Elizabeth Santos Leal de Carvalho (May 5, 1946, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — Ap… Read Full Bio ↴Elizabeth Santos Leal de Carvalho (May 5, 1946, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — April 30, 2019, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), best known as Beth Carvalho, was a Brazilian singer, musician and songwriter, being regarded as one of the biggest interpreters of samba and pagode music, receiving the title of "Madrinha do Samba" (Godmother of Samba).

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.

Olho Por Olho
Beth Carvalho Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

A justiça dos homens condena a bigamia
Nenhuma mulher pode ter dois Josés
Nenhum homem ter duas Marias (Por isso)

Dente por dente (cumpadre), olho por olho
Se tentar me enganar, bota a barba de molho, de molho
Dente por dente (cumpadre), olho por olho
Se tentar me enganar, bota a barba de molho

Você que se diz malandro, malandro você não é
Porque não existe homem malandro pra mulher
Você já fez a primeira, mas a segunda não faz
A partir de hoje os direitos são iguais (eu falei)

Dente por dente (cumpadre), olho por olho
Se tentar me enganar, bota a barba de molho, de molho
Dente por dente (falei), olho por olho
Se tentar me enganar, bota a barba de molho

Ô senhora rezadeira
Rezadeira
Ô rezadeira senhora
Minha senhora

Ô senhora rezadeira
Rezadeira
Ô rezadeira senhora

Senhora rezadeira
Reze uma prece com fé
Pra que a raça brasileira
Esteja sempre de pé
Reze pra que o nosso povo
Viva sempre a liberdade
E construa um mundo novo
Cheio de felicidade
Falei ô senhora

Ô senhora rezadeira
Rezadeira
Ô rezadeira senhora
Minha senhora

Ô senhora rezadeira
Rezadeira
Ô rezadeira senhora

Reze pra que a Lua mansa
Nunca deixe de brilhar
E na vida a esperança
Nunca venha nos faltar
Reze pra que a falsidade
Seja sempre superada
E que o amor e a bondade
Andem sempre de mãos dadas
Falei ô senhora

Ô senhora rezadeira
Rezadeira
Ô rezadeira senhora
Minha senhora

Ô senhora rezadeira
Rezadeira
Ô rezadeira senhora

Ô Isaura pega na viola
Ô Isaura pega na viola
O samba é bom não vai terminar agora
O samba é bom não vai terminar agora

Ô Isaura, ô Isaura pega na viola
Ô Isaura pega na viola
O samba é bom não vai terminar agora
O samba é bom não vai terminar agora

Lá no morro de mangueira
Só não sobe quem não quer
Porque lá tem Tengo-Tengo
Santo Antônio e Chalé

Ô Isaura, ô Isaura pega na viola
Ô Isaura pega na viola
O samba é bom não vai terminar agora
O samba é bom não vai terminar agora

Todo rico quando morre
Foi porque Jesus levou
Todo pobre quando morre
Foi cachaça que matou

Ô Isaura, ô Isaura pega na viola
Ô Isaura pega na viola
O samba é bom não vai terminar agora
O samba é bom não vai terminar agora

Ô Isaura, ô Isaura pega na viola
Ô Isaura pega na viola
O samba é bom não vai terminar agora
O samba é bom não vai terminar agora

Ô Isaura, ô Isaura pega na viola
Ô Isaura pega na viola
O samba é bom não vai terminar agora
O samba é bom não vai terminar agora

Ô Isaura, ô Isaura pega na viola
Ô Isaura

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Beth Carvalho's song Olho Por Olho highlight the societal taboo surrounding bigamy, where justice is served through the elimination of the practice. The song states that no one can have two spouses of the same name and gender; there can only be one. The catchy chorus emphasizes that if someone tries to cheat or deceive, they will pay the price with "dente por dente, olho por olho," meaning "tooth for a tooth, eye for an eye." The song challenges the notion of male superiority and promotes equality between the sexes. It acknowledges that there are no "clever" men who can deceive women, and that starting from that day, women have equal rights.

The song also pays homage to Brazilian culture, particularly through the lyrics that ask the "senhora rezadeira" (lady who prays) to pray for the country's unity, freedom and happiness. It also celebrates the vibrant samba music culture and includes some traditional samba verses. The song encourages Isaura to play her viola, an instrument commonly used in Brazilian samba music.

In summary, Beth Carvalho's song Olho Por Olho promotes gender equality and celebrates traditional Brazilian culture.

Line by Line Meaning

A justiça dos homens condena a bigamia
The law of men condemns bigamy; no woman can have two husbands, no man can have two wives

Dente por dente (cumpadre), olho por olho
Tooth for tooth, eye for eye; if you try to deceive me, be prepared for retribution

Se tentar me enganar, bota a barba de molho, de molho
If you try to deceive me, be cautious and beware

Você que se diz malandro, malandro você não é
If you think you're a wise guy, then you're not; there's no such thing as a wise man with women

Porque não existe homem malandro pra mulher
Because there is no man who is cunning enough for a woman

Você já fez a primeira, mas a segunda não faz
You've already had your way once, but you won't be able to do it again

A partir de hoje os direitos são iguais (eu falei)
From now on, equal rights stand (I said it)

Ô senhora rezadeira
Oh lady of prayer

Reze uma prece com fé
Pray with faith

Pra que a raça brasileira
So that the Brazilian race

Esteja sempre de pé
Always stand tall

Reze pra que o nosso povo
Pray for our people

Viva sempre a liberdade
Always live in freedom

E construa um mundo novo
And build a new world

Cheio de felicidade
Full of happiness

Reze pra que a Lua mansa
Pray that the gentle moon

Nunca deixe de brilhar
Never stops shining

E na vida a esperança
And that hope is always present in life

Nunca venha nos faltar
Never fails us

Reze pra que a falsidade
Pray that falsehood

Seja sempre superada
Is always overcome

E que o amor e a bondade
And that love and goodness

Andem sempre de mãos dadas
Always go hand in hand

Ô Isaura pega na viola
Oh Isaura plays the guitar

O samba é bom não vai terminar agora
The samba is good and won't end now

Lá no morro de mangueira
Up on the hill of Mangueira

Só não sobe quem não quer
Only those who don't want to climb don't

Porque lá tem Tengo-Tengo
Because there is Tengo-Tengo there

Santo Antônio e Chalé
Saint Anthony and Chalé

Todo rico quando morre
Every rich person when they die

Foi porque Jesus levou
It's because Jesus took them

Todo pobre quando morre
Every poor person when they die

Foi cachaça que matou
It's because the alcohol killed them

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Daniel Pereira Jr. Dos Santos, Vanair De Paula Viveiros

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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