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.
Ouro
Elba Ramalho Lyrics
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Eu vou querer conquistar o seu, tesouro
Foi numa ilha do futuro
Que maravilha me aconteceu
Tava sem amar, pra quem tava sem amar
Foi muito
Tava sem amar, pra quem tava sem amar
Tua maré pra mim, foi ouro
Minha maré pra ti foi oi, ô, ô, ô
Beira do mar pra mim dói oi, ô, ô, ô
Amar amar assim
Tava sem amar, pra quem tava sem amar
Foi muito
Foi louco
Seu ouro
Você vai querer conquistar meu ouro
Eu vou querer
Seu ouro, seu ouro
The lyrics to Elba Ramalho's song Ouro reflect a theme of love and desire for one's possessions. The first two lines of the chorus "Você vai querer conquistar, meu ouro / Eu vou querer conquistar o seu, tesouro" can be interpreted as both romantic and materialistic. The singer is saying that they want to possess the other person's "treasure" while the other person desires their "gold". The use of precious metals is a metaphor for what they desire from each other.
The first verse describes a moment of bliss on a future island, a place where something wonderful happened. The singer describes being without love and then finding it suddenly. The use of repetition in the lines "Tava sem amar, pra quem tava sem amar / Foi muito / Tava sem amar, pra quem tava sem amar / Foi louco" emphasizes the intensity of the experience. The first verse also sets the tone for the rest of the song, highlighting the importance of the love that was found and the desire to possess what the other person has.
The second verse repeats the chorus again, and the last line "Seu ouro, seu ouro" becomes more insistent, almost like a demand. The repetition of "Foi muito / Foi louco" is also used again to emphasize the passion between the two people. The final line "Amar amar assim" is a reflection on the intensity of the love that the singer and the other person share, and its importance to them.
Line by Line Meaning
Você vai querer conquistar, meu ouro
You want to conquer my wealth.
Eu vou querer conquistar o seu, tesouro
I want to conquer your treasure.
Foi numa ilha do futuro
It was on an island of the future.
Que maravilha me aconteceu
That a wonder happened to me.
Tava sem amar, pra quem tava sem amar
I wasn't loving, for someone who wasn't loving.
Foi muito
It was a lot.
Tava sem amar, pra quem tava sem amar
I wasn't loving, for someone who wasn't loving.
Foi louco
It was crazy.
Tua maré pra mim, foi ouro
Your tide was gold to me.
Minha maré pra ti foi oi, ô, ô, ô
My tide for you was oh, oh, oh.
Beira do mar pra mim dói oi, ô, ô, ô
The sea shore hurts me oh, oh, oh.
Amar amar assim
To love like this.
Tava sem amar, pra quem tava sem amar
I wasn't loving, for someone who wasn't loving.
Foi muito
It was a lot.
Foi louco
It was crazy.
Seu ouro
Your wealth.
Você vai querer conquistar meu ouro
You want to conquer my wealth.
Eu vou querer
I want to
Seu ouro, seu ouro
Your wealth, your wealth.
Contributed by Layla R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.