In 1989, Silveira left Salvador for São Paulo and now lives in Rio de Janeiro. Jussara's rendition for Caetano Veloso's "Dama do Cassino" (included in the compilation CD “Elas Cantam Caetano”) was included in the soundtrack of the soap opera “Irmãos Coragem” and reached the Top Ten on Brazilian radio.
Winning the “Copene de Cultura e Arte Prize” in 1996, Silveira recorded her first independent CD, Jussara Silveira. Extremely well received by critics, the album launched her recording career. The album was re-released in the next year by Dubas Music label.
Her second album, Canções de Caymmi, was also praised by critics. On this work, Jussara, backed by some of the best musicians in Brazil, balances some of the most widely known Caymmi's hits with less successful compositions, which also have superior musical qualities, like the haunting, mysterious "O Vento."
In her next album Jussara gives a voice to emerging composers and also explores little-known pieces by veterans such as Chico Buarque, Jorge Ben Jor, and Tom Zé.
Both Nobreza and Entre o amor e o mar were released by Maianga Discos in 2006. Nobreza is the result of her musical partnership whith Luiz Brazil presenting a sophisticated voice-and-guitar duet. Entre o amor e o mar is a record rich in songs about love and the sea.
In 2009, the independent label Biscoito fino/Quitanda released the DVD/CD Tres meninas do Brasil - a special project that presents Jussara Silveira with Rita Ribeiro and Teresa Cristina, directed by the well-known Brazilian musician Jaime Alem, who has been Maria Bethânia partner for 2 decades.
Chula cortada
Jussara Silveira Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
se o amor é o mar
sou seu marinheiro
em noite de lua cheia
as ondas do mar são minhas
eu fico brincando na areia
na cama de águas marinhas
se tem calmaria no mar
eu me deleito
por conchas e corais de abraço estreito
aos beijos do sol
na ressaca eu espreito
espero acender o farol
dom de amar
se o amor é o mar
sou seu marinheiro
inda ontem relampiou
na beira do mato
ê manguezal clariou, ê manguezal clariou
a minha dor no retrato
sai da roda invejosa
teu melaço não me engana
aprendi chula cortada
no banguê cortando cana
sapo tem o olho grande
mas ele vive na lama
The lyrics of Jussara Silveira's song Chula cortada are about the power of love and the connection between love and the sea. The singer describes herself as a sailor who navigates the sea of love with ease. She compares the waves of the sea to her emotions and states that she can play with them like a child plays in the sand. The song mentions different states of the sea, like calmness or storminess, and how the singer enjoys each one of them. She compares herself to a lighthouse that shines when there is turmoil in the sea. The chorus repeats the phrase "dom de amar" which means "gift of love" and emphasizes that the singer is a skilled sailor who can navigate the waves of love.
The second part of the song shifts the focus to a more personal story. The singer describes a moment of pain where she saw a lightning strike near a swamp, and her sorrow was captured in a photograph. She then urges someone to leave a circle of envy and dishonesty because their "honey" does not deceive the singer. The lyrics then shift to a more traditional Brazilian rhythm called chula, a type of music that originated on the sugarcane plantations. The singer mentions that she learned how to dance chula by cutting sugarcane in a banguê, a type of cart pulled by oxen. The song ends with an ambiguous reference to a frog and the idea that sometimes even those who seem small or insignificant carry a wisdom that is hidden from others.
Overall, the song's lyrics explore different themes, such as love, nature, tradition, and personal struggles. It uses metaphors and imagery to create a vivid picture of the sea and its power, as well as to convey the idea that love is a force that can be both strong and gentle, calming and stormy.
Line by Line Meaning
Dom de amar
The gift of love
se o amor é o mar
if love is the sea
sou seu marinheiro
I am your sailor
em noite de lua cheia
on a full moon night
as ondas do mar são minhas
the waves of the sea are mine
eu fico brincando na areia
I stay playing in the sand
na cama de águas marinhas
on the bed of seawaters
se tem calmaria no mar
if there is calm in the sea
eu me deleito
I delight myself
por conchas e corais de abraço estreito
with shells and corals of tight embrace
aos beijos do sol
kissing the sun
na ressaca eu espreito
in the high tide I watch
espero acender o farol
I wait to light the lighthouse
inda ontem relampiou
just yesterday there was lightning
na beira do mato
on the edge of the woods
ê manguezal clariou, ê manguezal clariou
the mangrove cleared, the mangrove cleared
a minha dor no retrato
my pain in the picture
sai da roda invejosa
get out of the jealous circle
teu melaço não me engana
your molasses doesn't fool me
aprendi chula cortada
I learned chula cut
no banguê cortando cana
in the sugar cane field cutting cane
sapo tem o olho grande
the toad has big eyes
mas ele vive na lama
but it lives in the mud
Contributed by Miles V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.