Elba Maria Nunes Ramalho (born August 17, 1951 in Conceição, Paraíba, Brazi… Read Full Bio ↴Elba Maria Nunes Ramalho (born August 17, 1951 in Conceição, Paraíba, Brazil), best known as Elba Ramalho, is a Brazilian MPB singer, songwriter, performer, multi-instrumentalist and actress. Her musical style is characteristic for the traditional sounds of the Northeastern region of Brazil, such as baião, xote, xaxado, frevo, forró, and others.

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.

Cajuína
Elba Ramalho Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Existirmos
A que será que se destina
Pois quando tu me deste a rosa pequenina
Vi que és um homem lindo
E que se acaso a sina
Do menino infeliz
Não se nos ilumina
Tão pouco turva-se a lágrima nordestina

Apenas a matéria vida era tão fina

E éramos olharmo-nos intacta retina
A cajuína cristalina em Teresina

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Elba Ramalho's song "Cajuína" are a contemplation on existence and destiny. The singer wonders about the purpose of our existence, questioning what it is all leading up to. However, when the singer was given a small rose, they were struck by the beauty of the person who gave it to them. The singer is admiring the physical attributes of this man, but also acknowledges the importance of fate. If they hadn't met this man perhaps their life would have been more unhappy or unfulfilling.

The lyrics go on to describe the clarity of the cajuína, a drink made from cashew fruit that is symbolic of Teresina, the capital city of the state of Piauí in Brazil. The phrase "lágrima nordestina" refers to the tears of the Northeasterners, which could represent both the tears of the people of the region, known for its poverty and struggles, as well as the tears one may shed when touched by beauty or emotion. The crystal-clear cajuína mirrors the clarity of their interaction and connection, with the pair looking at each other through "intacta retina," or clear eyes.

Overall, this song is a reflection on the fleetingness and beauty of life, as well as the importance of connections and encounters with others.

Line by Line Meaning

Existirmos
The act of our existence

A que será que se destina
What is the purpose of our existence

Pois quando tu me deste a rosa pequenina
Because when you gave me that small rose

Vi que és um homem lindo
I saw that you are a beautiful man

E que se acaso a sina
And if by chance the fate

Do menino infeliz
Of the unhappy boy

Não se nos ilumina
Doesn't shine upon us

Tão pouco turva-se a lágrima nordestina
Northeastern tears don't become blurred either

Apenas a matéria vida era tão fina
Only the material life was so fragile

E éramos olharmo-nos intacta retina
And we looked at each other with an intact retina