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.
Baião De São Sebastião
Luiz Gonzaga Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
O quengo em brasa
Fogo e sonho do sertão
E entrei na Guanabara
Com tremor e emoção
Era um mundo todo novo
Diferente meu irmão
Mas o Rio abriu meu fole
E me apertou em suas mãos
Ê Rio de Janeiro
Do meu São Sebastião
Pára o samba três minutos } bis
Pra cantar o meu baião
Ai meu São Sebastião
Te ofereço este baião } bis
No começo eu tive medo
Muito medo meu irmão
Mas olhando o Corcovado
Assusseguei o coração
Se hoje guardo uma saudade
É enorme a gratidão
E por isso Rio amigo
Te ofereço este baião
The lyrics of "Baião De São Sebastião" by Luiz Gonzaga reflect the journey of a northerner to the vibrant city of Rio de Janeiro, encountering a mix of excitement and apprehension as he delves into this new world. The singer describes his origins with intense imagery, stating that he arrived from the North with his mind filled with desires and passion from the arid lands, symbolizing a longing for new experiences and opportunities. The mention of Guanabara, the bay in Rio, highlights the physical arrival to the city, marked by nervousness and deep emotions as he steps into this new environment, amazed by its uniqueness compared to his familiar surroundings.
As the singer navigates the bustling streets of Rio de Janeiro, he feels a sense of novelty and amazement at the diverse culture and atmosphere of the city, illustrating a transformation and adaptation process. The persona expresses gratitude towards Rio for embracing him and acknowledging its influence in shaping his identity, symbolized by the imagery of the city opening his accordion, figuratively embracing him and guiding him through this newfound realm. The chorus pays homage to São Sebastião, the patron saint of Rio de Janeiro, by momentarily halting the typical samba rhythms to celebrate the Baião, a traditional northeastern Brazilian dance and music style, blending the north and the south in a harmonious tribute.
The chorus reveres São Sebastião as a unifying figure, encapsulating the singer's dedication and offering of the Baião as a token of appreciation and respect for the city and its protector. The singer's initial fear and uncertainty gradually evolve into a sense of calm and peace as he finds solace in gazing at the iconic Corcovado mountain, a symbol of spiritual elevation and tranquility in the midst of uncertainty. The lyrics convey a heartfelt sentiment of nostalgia and gratitude towards Rio de Janeiro, portraying a deep bond and connection established through the process of adaptation and integration, affirming the intrinsic link between personal growth and the transformative power of new environments.
Overall, "Baião De São Sebastião" encapsulates a narrative of cultural fusion and personal growth, depicting the singer's navigation through the complexities of adapting to a new city while preserving his roots and heritage. The song serves as a homage to both the city of Rio de Janeiro and the northeastern traditions, celebrating the harmonious coexistence of different cultural elements within the diverse fabric of Brazilian identity. Luiz Gonzaga's lyrics resonate with themes of resilience, gratitude, and acceptance, offering a poignant portrayal of the transformative journey from fear and unfamiliarity to appreciation and belonging in a vibrant and multifaceted urban landscape.
Line by Line Meaning
Vim do Norte
I come from the North, carrying the burning passion and dreams of the backlands
O quengo em brasa
My mind is on fire with fervor and longing
Fogo e sonho do sertão
The fire and dreams of the arid land are within me
E entrei na Guanabara
And I entered Guanabara, feeling tremors and emotions
Com tremor e emoção
With tremors and overwhelming feelings
Era um mundo todo novo
It was a whole new world to me, my brother
Diferente meu irmão
So different, my brother
Mas o Rio abriu meu fole
But Rio opened my accordion, embraced me in its hands
E me apertou em suas mãos
And held me tight in its hands
Ê Rio de Janeiro
Oh Rio de Janeiro
Do meu São Sebastião
Of my Saint Sebastian
Pára o samba três minutos
Stop the samba for three minutes
Pra cantar o meu baião
To sing my baião
Ai meu São Sebastião
Oh my Saint Sebastian
Te ofereço este baião
I offer you this baião
No começo eu tive medo
At first, I was afraid
Muito medo meu irmão
Very afraid, my brother
Mas olhando o Corcovado
But gazing upon the Corcovado mountain
Assusseguei o coração
Calmed my heart down
Se hoje guardo uma saudade
If today I hold a longing
É enorme a gratidão
It is enormous gratitude
E por isso Rio amigo
And for this reason, dear Rio
Te ofereço este baião
I offer you this baião
Lyrics © Editora e Importadora Musical Fermata do Brasil Ltda., CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: HUMBERTO TEIXEIRA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ruan Freire🔹
BAIÃO DE SÃO SEBASTIÃO (LETRA).
