Raimundo Fagner Cândido Lopes (born in Orós, Ceará, October 13, 1949) is a … Read Full Bio ↴Raimundo Fagner Cândido Lopes (born in Orós, Ceará, October 13, 1949) is a Brazilian singer, composer, musician, actor and music producer. He is commonly known by the stage name Fagner.

The youngest of the five children of José Fares, Lebanese immigrant to Brazil, and Dona Francisca, Fagner was born in Fortaleza, the capital of the state of Ceará, although his birth was recorded in Orós.

At the age of five years he won a youth competition at a local radio station. As a teen, he formed vocal and instrumental groups and began to compose his own music. In 1968 he won the Festival de Música Popular do Ceará (Popular Music Festival of Ceará) with his song "Nada Sou" (I am Nothing).

In 1971 he moved to the capital Brasília, taking first place in the Festival de Música Popular do Centro de Estudos Universitários de Brasília (Popular Music Festival of the University Studies Center of Brasília) with his piece "Mucuripe" (with collaborator Belchior), which was later recorded by artist Elis Regina, and became Fagner's first notable success as a composer. He won prizes in other categories with additional pieces, as well.

He has had a distinguished career as a performer, singer, songwriter and composer for over 3 decades, and is also known for his collaborations with other MPB artists such as Caetano Veloso, Roberta Miranda, Chico Buarque and others.

Samba Nordestino
Fagner Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Meu samba ele não vem lá do morro
Nem sai do apartamento do Leblon ou de Ipanema
Meu samba vem do seio de Iracema
Do coração que é lindo Gordurinha e Gonzaga
Meu samba tem zabumba e tem pandeiro
E tem Jackson do Pandeiro animando a batucada

Meu samba esse tal bendito cujo

Severino Araújo, morte, vida, tabajara
Meu samba Osvaldinho, Dominguinhos
Da emboscada dos caminhos
Alegria pau de arara

Meu samba o amor do Itabaiana
Do calor de Arapiraca
Sambalbino preto sarará
Não para

Meu samba voz do poeta do povo
Samba velho, samba novo
Fausto Nilo, Lauro Maia
Meu samba, sertão seco alma e triste
Cego na sanfona triste
Sol poente que desmaia

Meu samba sal e sol do meu nordeste
Cada lagrima rolada no meu coração agreste
Meu samba Osvaldinho, Dominguinhos
Na emboscada dos caminhos
Alegria pau de arara

Meu samba do amor do Itabaiana
Do calor de Arapiraca
Sambalbino preto sarará
Sarará, não para

Pro meu coração agreste

Overall Meaning

In Fagner's song "Samba Nordestino," the lyrics celebrate the origin and diversity of the samba music from Brazil's northeast region. The first couplet of the song declares that "My samba doesn't come from the hills or from the Leblon or Ipanema apartments. My samba comes from the heart of Iracema, which is beautiful Gordurinha and Gonzaga." The lines establish the idea that the samba genre goes beyond Rio de Janeiro's popular beaches and favelas and stems from the northeast's cultural roots, represented by artists such as Gordurinha and Luiz Gonzaga, who sing about the northeast's social and political issues with their distinct rhythm and lyrics.

The following stanzas of the song mention other northeast samba icons and subgenres such as Severino Araújo, Osvaldinho, Dominguinhos, Fausto Nilo, Lauro Maia, and Jackson do Pandeiro. Each of them brought their unique style to the samba music, combining influences such as forró, baião, xote, and maracatu, among others. The lyrics also mention specific northeast cities and states such as Arapiraca, Itabaiana, and Pau de Arara, which accentuate the geographical, social, and emotional connections of the samba music with its origins.

Overall, Fagner's "Samba Nordestino" is a tribute to the diverse cultural heritage and musical richness of Brazil's northeast region, where the samba music genre flourished, evolved, and gained significant popularity over the years.

Line by Line Meaning

Meu samba ele não vem lá do morro
My samba doesn't come from the hillside

Nem sai do apartamento do Leblon ou de Ipanema
It doesn't come from the apartments in Leblon or Ipanema

Meu samba vem do seio de Iracema
My samba comes from the heart of Iracema

Do coração que é lindo Gordurinha e Gonzaga
From the beautiful heart of Gordurinha and Gonzaga

Meu samba tem zabumba e tem pandeiro
My samba has zabumba and pandeiro drums

E tem Jackson do Pandeiro animando a batucada
And Jackson do Pandeiro animating the rhythm

Meu samba esse tal bendito cujo
My samba, this blessed one

Severino Araújo, morte, vida, tabajara
Severino Araújo, death, life, tabajara

Meu samba Osvaldinho, Dominguinhos
My samba with Osvaldinho, Dominguinhos

Da emboscada dos caminhos
From the ambush of the roads

Alegria pau de arara
Joy on the back of a truck