Her history is linked with the developing of important escolas de samba (samba schools) from Rio de Janeiro, such as Prazer da Serrinha and Império Serrano. Her repertoire is comprised of mostly romantic sambas inspired by rootsy African music. Until 2000, she recorded only these 5 LPs and one CD. Dona Ivone Lara is the godmother of the group of composers at Império Serrano and participates in the carnival parades every year.
Dona Ivone Lara was born in Rio de Janeiro. She graduated in nursing, with specialization in Occupational Therapy, and worked as a social worker until she retired in 1977. With this professional background, she worked in psychiatric hospitals, where she knew Dr. Nise da Silveira.
With the death of her mother when she was three, and of her father when she was twelve, Dona Ivone was raised by aunts and uncles and with them she learned to play the cavaquinho. She was exposed to samba music at the side of her cousin Mestre Fuleiro; she took singing lessons from Lucília Villa-Lobos and was praised by Dona Lucília's husband, the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos.
At the age of 25, she married Oscar Costa, son of Afredo Costa, the president of the Prazer da Serrinha samba school. At Prazer da Serrinha she met several composers who later became her partners in several compositions, among them Mano Décio da Viola e Silas de Oliveira.
Dona Ivone composed the samba Nasci para sofrer (Born To Suffer), which became the theme song of the samba school. When the samba school Império Serrano was founded in 1947, she began to parade in the ala das baianas (Wing of the Baianas) during carnaval parades. There she composed the samba Não me perguntes (Don't Ask Me),. Her consecration as a composer came in 1965, with Os cinco bailes da história do Rio (The Five Balls of the History of Rio) qwhen she became the first woman to become part of the ala de compositores (Wing of the Composers) of a samba school.
Retiring from nursing in 1977, she began to dedicate herself to her musical career. She continues to record and to perform before live audiences today. Among the interpreters of her songs are such singers and artists as Clara Nunes, Roberto Ribeiro, Maria Bethânia, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Paula Toller, Paulinho da Viola, Beth Carvalho, Mariene de Castro e Roberta Sá.
O Poder Da Criação
Dona Ivone Lara Lyrics
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Viva o samba
Não
Ninguém faz samba só porque prefere
Força nenhuma no mundo interfere
Sobre o poder da criação
Não
Nem se refugiar em lugar mais bonito
Em busca da inspiração
Não, ela é uma luz que chega de repente
Com a rapidez de uma estrela cadente
Que acende a mente e o coração
É, faz pensar
Que existe uma força maior que nos guia
Que está no ar
Vem no meio da noite ou no claro do dia
Chega a nos angustiar
E o poeta se deixa levar por essa magia
E um verso vem vindo e vem vindo uma melodia
E o povo começa a cantar
Lalaialá
Não
Ninguém faz samba só porque prefere
Força nenhuma no mundo interfere
Sobre o poder da criação
Não
Não precisa se estar nem feliz nem aflito
Nem se refugiar em lugar mais bonito
Em busca da inspiração
Não
Ela é uma luz que chega de repente
Com a rapidez de uma estrela cadente
Que acende a mente e o coração
É, faz pensar
Que existe uma força maior que nos guia
Que está no ar
Vem no meio da noite ou no claro do dia
Chega a nos angustiar
E o poeta se deixa levar por essa magia
E um verso vem vindo e vem vindo uma melodia
E o povo começa a cantar
Lalaialá
Lalaialá
Lalaialá
The song "O Poder Da Criação" by Dona Ivone Lara celebrates the power and essence of samba music. The first two lines, "Viva o samba, Viva o samba," serve as a joyful proclamation, exclaiming the vitality and life of the genre.
The following verse emphasizes that no one creates samba simply out of preference. It suggests that no external force can influence the creative process, expressing the idea that samba comes from a place of pure inspiration and imagination. The power of creation is beyond the control of anyone, and it cannot be forced or manipulated.
The lyrics go on to emphasize that one doesn't need to be happy or distressed, or even seek refuge in a beautiful place to find inspiration. The process of creation is not bound by external circumstances; instead, it is guided by an inner power that can strike unexpectedly. This power, depicted as a sudden light, akin to a shooting star or falling star, ignites the mind and heart of the songwriter. It is a force that transcends the individual and connects them with something greater, a higher power that guides their creative process.
The song suggests that this force of creation is capable of causing both excitement and anguish. It can be overwhelming, compelling the poet to surrender to its magic. The lyrics describe how a verse and melody come forth effortlessly, as if flowing from the songwriter's being. This creative surge is infectious, igniting a collective response from the people, who begin to join in and sing along. The repeated phrase "Lalaialá" serves as a joyful expression of this communal involvement, symbolizing unity and shared experience in the power of samba.
Overall, "O Poder Da Criação" celebrates the intrinsic nature of samba music, highlighting its ability to transcend external influences and deliver a pure and powerful creative force. It encapsulates the belief that samba arises from a deep well of inspiration and connects individuals to something greater, inspiring a collective celebration of joy and unity.
Line by Line Meaning
Viva o samba
Long live samba
Não
No
Ninguém faz samba só porque prefere
Nobody makes samba just because they prefer it
Força nenhuma no mundo interfere
No force in the world interferes
Sobre o poder da criação
Regarding the power of creation
Não precisa se estar nem feliz nem aflito
There's no need to be happy or troubled
Nem se refugiar em lugar mais bonito
Nor to seek refuge in a more beautiful place
Em busca da inspiração
In search of inspiration
Não, ela é uma luz que chega de repente
No, it is a light that comes suddenly
Com a rapidez de uma estrela cadente
With the speed of a shooting star
Que acende a mente e o coração
That ignites the mind and the heart
É, faz pensar
Yeah, it makes you think
Que existe uma força maior que nos guia
That there is a greater force that guides us
Que está no ar
That is in the air
Vem no meio da noite ou no claro do dia
Comes in the middle of the night or in the light of day
Chega a nos angustiar
Sometimes it distresses us
E o poeta se deixa levar por essa magia
And the poet lets himself be carried away by this magic
E um verso vem vindo e vem vindo uma melodia
And a verse comes forth, and a melody comes forth
E o povo começa a cantar
And the people start to sing
Lalaialá
Lalaialá
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Joao Junior, Paulo Cesar Francisco Pinheiro
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind