In 1939, he formed his own rumba band, "Rumba With Ros". In 1941, he gained recognition with the track "Los Hijos de Buda" and was playing regularly at the elegant Coconut Grove club on Regent Street, which attracted members of high society.
In 1946, he owned a club, a dance school, a record company and an artist's agency. His band grew to 16 musicians. His album The Wedding Samba sold three million copies in 1949.
In 1951, he bought the Coconut Grove and renamed it Edmundo Ros' Dinner and Supper Club. The club became popular for its atmosphere and music; it closed in 1965. From 1964 to 1968 he was the owner of the internationally known and very exclusive Edmundo Ros Club on Regent Street.
His album Rhythms of The South (1957) was one of the first high-quality LP stereo records. He was with Decca records from 1944 to 1974.
In 1975 (at the age of 65) he retired and moved to Jávea, Alicante (Spain). On January 8, 1994, he gave his last public performance. Ros was awarded the Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in the 2000 New Year's Honours List.
Discography
His most famous albums:
Edmundo Ros And His Rumba Band, 1939-1941, LP
Tropical Magic, 1942-1944, LP
Cuban Love Song, 1945, LP
On Broadway, LP
Show Boat/Porgy & Bess, LP
Ros at the Opera
Broadway goes Latin
Rhythms of the South
Latin Carnival
New Rhythms of The South
Latin Boss...Señor Ros
Arriba
Latin Hits I Missed
Hair Goes Latin
Heading South of the Border
The Latin King
This is My World
Caribbean Ros
Sunshine and Olé!
Give My Regards to Broadway
Doin' the Samba, CD
Rhythms of the South/New Rhythms of the South, CD
Good! Good! Good! CD
Strings Latino/Latin Hits I Missed CD
That Latin Sound
Wedding Samba
Cancion Cubana
Mambo Jambo, Naxos, CD
The Wedding Samba (Nayer Sher)
Calypsos (Decca 1956),
Mambos (Decca 1956),
Rhythms Of The South (Decca 1957),
Calypso Man (Decca 1958),
Perfect For Dancing (Decca 1958),
Ros On Broadway (Decca 1959),
Hollywood Cha Cha Cha (Decca 1959),
Bongos From The South (Decca 1961), Dance Again (Decca 1962),
Sing And Dance With Edmundo Ros (Decca 1963), with *Ted Heath Heath Versus Ros (Phase 4 1964),
with Heath Heath Versus Ros, Round Two (Phase 4 1967),
This Is My World (Decca 1972),
Ros Remembers (Decca 1974),
Edmundo Ros Today (Decca 1978),
Latin Favourites (Gold Crown 1979),
Latin Song And Dance Men (Pye 1980),
Music For The Millions (Decca 1983),
Strings Latino (London 1985),
Cuban Love Song (1985),
Latin Magic (London 1987),
Edmundo Ros & His Rumba Band, 1939-1941 (1992),
That Latin Sound (Pulse 1997)
His most famous track was "Melodie d' amour".
Más que nada
Edmundo Ros and His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ob Ob Ob
Mas que nada
Sai da minha frente
Eu quero passar
Pois o samba est animado
O que eu quero sambar
Este samba
samba de preto velho
Samba de preto tu
Mas que nada
Um samba como esse to legal
Voc no vai querer
Que eu chegue no final
The song "Mas Que Nada" by Edmundo Ros and His Orchestra is a lively samba number that captures the festive spirit of Brazilian culture. The lyrics are a playful invitation to dance, with the singer declaring that the lively samba rhythm is just too irresistible to resist. The chorus, "Mas que nada," translates to "more than anything," suggesting that the joy and exuberance of the samba culture transcends all else.
The song references other traditional Brazilian music styles such as maracatu and samba de preto velho. "Maracatu" is a rhythm from the northeast of Brazil that is often played during carnival celebrations, while "samba de preto velho" is a type of samba that originated in Afro-Brazilian communities. By blending these styles together with the more familiar samba beats, "Mas Que Nada" celebrates the rich cultural heritage of Brazil and highlights the diversity and vibrancy of its music.
Line by Line Meaning
Oari rai
Non-sensical phrase used to express enthusiasm or excitement.
Ob Ob Ob
Repeated phrase used to create a playful, rhythmic pattern.
Mas que nada
But rather nothing, to emphasize that nothing is more important than the current situation.
Sai da minha frente
Get out of my way, I have things to do and places to go.
Eu quero passar
I want to keep moving forward and pursue my goals.
Pois o samba est animado
Because the samba is lively and full of energy.
O que eu quero sambar
What I want to dance and express myself through is this samba.
Este samba
This particular samba is the focus of the singer's attention.
Que misto de maracatu
Which is a blend of maracatu, a traditional Afro-Brazilian rhythmic style.
samba de preto velho
And the samba of 'preto velho' or elderly black men, adding depth and authenticity to the music.
Samba de preto tu
Traditional samba music which adds to the authenticity of the song.
Mas que nada
But rather nothing, once again emphasizing the importance of this particular samba.
Um samba como esse to legal
A samba like this is so cool and enjoyable to listen to.
Voc no vai querer
You wouldn't want to miss out on this musical experience.
Que eu chegue no final
When I get to the end of the song, you'll regret not having listened to it.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Jorge Lima Menezes
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind