Elba Ramalho was born in the rural area of Conceição, in Vale do Piancó. In 1962, the family moved to the city of Campina Grande, also in Paraíba. Her father became the owner of the local theater. Daughter of a musician, she became interested in music still as a teenager.
In 1966, she participated, for the first time, in a performance on stage, in the Choir of the Fundação Artística e Cultural Manuel Bandeira, of which she was a member, with "Evocação do Recife". The Manuel Bandeira and Cecília Meireles Talking Choirs gained fame and started to be seen all over the Northeast, and Elba, who made her first presentation on stage together with them, soon became the highlight in the presentations. She starred in the poetic montages of Castro Alves, Thiago de Mello, Lindolfo Bell, Carlos Pena Filho and Figueiredo Agra. He participated in the montages of the plays "Ministro do Supremo" and "Diálogo das Carmelitas."
In 1968, while attending college of Economics and Sociology at the Federal University of Paraíba, she formed the ensemble As Brasas, in which she acted as drummer, which later became a theater group. However, Elba never stopped singing, and performed in several festivals throughout the Northeast.
In 1979, she released her first album, "Ave de Prata", and since then she has consolidated her position as one of the main Brazilian singers in activity. On her father's side, she is a cousin of fellow singer Zé Ramalho.
She has two Latin Grammys for her albums: Qual o Assunto Que Mais Lhe importa?, released in 2008, and Balaio de Amor, 2009, in the category Best Brazilian Roots Album: Regional and Tropical. In over 35 years of career, Elba Ramalho has sold more than 10 million albums. She received from the Art Critics Association of São Paulo the award "Best Show of the Year" on two occasions: in 1989 for the show Popular Brasileira and in 1996 for the show Leão do Norte.
Avôhai
Elba Ramalho Lyrics
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De botas longas, de barbas longas
De ouro o brilho do seu colar
Na laje fria onde quarava
Sua camisa e seu alforje
De caçador
Oh! Meu velho e invisível
Oh! Meu velho e indivisível
Avôhai!
Neblina turva e brilhante
Em meu cérebro coágulos de sol
Amanita matutina
E que transparente cortina
Ao meu redor
E se eu disser
Que é meio sabido
Você diz que é meio pior
Mas e pior do que planeta
Quando perde o girassol
É o terço de brilhante
Nos dedos de minha avó
E nunca mais eu tive medo
Da porteira
Nem também da companheira
Que nunca dormia só
Avôhai!
Avôhai!
Avôhai!
O brejo cruza a poeira
De fato existe
Um tom mais leve
Na palidez desse pessoal
Pares de olhos tão profundos
Que amargam as pessoas
Que fitar
Mas que bebem sua vida
Sua alma na altura que mandar
São os olhos, são as asas
Cabelos de Avôhai
Na pedra de turmalina
E no terreiro da usina
Eu me criei
Voava de madrugada
E na cratera condenada
Eu me calei
E se eu calei foi de tristeza
Você cala por calar
Mas e calado vai ficando
Só fala quando eu mandar
Rebuscando a consciência
Com medo de viajar
Até o meio da cabeça do cometa
Girando na carrapeta
No jogo de improvisar
Entrecortando
Eu sigo dentro a linha reta
Eu tenho a palavra certa
Prá doutor não reclamar
Avôhai! Avôhai!
Avôhai! Avôhai!
The song "Avôhai" by Elba Ramalho tells the story of a wise old man who crosses a threshold with long boots, long beard, and a shining golden necklace. He carries with him his hunter's bag and shirt, which he lays on a cold slab to dry. The lyrics describe the misty and radiant fog that surrounds him and fills the singer's mind. The old man represents wisdom, and his presence is comforting to the singer, who speaks of their grandmother's diamond rosary and her steadfast companion who never sleeps alone.
The song's verses reflect on themes of nature, life, and death, with references to the coagulating sun, the Amanita mushroom, and the loss of a planet's sunflower. The depth and complexity of the lyrics are typical of Brazilian music's poetic tradition and are a hallmark of the songwriter Zé Ramalho, who wrote the song. The lyrics denote a spiritual and metaphysical journey that the singer is on, referencing the comets and circling of life. Throughout the song, the singer evokes a sense of self-discovery and inner reflection brought about by the wise old man.
Line by Line Meaning
Um velho cruza a soleira
An old man crosses the threshold
De botas longas, de barbas longas
In long boots, with long beards
De ouro o brilho do seu colar
The shine of his necklace is made of gold
Na laje fria onde quarava
On the cold slab where he hung up to dry
Sua camisa e seu alforje
His shirt and his hunting bag
De caçador
as a hunter.
Oh! Meu velho e invisível Avôhai!
Oh! My old and invisible Avôhai!
Oh! Meu velho e indivisível Avôhai!
Oh! My old and indivisible Avôhai!
Neblina turva e brilhante
Misty and sparkling fog
Em meu cérebro coágulos de sol
In my brain, clots of sun
Amanita matutina
Morning Amanita
E que transparente cortina
And what a transparent curtain
Ao meu redor
Around me
E se eu disser
And if I say
Que é meio sabido
It's kinda obvious
Você diz que é meio pior
You say it's kinda worse
Mas e pior do que planeta
But it's worse than the planet
Quando perde o girassol
When it loses its sunflower
É o terço de brilhante
It's the brilliant rosary
Nos dedos de minha avó
On my grandmother's fingers
E nunca mais eu tive medo
And I was never afraid again
Da porteira
Of the gate
Nem também da companheira
Nor of the companion
Que nunca dormia só
Who never slept alone
O brejo cruza a poeira
The marsh crosses the dust
De fato existe
It really exists
Um tom mais leve
A lighter tone
Na palidez desse pessoal
In the paleness of these people
Pares de olhos tão profundos
Pairs of such deep eyes
Que amargam as pessoas
That embitter people
Que fitar
That look
Mas que bebem sua vida
But they drink their life
Sua alma na altura que mandar
Their soul as they please
São os olhos, são as asas
They are the eyes, they are the wings
Cabelos de Avôhai
Avôhai's hair
Na pedra de turmalina
On the tourmaline stone
E no terreiro da usina
And in the sugarcane plantation yard
Eu me criei
I grew up
Voava de madrugada
I flew at dawn
E na cratera condenada
And in the condemned crater
Eu me calei
I fell silent
E se eu calei foi de tristeza
And if I fell silent, it was out of sadness
Você cala por calar
You keep quiet for the sake of it
Mas e calado vai ficando
But the silence keeps growing
Só fala quando eu mandar
Only speaks when I order
Rebuscando a consciência
Rummaging through my consciousness
Com medo de viajar
Afraid of traveling
Até o meio da cabeça do cometa
Up to the middle of the comet's head
Girando na carrapeta
Spinning in the machine
No jogo de improvisar
In the game of improvisation
Entrecortando
Breaking up
Eu sigo dentro a linha reta
I follow the straight line inside
Eu tenho a palavra certa
I have the right word
Prá doutor não reclamar
So that the doctor won't complain
Avôhai! Avôhai!
Avôhai! Avôhai!
Avôhai! Avôhai!
Avôhai! Avôhai!
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jose Ramalho Neto
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind