Itamar Assumpção was one of the biggest names and contributors in the Vanguarda Paulista ("São Paulo Vanguard/Avant-garde" in English), an alternative scene that dominated São Paulo in the very late 70s and the first half of the 80s. This movement united artists who operated involuntarily outside of the established commercial music industry during an era that pre-dated the Internet, the politics of downloading and the contemporary indie music scene. The "Vanguarda" was responsible for launching many new talents and establishing a foundation for autonomous, self-sufficient music production (and subsequent release) by artists such as Arrigo Barnabé and Grupo Rumo.
Vá cuidar da sua vida
Itamar Assumpção Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Vá cuidar de sua vida
Diz o dito popular
Quem cuida da vida alheia
Da sua não pode cuidar
Vá cuidar de sua vida
Quem cuida da vida alheia
Da sua não pode cuidar
Negro cantando samba
Era coisa feia
Esse é negro é vagabundo
Joga ele na cadeia
Hoje o branco tá no samba
Quero ver como é que fica
Todo mundo bate palmas
Quando Osvaldinho toca cuíca
Vá cuidar de sua vida
Diz o dito popular
Quem cuida da vida alheia
Da sua não pode cuidar
Vá cuidar de sua vida
Diz o dito popular
Quem cuida da vida alheia
Da sua não pode cuidar
Negro jogando pernada
Negro jogando rasteira
Todo mundo condenava
Uma simples brincadeira
E o negro deixou de tudo
Acreditou na besteira
Hoje só tem gente branca
Na escola de capoeira
Ora, vá cuidar de sua vida
Diz o dito popular
Quem cuida da vida alheia
Da sua não pode cuidar
Vá cuidar de sua vida
Diz o dito popular
Quem cuida da vida alheia
Da sua não pode cuidar
Negro falava de umbanda
Saravá, branco ficava cabreiro
Fica longe desse negro
Esse negro é feiticeiro
Hoje o preto vai à missa
E chega sempre primeiro
O branco vai pra macumba
Já é Babá de terreiro
Ora, vá cuidar de sua vida
Diz o dito popular
Quem cuida da vida alheia
Da sua não pode cuidar
Vá cuidar de sua vida
Diz o dito popular
Quem cuida da vida alheia
Da sua não pode cuidar
Crioulo cantando samba
Era coisa feia
Era coisa feia
Crioulo cantando samba
Era coisa feia, era coisa feia
Era coisa feia
Crioulo cantando samba
Era coisa feia, era coisa feia
Era coisa feia, quem diria?
Crioulo cantando samba
Era coisa feia
The lyrics to Itamar Assumpção's song "Vá cuidar da sua vida" touch on the theme of cultural appropriation and prejudice against black people in Brazil. The first two stanzas of the song recall the popular saying "go take care of your own life" and how those who obsess over others' lives cannot take care of their own. Assumpção then goes on to address how black culture, such as samba and capoeira, were once looked down upon and punished, while today, white people have appropriated and celebrated these same cultural expressions under more favorable conditions.
For example, in the third stanza, Assumpção describes how black people playing capoeira were once condemned and even criminalized, whereas today, the practice has been gentrified, and it is mostly white people who attend capoeira schools. Similarly, in the fourth stanza, Assumpção notes how white people were wary of embracing the Afro-Brazilian religion of Umbanda formerly, but now many white people practice it without the same prejudice. In the fifth and final stanza, Assumpção returns to the theme of samba and how it was once seen as something ugly when black people performed it, but now white people applaud and dance to it joyfully.
Overall, "Vá cuidar da sua vida" is a powerful song that points out the hypocrisy of Brazil's past and current cultural practices.
Line by Line Meaning
Vá cuidar de sua vida
This popular saying advises people to focus on their own lives instead of meddling in others'.
Diz o dito popular
The saying goes like this:
Quem cuida da vida alheia
If one takes care of others' lives, they won't be able to take care of their own.
Da sua não pode cuidar
Therefore, it's essential to mind your own business first and foremost.
Negro cantando samba
Back in the day, black people singing samba was deemed unacceptable and frowned upon by society.
Era coisa feia
It was considered a disgraceful act.
Esse é negro é vagabundo
Racist stereotypes led people to believe that black people were lazy and worthless individuals.
Joga ele na cadeia
As a result, they were often unfairly punished and sent to jail.
Hoje o branco tá no samba
As society evolved, so did people's attitudes towards different races and cultures.
Quero ver como é que fica
It's interesting to observe how these changes have affected society's views and behaviors.
Todo mundo bate palmas
Nowadays, everyone enjoys and applauds samba music - regardless of their skin color.
Quando Osvaldinho toca cuíca
Osvaldinho is a famous samba musician who is celebrated by people of all backgrounds.
Negro jogando pernada
Physical activities that involved black people were also frowned upon by society back in the day.
Negro jogando rasteira
This even included harmless sports like capoeira, which was often associated with criminal activity.
Todo mundo condenava
As a result, black people were often criticized and ostracized for participating in these activities.
Uma simples brincadeira
Even though these activities were simply harmless fun and games.
E o negro deixou de tudo
The negative perception of black people's activities caused many of them to abandon their cultural practices and traditions.
Acreditou na besteira
They believed the false narratives and stereotypes surrounding their communities.
Hoje só tem gente branca
As a result, many traditional activities like capoeira are now dominated by white people.
Na escola de capoeira
Capoeira schools are now primarily attended by white students and instructors.
Negro falava de umbanda
Umbanda is a Brazilian religion that combines African traditions with Catholicism and Native American beliefs.
Saravá, branco ficava cabreiro
Talking about this religion used to make white people uncomfortable and suspicious.
Fica longe desse negro
They even avoided contact with black people who practiced Umbanda.
Esse negro é feiticeiro
This was mostly due to the misconception that Umbanda was linked to witchcraft and evil practices.
Hoje o preto vai à missa
As society changes, people's attitudes have evolved towards religion too.
E chega sempre primeiro
Nowadays, black people attend churches and other religious ceremonies just like anyone else - and sometimes even more frequently.
O branco vai pra macumba
Similarly, people of all races and cultures can now freely practice any religion or spiritual belief they choose.
Já é Babá de terreiro
People have realized that religion and spirituality are deeply personal and have nothing to do with race or ethnicity.
Crioulo cantando samba
The song repeats its message about how society's perception and attitudes towards black people and their traditions have changed over time.
Era coisa feia
But it also emphasizes that these changes only came about because people recognized the false narratives and stereotypes they had been taught and worked to dismantle them.
Writer(s): Geraldo Filme
Contributed by Lucas L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@marcelooo
Conheci hj ( qdo busca por canções de Umbanda) e vou ouvir tudo desse Belo Artista 🎉🎉❤❤🎉🎉 Salve!
@cleberrobertomourabenincas879
Um gênio a frente de seu tempo.
Isso se chama vanguarda, daqui 300 anos ele vai ser entendido, reverenciado e idolatrado.
@marcelooo
Já é compreendido por vc, eu e quem sabe ler entrelinhas, figuras de linguagem...🎉
@macedocarol
Real e oficial. Já discutia a questão da apropriação de forma majestosa.
@vasconcelossentimento
obra do grande geraldo filme!!!
@carolm.ferreira3699
sensacional!!!
@soniaferreyra4441
Emocionante!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Viva Itamar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@danpeder2934
Gênio!
@JoAraujo64
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
@paulotanativa3251
Pow pow pow