The son of a peasant and accordion player, he was attracted to the 8-bass accordion at an early age, although he started out by accompanying his father by playing the zabumba (a type of bass drum) and singing at parties and religious celebrations. He left home in 1930 to join the army, and toured Brazil with an army band until 1939. Gonzaga decided to remain in Rio de Janeiro with a recently purchased accordion. He performed in the streets and in bars, playing boleros, waltzes and tangos.
After noticing that the Northeastern immigrants missed the music from their hometowns, he started to give listeners the sort of music they craved to hear: xaxados, baiões, chamegos and cocos. At Ary Barroso’s talent show, Luiz Gonzaga played his chamego "Vira e Mexe" and was acclaimed by the audience and by the dreaded host, who gave him the highest score.
In 1943, he dressed up in typical Northeastern costumes for the first time to perform live, and got hyped. Later on, as well as playing popular tunes on the accordion, he began to sing his own material, and his skills as a songwriter were revealed.
Gonzaga's son, Luiz Gonzaga do Nascimento Júnior, known as Gonzaguinha, born 1945, was also a noted Brazilian singer and composer.
His greatest hit ever, "Asa Branca" (written with Humberto Teixeira), was recorded in 1947 and was covered countless times by many different artists. He worked on the radio until 1954, enjoying huge popularity. He is widely recognized for singlehandedly taking the baião style and the accordion to a wide audience. For a time RCA (now BMG), his recording label, was almost exclusively dedicated to printing his singles and albums. During the 60's, as the public taste shifted to bossa nova and iê-iê-iê, he found himself increasingly stranded from big city stages, so he toured the countryside, where his popularity never abated.
In the 70s and 80s, he slowly re-emerged, partly due to covers of his songs by famous artists like Geraldo Vandré, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, his son Gonzaguinha and Milton Nascimento. Some of his greatest hits are "Vozes da Seca" ("Voices From Drought"), "Algodão" ("Cotton"), "A Dança da Moda" ("The Dance In Fashion"), "ABC do Sertão" ("The ABC of Sertão"), "Derramaro o Gai" ("They Spilt the Gas"), "A Letra I" ("The 'i' letter"), "Imbalança" ("Shake It"), "A Volta da Asa-Branca" ("The Return Of The Picazuro Pigeon"), "Cintura Fina" ("Slender Waist"), "O Xote das Meninas" ("The Girls' Schottische", written with Zé Dantas, and "Juazeiro", "Paraíba", "Mangaratiba", "Baião-de-Dois", "No Meu Pé de Serra" ("There In My Homeland"), "Assum Preto" ("Blue-back Grassquit"), "Légua Tirana" ("Tyrannical league"), "Qui Nem Jiló" ("Like Solanum gilo", written with Humberto Teixeira. Other successful collaborations resulted in "Tá Bom Demais" ("It's Very Good") (with Onildo de Almeida), "Danado de Bom" ("Very Good") (with João Silva), "Dezessete e Setecentos" ("Seventeen And Seven hundred") and "Cortando o Pano" ("Cutting Cloth") (both with Miguel Lima).
Gonzaga died of natural causes at the age of 76.
A Vida de Viajante
Luiz Gonzaga Lyrics
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Pra ver se um dia descanso feliz
Guardando as recordações
Das terras onde passei
Andando pelos sertões
E dos amigos que lá deixei
Chuva e sol
Longe de casa
Sigo o roteiro
Mais uma estação
E a alegria no coração
Minha vida é andar por esse país
Pra ver se um dia descanso feliz
Guardando as recordações
Das terras onde passei
Andando pelos sertões
E dos amigos que lá deixei
Mar e terra
Inverno e verão
Mostre o sorriso
Mostre a alegria
Mas eu mesmo não
E a saudade no coração
Minha vida é andar por esse país
Pra ver se um dia descanso feliz
Guardando as recordações
Das terras onde passei
Andando pelos sertões
E dos amigos que lá deixei
Chuva e sol
Poeira e carvão
Longe de casa
Sigo o roteiro
Mais uma estação
E a alegria no coração
The song "A Vida de Viajante" by Luiz Gonzaga speaks to the life of a traveler who roams the countryside in search of happiness and fulfillment. The lyrics depict a restless spirit that seeks solace in the memories of the many places he has visited and the friends he has met along the way. The traveler is constantly on the move, encountering various elements such as rain, sun, dust, and charcoal as he journeys through the vast landscapes before him. Despite his transient lifestyle, he maintains a sense of joy in his heart and remains optimistic about finding a place to finally rest and find happiness.
In essence, the song speaks to the universal theme of the road and the human desire for freedom and adventure. It celebrates the beauty of traveling and appreciating the diversity of the world around us. However, it also acknowledges the feelings of loneliness and longing that come with constantly being on the move, making it a poignant tribute to the bittersweet nature of life as a wandering soul.
Line by Line Meaning
Minha vida é andar por este país
My life is to wander around this country
Pra ver se um dia descanso feliz
in order to find a happy resting place one day
Guardando as recordações
Keeping memories
Das terras onde passei
Of the places where I've been
Andando pelos sertões
Walking through rural areas
E dos amigos que lá deixei
And the friends I left behind
Chuva e sol
Rain and sun
Poeira e carvão
Dust and coal
Longe de casa
Far from home
Sigo o roteiro
I follow my itinerary
Mais uma estação
Another season
E a alegria no coração
And joy in my heart
Mar e terra
Sea and land
Inverno e verão
Winter and summer
Mostre o sorriso
Show the smile
Mostre a alegria
Show the joy
Mas eu mesmo não
But not myself
E a saudade no coração
And longing in my heart
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Luiz Gonzaga Do Nascimento, Herve Cordovil
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind