Joyce Silveira Moreno (born January 31, 1948 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), be… Read Full Bio ↴Joyce Silveira Moreno (born January 31, 1948 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), best known as Joyce or Joyce Moreno, is a Brazilian singer, composer, acoustic guitarist, arranger and producer. Her trademark was, since the beginning of her career, the feminine language in the first person, in which she was a pioneer: she was the first female Brazilian composer to express herself this way in the history of MPB, paving the way for countless other female composers who would follow.

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.

Viola Fora de Moda
Joyce Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Moda de viola de um cego infeliz
Podre na raiz ahhhhhhh
Vive sem futuro num lugar escuro
E o diabo diz ahhhhhhhhh

Disso eu me encarrego
Moda de viola
Não dá luz ao cego ahahhhhhhhh

Overall Meaning

In Joyce's song "Viola Fora de Moda", the lyrics talk about a blind and unhappy person who lives in a dark place without any future. The phrase "Moda de viola" refers to a traditional style of Brazilian country music, played on the viola. But the phrase is used ironically in the song, as the "moda de viola" that the blind person plays is "podre na raiz" (rotten at the root) and does not enlighten or bring any ray of hope to his life. The "ahhhs" and "ahhhhhs" in the lyrics symbolize the devil's presence, as he takes pleasure in the misery and hopelessness of the blind person.

The song can be read as a social commentary on the plight of the marginalized and disadvantaged people in Brazilian society who live in poverty, without access to education, healthcare, and other basic needs. The blind man in the song represents a broader section of the society that has been neglected and abandoned by the government and the system. The "moda de viola" becomes a symbol of the cultural heritage of the country, which is being eroded by the many social and political challenges facing Brazil.

Line by Line Meaning

Moda de viola de um cego infeliz
A sad blind man's folk song

Podre na raiz ahhhhhhh
Rotten at its core ahhhhhhh

Vive sem futuro num lugar escuro
Living without a future in a dark place

E o diabo diz ahhhhhhhhh
And the devil says ahhhhhhhhh

Disso eu me encarrego
I take care of that

Moda de viola
Folk song

Não dá luz ao cego ahahhhhhhhh
Does not bring light to the blind ahahhhhhhhh

Contributed by Victoria N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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