Maria da Graça Costa Penna Burgos (September 26, 1945, Salvador, Brazil — N… Read Full Bio ↴Maria da Graça Costa Penna Burgos (September 26, 1945, Salvador, Brazil — November 9, 2022, São Paulo, Brazil), best known as Gal Costa, was a popular Brazilian MPB singer and musician, regarded by many as Brazil's greatest female singer of all time. Also known as "Musa da Tropicália" (Muse of Tropicália), she was one of the most diverse singers in Brazil, moving across all musical genres and being elected as the greatest voice in Brazilian music by Rolling Stone magazine, as well as one of the 10 greatest singers in the world by Time magazine.

Gal became one of Brazil's foremost Tropicália counterculture movement singers during the late 1960s and early 70s, quickly earning the title as one of the best and most acclaimed singers in Brazil, following a very succesful career with many hits and prestige over the years. During Tropicália, she became a political activist, coming into conflict with Brazil's government when dissent in music was censored, and later coming to represent the movement all alone in her country when her fellow Tropicália members and friends were exhiled to London due to the heavy dictatorship that was going on at the time.

Fellow musician Caetano Veloso, introduced her to Gilberto Gil and Tom Zé in 1963 (and later Maria Bethânia), who managed to secure her a recording deal in São Paulo for her debut album Domingo with Caetano Veloso. A bit before recording her first album, "Father of Bossa Nova" João Gilberto, met her and after a couple of hours hearing Gracinha (as she was known at the time) sing for him as he was playing the acoustic guitar, he said: "Gracinha, you're Brazil's greatest female singer". In the following years, Gal would prove his statement right with a fruitful and rewarding career, and with the encouragement of João Gilberto himself; her biggest idol.

Gal has recorded songs composed by a number of Brazil's most popular songwriters such as Antônio Carlos Jobim, Jorge Ben Jor, Chico Buarque, Rita Lee and especially her close friends Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil. She was also a member of the supergroup Doces Bárbaros, active in 1976, 1994 and 2002.

Desde Que O Samba É Samba
Gal Costa Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

A tristeza é senhora
Desde que o samba é samba é assim
A lágrima clara sobre a pele escura
A noite e a chuva que cai lá fora
Solidão apavora
Tudo demorando em ser tão ruim
Mas alguma coisa acontece no quando agora em mim
Cantando eu mando a tristeza embora

O samba ainda vai nascer
O samba ainda não chegou
O samba não vai morrer
Veja, o dia ainda não raiou
O samba é o pai do prazer

O samba é o filho da dor
O grande poder transformador

Overall Meaning

Gal Costa's song "Desde que o samba é samba" is a tribute to samba, a genre of music that originated in Brazil in the early 20th century. The first lines "A tristeza é senhora, desde que o samba é samba é assim" translate to "Sadness is the mistress, ever since samba became samba it's been like this." The lyrics convey the idea that samba is born out of pain, conveying the deep sadness and struggle of the Black community in Brazil. The next lines, "A lágrima clara sobre a pele escura, a noite e a chuva que cai lá fora, solidão apavora, tudo demorando em ser tão ruim" translate to "The clear tears on dark skin, the night and the rain that falls outside, the loneliness is frightening, everything takes so long to turn better." These lines depict a sense of hopelessness and despair that the Black community in Brazil faced, but the next lines reveal the transformative power of samba itself. "Mas alguma coisa acontece no quando agora em mim, cantando eu mando a tristeza embora" translate to "But something happens within me right now, when I sing, sadness goes away." The lyrics convey that with the power of samba, one can overcome their sadness and sorrows.

The chorus of the song goes "O samba ainda vai nascer, o samba ainda não chegou, o samba não vai morrer, veja o dia ainda não raiou, o samba é o pai do prazer, o samba é o filho da dor, o grande poder transformador" which translates to "Samba is yet to be born, samba hasn't arrived, samba will not die, see the day has not yet dawned, samba is the father of pleasure, samba is the son of pain, the great transforming power." These lines convey the idea that samba is not just a genre of music, but a culture, a way of life that represents resilience and strength in the face of adversity. Samba is a reminder that despite the hardships, one can find joy, and that the transformative power of music can bring about change.

Overall, the lyrics to "Desde que o samba é samba" are a powerful representation of the transformative power of music and how it can overcome even the deepest pain and sorrow.

Line by Line Meaning

A tristeza é senhora
Sadness is in charge

Desde que o samba é samba é assim
Since samba became samba, it has been this way

A lágrima clara sobre a pele escura
Clear tears on dark skin

A noite e a chuva que cai lá fora
The night and the rain falling outside

Solidão apavora
Loneliness terrifies

Tudo demorando em ser tão ruim
Everything taking so long to be so bad

Mas alguma coisa acontece no quando agora em mim
But something is happening right now in me

Cantando eu mando a tristeza embora
Singing, I send sadness away

O samba ainda vai nascer
Samba is still going to be born

O samba ainda não chegou
Samba has not arrived yet

O samba não vai morrer
Samba will not die