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.
Piano na mangueira
Chico Buarque Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Estou aqui na plataforma da Estação Primeira
O Morro veio me chamar
De terno branco e chapéu de palha
Vou me apresentar à minha nova parceira
Já mandei subir o piano pra Mangueira
A minha música não é de levantar Poeira
Onde a cabrocha pendura a saia
No amanhecer da quarta-feira Mangueira
Estação Primeira de Mangueira
The song "Piano na Mangueira" by Chico Buarque describes the singer's journey to meet his new partner in Mangueira, a favela located in Rio de Janeiro where the famous samba school Estação Primeira de Mangueira is based. The lyrics convey a sense of excitement and anticipation as the singer prepares to present his music to his new collaborator. He is dressed in a white suit and straw hat, ready to enter the world of samba and bring his piano to the community.
The singer acknowledges that his music may not be the type that usually fills the air in the streets of Mangueira – it is not the typical upbeat samba that gets people dancing and jumping. However, he believes that his music has a place there, one that is just as important. He recognizes the beauty and uniqueness of the community and is eager to become a part of it.
Overall, "Piano na Mangueira" is a celebration of music, community, and cultural exchange. It highlights the power of music to bring people together and bridge different worlds. It also captures the essence of Mangueira as a place of creativity, diversity, and resilience.
Line by Line Meaning
Mangueira
Referring to the neighborhood of Mangueira in Rio de Janeiro
Estou aqui na plataforma da Estação Primeira
I am here on the platform of the Estação Primeira de Mangueira, a well-known samba school
O Morro veio me chamar
The Morro, or the hill where Mangueira is located, has called me
De terno branco e chapéu de palha
Wearing a white suit and a straw hat
Vou me apresentar à minha nova parceira
I'm going to introduce myself to my new partner, in a musical sense
Já mandei subir o piano pra Mangueira
I've already sent the piano up to Mangueira, indicating my intention to play music there
A minha música não é de levantar Poeira
My music isn't meant to stir up dust or cause chaos
Mas pode entrar no barracão
But it's welcome in the barracão, a place where samba schools prepare for Carnival
Onde a cabrocha pendura a saia
Where the cabrocha, or young woman, hangs up her skirt
No amanhecer da quarta-feira Mangueira
At daybreak on Wednesday, in Mangueira
Estação Primeira de Mangueira
The Estação Primeira de Mangueira, embodying the spirit of Mangueira and its samba culture
Contributed by Savannah S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Poeta das Calçadas
Mangueira
Estou aqui na plataforma
Da Estação Primeira
O morro veio me chamar
De terno branco e chapéu de palha
Vou me apresentar à minha nova parceira
Já mandei subir o piano pra Mangueira
A minha música não é de levantar poeira
Mas pode entrar no barracão
Onde a cabrocha pendura a saia
No amanhecer da quarta-feira
Mangueira
Estação Primeira de Mangueira
Guilherme D
samba lindo
Poeta das Calçadas
Quanta lindeza!
Poeta das Calçadas
❤️❤️❤️
Carlos Velez
❤x2