Vim do Norte
O quengo em brasa
Fogo e sonho do sertão
E entrei na Guanabara
Com tremor e emoção
Era um mundo todo novo
Diferente meu irmão
Mas o Rio abriu meu fole
E me apertou em suas mãos
Ê Rio de Janeiro
Do meu São Sebastião
Pára o samba três minutos
Pra cantar o meu baião
Ê Rio de Janeiro
Do meu São Sebastião
Pára o samba três minutos
Pra cantar o meu baião
Ai meu São Sebastião
Te ofereço este baião
Ai meu São Sebastião
Te ofereço este baião
No começo eu tive medo
Muito medo meu irmão
Mas olhando o Corcovado
Assusseguei o coração
Se hoje guardo uma saudade
É enorme a gratidão
E por isso Rio amigo
Te ofereço este baião!
Ruan Freire🔹
BAIÃO DE SÃO SEBASTIÃO (LETRA).
Vim do Norte
O quengo em brasa
Fogo e sonho do sertão
E entrei na Guanabara
Com tremor e emoção
Era um mundo todo novo
Diferente meu irmão
Mas o Rio abriu meu fole
E me apertou em suas mãos
Ê Rio de Janeiro
Do meu São Sebastião
Pára o samba três minutos
Pra cantar o meu baião
Ê Rio de Janeiro
Do meu São Sebastião
Pára o samba três minutos
Pra cantar o meu baião
Ai meu São Sebastião
Te ofereço este baião
Ai meu São Sebastião
Te ofereço este baião
No começo eu tive medo
Muito medo meu irmão
Mas olhando o Corcovado
Assusseguei o coração
Se hoje guardo uma saudade
É enorme a gratidão
E por isso Rio amigo
Te ofereço este baião!
JANUÁRIO CICERO DA SILVA
LUIZ GONZAGA
Professor José Urbano
E o Rio o referenciou em 2012 no Carnaval em seguida no encerramento da Olimpíada. Viva o Rei do Baião
Edilson Abdias dos Santos
Mesmo tendo ouvido Seu Gonzaga as centenas, não conhecia este seu baião de São Sebastião... uma beleza!
Seu Luiz ainda sendo lançado, para mim!
E JR
@Lourdes AraujoE DAÍ....Todos os ritmos tiveram seu auge. Mas nos arranjos a partir dos 0:49 segundos esse som e o coro dá um q de bossa nova sim, pra mim.....um forró clássico q deveria ser mais conhecido.... Dois sons bem brasileiros baião/forró e a bossa nova.....MPB da melhor qualidade.
Lourdes Araujo
@E JR . Não tem nada bossa nova! Isso é um baião onde ele usa a guitarra e outros instrumentos que não o zabumba, triângulo e sanfona pra execução. A chegada da Bossa Nova escanteou o Rei do Baião que teve que ir cada vez mais pra o interior do Nordeste onde ele sempre teve um público cativo!!!
E JR
Um q de Bossa Nova. GÊNIO GONZAGAO!!
Tanúrio Brito
Arranjos, instrumentais, letra e sobretudo a voz e a pronúncia do "analfabeto" Luiz Gonzaga, um primor musical.Autores de parabéns.E a quem postou, muito obrigado .
Flavia Pimentel
Mais rock and roll não existe. Luiz Gonzaga eterno!
ABACCER
fantástico!