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.
Numa Sala De Reboco
Luiz Gonzaga Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pra dançar com meu benzinho numa sala de reboco
Todo tempo quanto houver pra mim é pouco
Pra dançar com meu benzinho numa sala de reboco
Enquanto o fole 'tá fungando, 'tá gemendo
Vou dançando e vou dizendo meu sofrer pra ela só
E ninguém nota que eu estou lhe conversando
Pra que coisa mais melhor?
Todo tempo quanto houver pra mim é pouco
Pra dançar com meu benzinho numa sala de reboco
Todo tempo quanto houver pra mim é pouco
Pra dançar com meu benzinho numa sala de reboco
Só fico triste quando o dia amanhece
Ai, meu deus, se eu pudesse acabar a separação
Pra nós viver igual a dois a sanguessugas
E nosso amor pede mais fuga do que essa que nos dão
Todo tempo quanto houver pra mim é pouco
Pra dançar com meu benzinho numa sala de reboco
Todo tempo quanto houver pra mim é pouco
Pra dançar com meu benzinho numa sala de reboco
Enquanto o fole 'tá fungando, 'tá gemendo
Vou dançando e vou dizendo meu sofrer pra ela só
E ninguém nota que eu estou lhe conversando
E nosso amor vai aumentando
Pra que coisa mais melhor?
Todo tempo quanto houver pra mim é pouco
Pra dançar com meu benzinho numa sala de reboco
Mas todo tempo quanto houver pra mim é pouco
Pra dançar com meu benzinho numa sala de reboco
Ah
Todo tempo quanto houver pra mim é pouco
Pra dançar com meu benzinho numa sala de reboco
Mas todo tempo quanto houver pra mim é pouco
Pra dançar com meu benzinho numa sala de reboco
Todo tempo quanto houver pra mim é pouco
Pra dançar com meu benzinho numa sala de reboco
Mas todo tempo quanto houver pra mim é pouco pra dançar com meu benzinho
The lyrics to Luiz Gonzaga's "Numa Sala De Reboco" describe the joy of dancing with a loved one in a "reboco" room or a small, crowded, and lively dance hall. The singer expresses his love for his partner and his happiness in being able to dance with her, despite the hardships they may face in their relationship. He describes the music, played on the accordion or "fole," as "fungando" or wheezing, and "gemendo" or moaning, adding to the atmosphere and energy of the moment. The lyrics also reveal some of the pain and difficulties faced by the singer and his partner, including the possibility of separation and the desire for a life together.
Throughout the song, the singer emphasizes the importance of time spent with his loved one, proclaiming that "todo tempo quanto houver pra mim é pouco" or "all the time there is for me is not enough" to dance with her in the "reboco" room. He also notes that their love grows stronger as they dance together and share their sorrows and joys, becoming a united and powerful force. Despite the challenges they may face, the singer remains hopeful and determined to continue dancing with his "benzinho" or sweetheart, cherishing every moment they have together in the lively and energetic dance hall.
Overall, "Numa Sala De Reboco" is a celebration of love, friendship, and community, expressed through the lively and joyful rhythms of forró music. The singer's passion and dedication to his partner and the dance create a powerful and uplifting atmosphere, reminding listeners of the timeless pleasures of music, dance, and human connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Todo tempo quanto houver pra mim é pouco
I want to spend all my time dancing with my love in a room full of lively music.
Pra dançar com meu benzinho numa sala de reboco
I want to dance with my beloved in a lively room all the time.
Enquanto o fole 'tá fungando, 'tá gemendo
As long as the accordion continues to play and the music is lively,
Vou dançando e vou dizendo meu sofrer pra ela só
I express my emotions by dancing with my love and speaking only to her.
E ninguém nota que eu estou lhe conversando
No one notices that I am speaking to her as we dance.
E nosso amor vai aumentando
Our love continues to grow stronger.
Pra que coisa mais melhor?
What could be better than this?
Só fico triste quando o dia amanhece
I am only sad when the day begins.
Ai, meu deus, se eu pudesse acabar a separação
Oh my God, if only we could end this separation.
Pra nós viver igual a dois a sanguessugas
So we can live together like two leeches.
E nosso amor pede mais fuga do que essa que nos dão
Our love desires more than the little escape we have.
Mas todo tempo quanto houver pra mim é pouco
But every moment we have together is never enough.
Ah
Ah
Todo tempo quanto houver pra mim é pouco
I want to spend all my time dancing with my love in a room full of lively music.
Mas todo tempo quanto houver pra mim é pouco
But every moment we have together is never enough.
Pra dançar com meu benzinho numa sala de reboco
I want to dance with my beloved in a lively room all the time.
Todo tempo quanto houver pra mim é pouco
I want to spend all my time dancing with my love in a room full of lively music.
Mas todo tempo quanto houver pra mim é pouco pra dançar com meu benzinho
But every moment we have together is never enough to dance with my beloved.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Tratore
Written by: Luiz Gonzaga Do Nascimento, Jose Marcolino Alves
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind