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.
Quisera
Dona Ivone Lara Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
O que me faz chorar
Foi tanta ingratidão
Que esta chaga em meu peito
Quase me tira a razão
Pra cicatrizar
O remédio é cantar
Benditos sons que não deixam
Que as mágoas e queixas
Me venham matar
Mas sei lá
Quem não é sofredor
Não viveu um grande amor
Não sentiu essa chama na alma
Que agita e acalma
Emoção, ilusão, alegria e dor
Ânsia do grande prazer
Pra essa vida ter valor
Necessário é amar, ser amado
Ou até desprezado por um falso amor
In Dona Ivone Lara's song "Quisera," the lyrics explore the theme of heartache and the struggle to overcome ingratitude and pain. The opening lines express a desire to forget the source of tears, which is tied to a significant amount of ingratitude experienced. The singer carries a deep wound in their chest that almost takes away their reason for living.
To heal this wound, the remedy presented is to sing. The blessed sounds of music serve as a way to prevent the singer from being consumed by bitterness and grievances, protecting them from being destroyed. The chorus reveals a sense of resignation, acknowledging that everyone who has not experienced suffering has not truly lived a great love. The flame that burns in the soul, stirring both excitement and calmness, brings a mix of emotions such as illusion, joy, and pain. The overall message is that in order for life to hold value, it is necessary to experience love, whether being loved, loved in return, or even despised by a false love.
Overall, "Quisera" reflects a deeply introspective and emotional journey, highlighting the healing power of music and the importance of love in one's life.
Line by Line Meaning
Quisera não lembrar
I wish I could forget
O que me faz chorar
What makes me cry
Foi tanta ingratidão
It was so much ingratitude
Que esta chaga em meu peito
That this wound in my chest
Quase me tira a razão
Almost drives me insane
Pra cicatrizar
To heal
O remédio é cantar
The remedy is to sing
Benditos sons que não deixam
Blessed sounds that don't let
Que as mágoas e queixas
That the sorrows and complaints
Me venham matar
Come and kill me
Mas sei lá
But I don't know
Quem não é sofredor
Who is not a sufferer
Não viveu um grande amor
Has not experienced a great love
Não sentiu essa chama na alma
Has not felt this flame in the soul
Que agita e acalma
That agitates and soothes
Emoção, ilusão, alegria e dor
Emotion, illusion, joy, and pain
Ânsia do grande prazer
Yearning for great pleasure
Pra essa vida ter valor
For this life to have value
Necessário é amar, ser amado
It is necessary to love, to be loved
Ou até desprezado por um falso amor
Or even despised by a false love
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Delcio Carvalho, Yvonne Lara Da Costa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind