The sexy/quirky/mysterious Brazilian Girls were three men -- Didi Gutman (from Argentina) on keyboards and computers, Jesse Murphy on bass, and Aaron Johnston on drums -- and one woman, Sabina Sciubba, the vocalist. Sciubba often enjoys wearing lacy eye masks on-stage and sings in no fewer than five different languages. She was born in Rome but grew up in Nice and Munich before settling in Brooklyn, NY. She first came to record buyers' attention when she recorded two jazz albums -- You Don't Know What Love Is with pianist Chris Anderson and Meet Me in London with guitarist Antonio Forcione -- for the English audiophile label Naim. She described her meeting with the men of Brazilian Girls as "love at first sight and it moved as fast as the Autobahn." Falling into the new, playful downtown scene that was revolving around the Nublu club helped speed the band's success.
Like-minded bands like Wax Poetic and the Nublu Orchestra had made the club the hip spot 2004 for adventurous pop fans and Brazilian Girls' freeform, bouncy kind of jamming fit right in. Soon they had the Saturday night slot at Nublu, and the East Village press had fallen in love with them. Murphy and Johnston made appearances on John Zorn's 2003 album Voices in the Wilderness and every Brazilian Girl contributed to Wax Poetic's sophomore release, the Nublu Sessions, the same year. The Verve Company became interested in the band around this time, thinking them perfect for the more pop and progressive imprint Verve Forecast. In 2004 the label released the Lazy Lover (EP), which included the title track -- a chillout room favorite -- in its original form and in a remix by the quirky house producer Herbert. The group's self-titled, full-length debut Brazilian Girls hit the streets in early 2005. (allmusic.com, 02/06) The band's second album, Talk to La Bomb, was released in September 2006 by Verve Forecast, to mixed reviews.
In 2008, the band released a third album "New York City" - also to mixed reviews. In the interim, singer Sciubba returned to France and had a child. Unfortunately, the band announced in January 2011 that they had broken up.
Sweatshop
Brazilian Girls Lyrics
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Il a les cles de l?ascenseur
Il est toujours la
La sentinelle
Ete et hiver
Le matin ça bouge a Chinatown
Tellement do monde qu? on s?y perd
Puis c?est (chaud) fous!
dahhh daahh dahh
Vlado nous emmene
Il nous emmene en haut
Pour nous montrer
23 chinois dans une chambre
De 10 metre carré
Le matin ça bouge a Chinatown
Regarde les rues comblées de mille couleurs
Comme sa bouge on s?y perd
Puis c?est (chaud) fous!
Ding dong
Dong di da dong
Bato me regarde
Il nous dit que les temps sont durs
23 chinois dans une chambre miniature
23 chinois, ah oui, les temps sont durs
The lyrics of Brazilian Girls' song "Sweatshop" depict a day in the life of the inhabitants of New York City's Chinatown. The song starts by introducing Walter, the building superintendent who always has the keys to the elevator that takes the residents up to their apartments. Walter is also metaphorically referred to as the "sentinel," implying his role as the guardian of the building. The first verse sets up the bustling atmosphere of Chinatown, with its colorful markets and crowded streets, and the sense of excitement and disorientation that comes with it.
The second verse shifts focus to Vlado, who takes the band members up to the 23 Chinese individuals living in a 10 square meter room. The image of so many people crammed into such a small space illustrates the harsh reality of living conditions in Chinatown, where many people work in sweatshops for low wages. The song ends with Bato's observation that "the times are hard" for these individuals.
Overall, the lyrics of "Sweatshop" shed light on the lives of the marginalized individuals working in New York City's Chinatown sweatshops, highlighting the struggles they face and the realities of their living conditions.
Line by Line Meaning
Walter a les clés
Walter has the keys
Il a les cles de l’ascenseur
He has the keys to the elevator
Il est toujours la
He is always there
La sentinelle
The sentinel
Ete et hiver
Summer and winter
Le matin ça bouge a Chinatown
In the morning, there's movement in Chinatown
Tous les marchés comblées de mille couleurs
All the markets filled with a thousand colors
Tellement do monde qu’on s’y perd
So many people that you get lost
Puis c’est (chaud) fous!
Then it's crazy hot!
Vlado nous emmene
Vlado takes us
Il nous emmene en haut
He takes us up
Pour nous montrer
To show us
23 chinois dans une chambre
23 Chinese people in one room
De 10 metre carré
10 square meters
Regarde les rues comblées de mille couleurs
Look at the streets filled with a thousand colors
Comme sa bouge on s’y perd
With all this movement, you get lost
Ding dong
Ding dong
Dong di da dong
Dong di da dong
Bato me regarde
Bato looks at me
Il nous dit que les temps sont durs
He tells us that times are hard
23 chinois dans une chambre miniature
23 Chinese people in a tiny room
23 chinois, ah oui, les temps sont durs
23 Chinese people, oh yes, times are hard
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: AARON JOHNSTON, DIDI GUTMAN, JESSE YUSEF MURPHY, SABINA SCIUBBA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind