Joyce has in her baggage an extensive discography and about 400 recordings of her songs by some of the biggest names in Brazilian popular music, such as Gal Costa, Maria Bethânia, Elis Regina, Milton Nascimento, Ney Matogrosso, Edu Lobo, Emílio Santiago, Boca Livre, Mônica Salmaso, Leny Andrade, Nana Caymmi, Zizi Possi, Elizeth Cardoso, Simone and many others. Internationally, she has been recorded by big names like Annie Lennox, Wallace Roney, Omara Portuondo, Black Eyed Peas, David Sanchez, Jon Lucien, Claus Ogerman, Gerry Mulligan, Till Brönner, Flora Purim and others. Her compositions have been used in soundtracks for films (such as Robert Altman's "The Player" and "Legally Blonde"), animations (she participated in the soundtrack of the Japanese anime "Wolf's Rain" in partnership with Japanese composer Yoko Kanno), TV shows and theater performances.
She received 4 Latin Grammy nominations and has so far 34 individual CDs and 2 DVDs, besides compilations and participations. Currently, her work also follows an international path, with world tours every year and recordings of new albums in different countries, without ever losing her Brazilian-feminine identity. She performs annually on the Blue Note circuit in Japan, and in jazz festivals and tours in Europe, the United States, and Canada.
Risco
Joyce Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nem tambores do gantois
Nem as benзгos de oxalб, ai, ai
Nem milagres do sem-fim
Nas igrejas das gerais
Jб nгo me protegem mais, ai, ai
Nem se eu fosse lб rezar
Junto aos pйs do redentor
Implorando o teu amor
Nem se por favor
Vocк desse alguma senha
Nem se houvesse um dissabor
Pra fazer vocк voltar
E eu me ajoelhar
Nas escadas lб da penha
Corro esse risco, corro o perigo
Do desalento, do desabrigo
Desassossego, e eu fico comigo
Vocк me olha, desacredito
Sigo, nгo ligo, digo e repito
Que й mais bonito poder me arriscar
Nem se fosse pra jurar
Pelo amor da santa cruz
Se vocк desse uma luz
Prometendo nunca mais
Me deixava em paz
Eu garanto que chovia
Nem se fosse pra durar
Mais um dia ou mais alйm
Sу deus sabe quem
Arriscava uma alegria
In "Risco", Joyce sings about taking risks for love, even if it means walking away from traditions and beliefs that once offered protection. The first verse dismisses religious protections, stating that even the blessings of the saints and the miracles of the eternal cannot protect her anymore. She refuses to pray at the feet of the redeemer or implore her lover to come back using familiar words or gestures. The chorus repeats that she is taking a risk, facing the possibility of disappointment and homelessness, yet finds beauty in the ability to take risks. The second verse states that even if her lover promised to never leave her again, it wouldn't be enough, as Joyce is willing to risk everything for a moment of joy.
The song is a celebration of risk-taking and choosing love over tradition and belief. The repetition of "corro esse risco" (I run this risk) suggests that there is a certain freedom in taking risks, even if it leads to pain or uncertainty. Joyce's message is to embrace the unknown, as it may lead to happiness and fulfillment.
Line by Line Meaning
Nem as figas do bonfim
Not even the good luck charms from Bonfim...
(representing a place believed to have supernatural powers and luck)
Nem tambores do gantois
...nor the drums from Gantois...
(another religious cult famous for its high-energy music)
Nem as benзгos de oxalб, ai, ai
...nor the blessings from Oxalб, ai, ai...
(Oxalб is an African deity worshipped in Brazil, implying the loss of faith)
Nem milagres do sem-fim
...nor endless miracles...
(indicating a lack of hope in divine intervention)
Nas igrejas das gerais
...in the churches across the state...
(implies a general disillusionment with organized religion)
Jб nгo me protegem mais, ai, ai
...they no longer protect me, ai, ai...
(a reference to feeling abandoned by religious institutions)
Nem se eu fosse lб rezar
...not even if I went to pray there...
Junto aos pйs do redentor
...at the feet of the redeemer...
(a reference to the famous Christ the Redeemer statue)
Nem se eu fosse te buscar
...not even if I went to find you...
Implorando o teu amor
...pleading for your love...
Nem se por favor
...not even if, by some chance...
Vocк desse alguma senha
...you gave me some kind of sign...
Nem se houvesse um dissabor
...not even if there were some hardship...
Pra fazer vocк voltar
...to make you come back...
E eu me ajoelhar
...and I knelt down...
Nas escadas lб da penha
...on the steps of Penha...
(a religious site, possibly representing any futile effort to recapture love)
Corro esse risco, corro o perigo
I take this risk, I take this danger...
Do desalento, do desabrigo
...of despair, of homelessness...
Desassossego, e eu fico comigo
...of restlessness, and I stay with myself...
Vocк me olha, desacredito
You look at me, I can't believe it...
Sigo, nгo ligo, digo e repito
I keep going, I don't care, I say it again and again...
Que й mais bonito poder me arriscar
...because it's more beautiful to be able to risk it all...
Nem se fosse pra jurar
...not even if I had to swear...
Pelo amor da santa cruz
...by the love of the holy cross...
Se vocк desse uma luz
...if you showed me a way...
Prometendo nunca mais
...promising never again...
Me deixava em paz
...to leave me alone...
Eu garanto que chovia
...I guarantee that it would rain...
(an unfulfillable promise)
Nem se fosse pra durar
...not even if it were supposed to last...
Mais um dia ou mais alйm
...one more day or beyond...
Sу deus sabe quem
...only God knows who...
Arriscava uma alegria
...dares to risk some happiness.
(accepting that taking risks might lead to a reward)
Contributed by Joseph F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.