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.
Fotografía
Gal Costa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Aqui neste terraço à beira-mar
O sol já vai caindo
E o seu olhar
Parece acompanhar a cor do mar
Você tem que ir embora
A tarde cai
Em cores se desfaz
O sol caiu no mar
E a primeira luz lá embaixo se acendeu
Você e eu
Eu, você, nós dois
Sozinhos neste bar à meia-luz
E uma grande lua saiu do mar
Parece que este bar
Já vai fechar
E há sempre uma canção para contar
Aquela velha história de um desejo
Que todas as canções têm pra contar
E veio aquele beijo
Aquele beijo
Aquele beijo
Aquele beijo
The lyrics to Gal Costa's song Fotografia describe a romantic moment between two people. They are standing together on a terrace by the sea, watching as the sun sets and the colors of the sky and sea change. The singer notes that the other person's eyes seem to mirror the colors of the sea, before acknowledging that they must leave as the afternoon fades to darkness. They then find themselves alone in a bar lit only by a dim light and the moon visible through a window. The presence of the moon and the closing of the bar suggest that it's late, but there's a sense that time doesn't matter in this moment. The singer reflects on the power of music to convey desire and the way in which "that kiss" is the culmination of this shared experience.
The lyrics to Fotografia are notable for their poetic language, vivid imagery, and evocative tone. They paint a portrait of a moment that is both fleeting and timeless, combining sensuality, nostalgia, and a sense of wonder at the beauty of the natural world. The song is also interesting for its mixture of musical styles, combining elements of Brazilian bossa nova, jazz, and pop. Gal Costa's expressive vocals add an extra layer of emotion to the lyrics, conveying a sense of longing, vulnerability, and intimacy.
Line by Line Meaning
Eu, você, nós dois
The three of us - you, me, and us - are here on this terrace by the sea.
Aqui neste terraço à beira-mar
Here on this terrace by the sea.
O sol já vai caindo
The sun is already setting.
E o seu olhar
And your gaze.
Parece acompanhar a cor do mar
Seems to follow the color of the sea.
Você tem que ir embora
You have to leave.
A tarde cai
Evening falls.
Em cores se desfaz
It fades into colors.
Escureceu
It's dark now.
O sol caiu no mar
The sun has fallen into the sea.
E a primeira luz lá embaixo se acendeu
And the first light down below has turned on.
Você e eu
You and me.
Sozinhos neste bar à meia-luz
Alone in this dimly lit bar.
E uma grande lua saiu do mar
And a big moon came out of the sea.
Parece que este bar
It seems like this bar.
Já vai fechar
Is about to close.
E há sempre uma canção para contar
And there's always a song to tell.
Aquela velha história de um desejo
That old story of a desire.
Que todas as canções têm pra contar
That all songs have to tell.
E veio aquele beijo
And then that kiss came.
Aquele beijo
That kiss.
Aquele beijo
That kiss.
Contributed by Jordyn S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jorge Delgado
Eu, você, nós dois
Aqui neste terraço à beira-mar
O sol já vai caindo
E o seu olhar
Parece acompanhar a cor do mar
Você tem que ir embora
A tarde cai
Em cores se desfaz
Escureceu
O sol caiu no mar
E a primeira luz lá embaixo se acendeu
Você e eu
Eu, você, nós dois
Sozinhos neste bar à meia-luz
E uma grande lua saiu do mar
Parece que este bar
Já vai fechar
E há sempre uma canção para contar
Aquela velha história de um desejo
Que todas as canções têm pra contar
E veio aquele beijo
Aquele beijo
Aquele beijo
Aquele beijo
Teresa Cristina Soares de Oliveira
Coloquei essa música liiiiinda para criar clima c um crush,e ........ele dormiu! Não tem feeling para ouvir essa belíssima voz!! E claro,para ficar comigo. Obrigada Gal! Esse monstro da MPB.💞
Francisco Alvarez
Eu fico kkk
Teresa Cristina Soares de Oliveira
@Francisco Alvarez ola!kkkkk,valeu! Só a elite do bom gosto por aqui...🙂
xyzt 2020
Lindissima canção, na voz da Gal então...
Teresa Cristina Soares de Oliveira
@xyzt 2020 👏🏼👏🏼👍
Vagner Melo
Essa canção é demais... Ela não bate, ela rasga... Meu Deus... Que canção... Que canção...
JEHM 76
Hoy en la mañana, inicié mi día escuchando esta hermosa canción que me fascina en la maravillosa y única voz de Gal Costa, a quien tanto admiro y disfruto. Y ahora casi a medio día, me entero de su deceso. Me siento muy triste. Damas como ella, seres humanos tan especiales, no deberían morir nunca. Pero ni hablar, ahora está durmiendo, descansando, pero dejó un enorme legado musical que adorna la cultura del hermoso Brasil, con razón fue una de las musas del maestro Antonio Carlos Jobim, me encantaba escucharla interpretando "Dindi", "fotografía", "Bonita", Chega de saudade ", "Corcovado ".
Se le va a extrañar mucho. Amigos brasileiros, un abrazo fuerte para ustedes desde México, donde se les quiere, admira y respeta mucho.
Paulo Augusto
Falou tudo.
Nicolas Loyola
La secuencia de armonias desde el acorde en 3:03 me lleva el alma a otra galaxia.
Línea de guitarra exquisita en todo el disco. bien al frente. El pianista muy sobrio dando prioridad a la guitarra, pero con mucha finesa y sincopa. El cello empuja muchísimo en los climas, sobretodo en los últimos versos. El bajo finísimo con sonido cálido
No se quien produjo esto, pero estuvo muy a la altura de Antonio Carlos Jobim. Un disco para escuchar toda la vida.
MIguel Hinojosa
Discazo. Voz inmensa. E.P.D. 😔