The firstborn son of Sérgio Buarque de Hollanda, Buarque lived at several locations throughout his childhood, though mostly in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Rome. He wrote and studied literature as a child and found music through the bossa nova compositions of Tom Jobim and João Gilberto. He performed as a singer and guitarist in the 1960s as well as writing a play that was deemed dangerous by the Brazilian military dictatorship of the time. Buarque, along with several Tropicalist and MPB musicians, was threatened by the Brazilian military government and eventually left Brazil for Italy in 1969. However, he came back to Brazil in 1970, and continued to record, perform, and write, though much of his material was suppressed by government censors. He released several more albums in the 1980s and published three novels in the 1990s and 2000s.
In 2019, Buarque was awarded the Camões Prize, the most important prize for literature in the Portuguese language.
Frevo
Chico Buarque Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Vamos dançar ao sol
Vem
Que a banda vai passar
Vem
Ouvir os toques dos clarins
Anunciando o carnaval
E vão brilhando os seus metais
Verde mar, céu de anil
Nunca se viu tanta beleza
Ai, meu Deus, que lindo é o meu Brasil
Vem
Vamos dançar ao sol
Vem
Que a banda vai passar
Vem
Ouvir os toques dos clarins
Anunciando o carnaval
E vão brilhando os seus metais
Por entre cores mil
Verde mar, céu de anil
Nunca se viu tanta beleza
Ai, meu Deus, que lindo é o meu Brasil
The lyrics to Chico Buarque's song Frevo depict the excitement and joy of celebrating Carnival in Brazil. The singer invites the listener to join in the festivities and dance in the sun as the band passes by. The sound of the trumpet announces the arrival of Carnival, and the brass instruments shine brightly among the colorful decorations of the parade.
As the music plays, the landscape is described with rich imagery - the green sea, the sky of anil (a deep blue color), and the multitude of colors that make up the scene. The singer marvels at the beauty of Brazil, expressing his admiration for his home country.
Overall, the lyrics of "Frevo" celebrate the vibrant and lively spirit of Carnival in Brazil, with a strong sense of pride and appreciation for the country's natural beauty.
Line by Line Meaning
Vem
Come, join me
Vamos dançar ao sol
Let's dance in the sun
Que a banda vai passar
As the band passes by
Ouvir os toques dos clarins
Listen to the sound of the bugles
Anunciando o carnaval
Announcing carnival
E vão brilhando os seus metais
And their brass instruments gleam
Por entre cores mil
Amongst a thousand colors
Verde mar, céu de anil
Green sea, indigo sky
Nunca se viu tanta beleza
Never before have we seen so much beauty
Ai, meu Deus, que lindo é o meu Brasil
Oh my God, how beautiful is my Brazil
Contributed by Kaitlyn W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.