By the age of fifteen she had decided to become a musician, and by her late teens she had studied music theory, as well as the violão (nylon-stringed Brazilian guitar). Her songs reveal her many influences, which include samba, valsa, choro, soul, rhythm and blues, hip hop, reggae, afrobeat, and electrojazz. In particular, she cites as influences the music of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Lauryn Hill, and Erykah Badu.
By her late teens Céu was performing onstage with major artists and exploring the repertoire of the marchinhas (turn-of-the-century carnival music). Soon after that she relocated temporarily to New York City, where she had a chance meeting with fellow Brazilian musician Antonio Pinto, who became her flatmate while he was going through some financial difficulties. She later learned that he was actually a distant cousin, and their relationship was renewed when he teamed up with lead producer Beto Villares, composer of the musical score for the film O Ano em que Meus Pais Saíram de Férias, to help her record her album.
Nascente
Céu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Em cada fio de cabelo
Das pedras nasce um novelo
Que ao poucos se movimenta
Sem dar adeus à nascente
Partiu como uma serpente
Que engole o que vê à frente
E o rio de águas cinzentas
Corre, empurra, rasga e roça
Tatuando a pele grossa,
No chão de carmim, barrenta
The lyrics of the song Nascente by Céu describe the journey of a river that is born from the stones and slowly gains momentum as it flows. It talks about how the river flows without saying goodbye to its source and moves like a serpent, consuming everything that comes in its way. The river is described as grey, pushing, tearing and rubbing against the skin leaving a scarlet muddy trail behind.
The lyrics use the imagery of a river to depict the journey of life. The river represents life that is constantly moving forward, and the birth of the river from the stones can be seen as the starting point of life. As the river gains momentum, it also represents the growth and journey of an individual where they face challenges, move forward without looking back and leave behind a trail of their experiences. The metaphor of the river describes life as both beautiful and destructive, where things come and go with the flow.
Line by Line Meaning
Com diamantes de gelo
With ice diamonds
Em cada fio de cabelo
In every strand of hair
Das pedras nasce um novelo
A ball of yarn is born from the stones
Que ao poucos se movimenta
Which slowly moves
Sem dar adeus à nascente
Without saying goodbye to the source
Partiu como uma serpente
Left like a snake
Que engole o que vê à frente
That swallows what it sees ahead
se arrasta, engrossa e aumenta
Crawls, thickens and increases
E o rio de águas cinzentas
And the river of gray waters
Corre, empurra, rasga e roça
Runs, pushes, tears and rubs
Tatuando a pele grossa,
Tattooing the thick skin,
No chão de carmim, barrenta
On the crimson, muddy ground
Contributed by Avery B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.