As a teenager, Sangalo started to sing and play acoustic guitar at events, festivals and presentations of the school where she studied. Her debut show happened in the Ondina Neighborhood, Salvador, in August 1992. With that show she won the Dorival Caymmi trophy, the Grammy of Bahian music.
In 1993, Sony decided to reform the axé group Banda Eva and she was chosen as the lead singer. With her charismatic image, their first album soon topped the Brazilian album chart. Her live album with the band, Banda Eva Ao Vivo, was their best-selling album, selling over a million copies in 1997. In 1999, she decided to start a solo career and released her first self-titled album. With lots of upbeat Bahian rhythms and axé, the album received gold and platinum certification. The following year she released another album, Beat Beleza, which also achieved platinum status.
In 2001 she released the album Festa. The title teack was very popular and the album got platinum certification. "Festa" was her biggest hit single up to that point and the video also received huge airplay. "Festa" ended up being the most popular song of 2001 in Brazil. In 2002, she released the compilation album Se Eu Não Te Amasse Tanto Assim, titled after one of her biggest number-one hits. The album, which features a duet with American singer Brian McKnight, didn't sell as much , but was still a hit. Following Se Eu Não Te Amasse Tanto Assim, she released Clube Carnavalesco Inocentes Em Progresso in 2003. It was the lowest-selling solo album of her career but it still managed to receive gold certification.
Her first solo live album MTV Ao Vivo Ivete Sangalo released in 2004, included her biggest hits, lots of them never released on an album before, and some Banda Eva hits. The album received diamond certification and was the second best-selling album of 2004.
Her 2005 album, As Supernovas, received triple platinum certification shortly after it's release. The album was less upbeat than the others and included some songs with a 70's touch, with the big influence of Brazilian singer Ed Motta. She also included the hit "Soy Loco Por Ti America", a Gilberto Gil song. "Quando a Chuva Passar" recently reached number two on the Brazilian singles chart and was notable for being nominated at the Latin Grammy Awards, an uncommon feature for a non-Spanish speaking singer.
On December 16, 2006, she performed in the biggest stadium in the world, Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, where Paul McCartney, Rolling Stones, Kiss, The Police, and Madonna have also performed. She was the first Brazilian act to perform in this stadium since pop phenomenon Sandy & Junior in 2002.
Ivete has sold more than 7 million CD copies and more than 2.5 million DVD copies.
Pan Americana
Ivete Sangalo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cai na rede de trança
Se dá no pé, pega nesse beat, embala
Olé, olá, meu chapéu de guirlanda
De Daomé vi princesa Odara(2x)
Princesa Xerazade
Filha de Zanzibar
Raio da liberdade
Ah!
Nesse toque você não fica parada, não(4x)
Pan-americana bailando a baiana ma
Pan-americana baila
Saia lá no porto
Para a rua andar luar
Saia de Banthu
Saia de bata
Subi do Engenho Novo
Pra Gamboa farrear
Na carreira do bando
Esse toque girar
Nesse toque você não fica parada, não(4x)
Pan-americana bailando a baiana ma
Ki ki kirikiri ki ki, quem não quer
Viva São João
The lyrics of Ivete Sangalo's song Pan Americana tell the story of a journey through African culture from the perspective of a Brazilian. The first line, "Quem vem de lá" refers to someone who comes from Africa, and "cai na rede de trança" means that they get caught up in the intricate web of African culture. The next line, "Se dá no pé, pega nesse beat, embala" suggests that the listener should embrace the beat and move with it. The following lines, "Olé, olá, meu chapéu de guirlanda / De Daomé vi princesa Odara" is a reference to the Guirlanda festival in Benin and the royal princess Odara, respectively. The next line, "Princesa Xerazade / Filha de Zanzibar / Raio da liberdade" refers to Xerazade, a female character from the Middle East, symbolizing the influence of Arabic culture on Brazil.
The second verse mentions various locations, such as Porto and Gamboa, which were traditionally Afro-Brazilian neighborhoods. The line, "Saia de Banthu / Saia de bata" refers to traditional African clothing worn by women, while "Subi do Engenho Novo" is a reference to a neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro with a large Afro-Brazilian population. The final line, "Viva São João" is an expression used during the Brazilian Festas Juninas, which are celebrations honoring Catholic saints and typically include traditional music, festivities, and food.
Overall, the lyrics of Pan Americana highlight the exchange and fusion of African and Brazilian culture, while also celebrating the richness and diversity of Brazilian culture. The song encourages the listener to embrace their roots and find joy in movement and rhythm.
Line by Line Meaning
Quem vem de lá
Anyone who comes from afar
Cai na rede de trança
Gets caught in the web of braids
Se dá no pé, pega nesse beat, embala
Runs away, caught in the beat, and dances
Olé, olá, meu chapéu de guirlanda
Hey, hello, my flower crown hat
De Daomé vi princesa Odara(2x)
From Daomé, I saw Princess Odara
Princesa Xerazade
Princess Scheherazade
Filha de Zanzibar
Daughter of Zanzibar
Raio da liberdade
A ray of freedom
Há de se admirar
One must admire
Ah!
Ah!
Nesse toque você não fica parada, não(4x)
You can't stand still in this beat, no (4x)
Pan-americana bailando a baiana ma
Pan-American dancing the Baiana style
Pan-americana baila
Pan-American dance
Saia lá no porto
Skirt down at the port
Para a rua andar luar
To walk under the moonlight on the street
Saia de Banthu
Banthu-style skirt
Saia de bata
Bata-style skirt
Subi do Engenho Novo
Climbed up the Engenho Novo hill
Pra Gamboa farrear
To party in Gamboa
Na carreira do bando
In the crowd's run
Esse toque girar
Spin to this beat
Ki ki kirikiri ki ki, quem não quer
Who doesn't want ki ki kirikiri ki ki
Viva São João
Long live São João
Contributed by Samuel P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.