba. In 1998 she recorded an album dedicated entirely to the pagode classics, Pérolas do Pagode (Pagode Pearls).
In the new millennium, Beth working more than ever, released CDs and DVDs. With a career that spans 40 years, she is a historical figure in Brazilian culture, and recognized as the female sambista with the most substantial opus in Brazil, without diminishing other, younger stars such as Clara Nunes and Daniela Mercury.
Trivia
Beth is a known supporter of both the Botafogo and Clube Atlético Mineiro football teams
Beth is one of the main personalities of the samba school Mangueira
Beth had a variety of hits in the 1970s, with her 1979 song Coisinha Do Pai being one of her biggest hits. The song was inserted into the Mars Pathfinder.
Her social music often concerns the poor and the Indigenous peoples in Brazil.
O Encanto do Gantois
Beth Carvalho Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Moraes Moreira - Edil Pacheco
O axé do afoxé
Vem lá de Menininha, ô
De Menininha ô, de Menininha
No seu batucajé, no toque do agogô
Eu vou, eu vou, eu vou, eu vou
Eu todo lugar há um canto
Mas nem todo canto é lugar
Por isso é que eu canto tanto
O encanto do teu Gantois
Contemplo o teu templo, o Bahia
De todos os santos que há
Pra sempre será Menininha
Oh! Minha mãe vem me ninar
The lyrics to Beth Carvalho's O Encanto do Gantois speak about the enchantment and spiritual power of the Gantois temple in Salvador, Bahia. The song starts by praising the axé, or spiritual essence, of the afoxé, a type of Afro-Brazilian music that originated in Salvador. The axé is said to come from Menininha, a beloved figure in the city's Afro-Brazilian religious traditions, who is known for her powerful batucajé, or percussion skills. The agogô, a type of metal bell used in Afro-Brazilian music, is also mentioned.
The lyrics then move on to contemplate the power of the Gantois temple itself. The singer notes that there is music everywhere, but not every place has the same spiritual energy as Gantois. The temple is compared to the Bahia region and its many saints, with Menininha being singled out as a particularly powerful presence. The singer ends by calling out to his mother, asking her to rock him to sleep with memories of the enchanting Gantois.
Overall, the lyrics celebrate the power and beauty of Afro-Brazilian culture, paying homage to both its musical and spiritual aspects. They paint a vivid picture of the spiritual energy of Salvador, highlighting the importance of the city's traditions and landmarks like the Gantois temple.
Line by Line Meaning
O axé do afoxé
The spiritual energy of the afoxé (Afro-Brazilian percussion music) originates from Menininha.
Vem lá de Menininha, ô
It comes from Menininha, a legendary figure in Bahian culture.
De Menininha ô, de Menininha
From Menininha, oh from Menininha.
No seu batucajé, no toque do agogô
Through her batucajé (drumming) and the sound of the agogô (cowbell).
Eu vou, eu vou, eu vou, eu vou
I will go, I will go, I will go, I will go.
Em todo lugar há um canto
Every place has a song.
Mas nem todo canto é lugar
But not every song is associated with a specific place.
Por isso é que eu canto tanto
That's why I sing so much.
O encanto do teu Gantois
The charm of your Gantois (a neighborhood in Salvador, Bahia known for its Afro-Brazilian traditions).
Contemplo o teu templo, o Bahia
I admire your temple, Bahia.
De todos os santos que há
With all the saints there are.
Pra sempre será Menininha
For Menininha will always be.
Oh! Minha mãe vem me ninar
Oh! My mother comes to lull me to sleep.
Contributed by Brayden V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.