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.
Xaxado
Luiz Gonzaga Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Xaxa-xaxa-xaxado vem lá do sertão
Xaxado é dança macha dos cabras de Lampião
Xaxa-xaxa-xaxado vem lá do sertão
Xaxado, meu bem, xaxado
Xaxado vem do sertão
É dança dos cangaceiros
É dança dos cangaceiro'
Dos cabras de Lampião
Quando eu entro no xaxado
Ai, meu Deus, eu num' paro, não
Xaxado é dança macha, ô, primo do baião
Quando eu entro no xaxado
Ai, meu Deus, eu num' paro, não
Xaxado é dança macha, ô, primo do baião
Xaxado, meu bem, xaxado
Xaxado vem do sertão
É dança dos cangaceiros
Dos cabras de Lampião
É dança dos cangaceiro'
Dos cabras de Lampião
Xaxado, meu bem, xaxado
Xaxado vem do sertão
É dança dos cangaceiro'
Dos cabras de Lampião
Xaxado, meu bem, xaxado
Xaxado vem do sertão
É dança dos cangaceiro'
Dos cabras de Lampião
É dança dos cangaceiro'
Dos cabras de Lampião
Luiz Gonzaga's song Xaxado pays homage to the traditional dance of the same name, performed by the outlaws known as cangaceiros, who were active in the arid northeastern backlands of Brazil in the early 20th century. The song highlights the strength and bravery of the cangaceiros, especially those who served under the notorious leader Virgulino Ferreira da Silva, more commonly known as Lampião. The Xaxado, a "macho" dance, is characterized by its rhythmic stomping and movements that emphasize the virility and courage of the dancers.
The song also underscores the undeniable connection between the Xaxado and the sertão, or the northeastern backlands of Brazil, the region where the dance originated. Through its catchy chorus and energetic verses, Xaxado celebrates the vitality and resilience of the people who call this harsh and beautiful landscape home. Furthermore, the song highlights the strong link between music, dance, and the cangaceiro culture, as they used dances like Xaxado to celebrate their victories, mourn their losses, and assert their identity.
In conclusion, Luiz Gonzaga's Xaxado is a vibrant and dynamic tribute to a Brazilian cultural tradition that has strong ties to the history, geography, and social dynamics of the country's northeastern region. The song showcases the power and impact of music and dance in preserving and promoting a people's identity and heritage.
Line by Line Meaning
Xaxado é dança macha dos cabras de Lampião
Xaxado is a fierce dance of the bandits from Lampião's gang
Xaxa-xaxa-xaxado vem lá do sertão
Xaxa-xaxa-xaxado comes from the rugged hinterland
Quando eu entro no xaxado
Ai, meu Deus, eu num' paro, não
When I join in the xaxado
Oh, my God, I can't stop, no
Xaxado é dança macha, ô, primo do baião
Xaxado is a fierce dance, oh, cousin of baião
Xaxado vem do sertão
É dança dos cangaceiros
Dos cabras de Lampião
Xaxado comes from the hinterland
It's a dance of the bandits
From Lampião's gang
Xaxado, meu bem, xaxado
Xaxado, my dear, xaxado
É dança dos cangaceiro'
Dos cabras de Lampião
It's a dance of the bandits
From Lampião's gang
Contributed by Noah E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@daletemello2962
Xaxado é dança macho
Dos cabra de Lampião
Xaxado, xaxado, xaxado
Vem lá do sertão
Xaxado, meu bem, xaxado
Xaxado vem do sertão
É dança dos cangaceiros
Dos cabras de Lampião
Quando eu entro no xaxado
Ai meu Deus
Eu num paro não
Xaxado é dança macho
Primo do baião
@adartzazaldivar6903
Soy del país vasco - España me encanta la cultura del Brasil.
@lucimaraferreira8742
O negócio bão! Isso que é forró
@pablin681
aqui desde argentina,disfrutando de la musica de don Luiz Gonzaga y compartiendo la cultura nordestina que realmente adoro y me emociona.
@Patricio_jose
Vdd
@fa_da_Jennie7888
Vou dançar quadrilha na escola, amei esta música, o estilo musical q o 5°ano ficou foi o Xaxado. Estamos ensaiando na escola e em casa, pra gente n se perder nos passos
@nascimentro
Pra mim luiz gonzaga foi o prepulsor da dance music
@pablin681
soy de argentina y adoro esta musica,!!!
@ireneizildasilva
Maravilhosa homenagem ao rei do Baião
@PauloCordeiro-om7jt
Minha bisa é de Bom Conselho PE.
Estive com ela até seu último dia, e com ela aprendi a cultura de verdade. Sou de Epitacio s/p
@helderguedes7849
Adoro todas as músicas dele principalmente nessa época junina