In 1963, a trio formed by Rui Alexandre Faria (Rui, the lead vocalist), Aquiles Rique Reis (Aquiles), and Milton Lima dos Santos (Miltinho) in Niterói (Rio de Janeiro) started to perform at the Popular Center of Culture (CPC) of the National Student League (UNE). The CPC of Niterói was founded in Aquiles' home. At the same time, Magro (Antônio José Waghabi Filho) had a bossa nova group with Miltinho and a flutist, bassist, and drummer, called MPB-5. With Magro (the group's lifelong musical director) invited to join the original vocal trio, the quartet became known as Quarteto do CPC. With the extinction of the CPC (and of the UNE) after the military coup in 1964, the group adopted the name of MPB-4, playing in local bars and doing a double single with the first recording of Zé Kéti/Elton Medeiros' "Mascarada" with "Samba Bem" (Luís José) and other songs.
With all of them as college students, they took a period of vacations in 1965 to go to São Paulo, where they did their professional debut at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica's Theater (Tuca). They met producer Chico de Assis and were invited by him for a season with Quarteto em Cy (which was already professional), on the condition that they abandon other aspirations to devote themselves full-time to their group. Deciding for the music, they opened with Quarteto em Cy at the show No Samba Que Eu Vou, when they met Chico Buarque, also introduced to them by de Assis. From 1969 to 1974, Buarque was almost the fifth member of MPB-4 as all of his shows were with the quartet. Together they toured several countries and were deeply influential on the Brazilian youth. de Assis also introduced them to Manoel Carlos, who was one of the directors of the O Fino da Bossa TV Record show hosted by Elis Regina. MPB-4 participated right on the first show singing together with Regina, which was their definitive consecration.
Back in Rio, they participated in the show Contraponto, together with Quarteto em Cy, Oscar Castro-Neves, and Rosinha de Valença. At the Opinião theater, MPB-4 participated in the historic show O Samba Pede Passagem with Aracy de Almeida, Baden Powell, Ismael Silva, and others. The show was recorded live and released in June 1966 as O Samba Pede Passagem. Also in 1966, they released their first LP, which had the first recording for Buarque's "Olê Olá." Having participated in Nara Leão's show Quem Tem Medo de Nara Leão?, in the same year they defended "Canção de Não Cantar" (Sérgio Bittencourt) at the II Festival de Música Popular Brasileira (Festival of Brazilian Popular Music, FMPB, TV Record of São Paulo), which won fourth place. In the next year's edition of the same festival, the group was consecrated definitively with "Gabriela" (Maranhão) and "Roda Viva" (Buarque), achieving, respectively, sixth and third places. Also in 1967, they participated in the II FIC (International Song Festival, TV Globo, Rio) with "O Sim Pelo Não" (Alcivando Luz/Carlos Coquejo) and "Cantiga" (Nelson Motta/Dori Caymmi), which reached sixth and ninth places. In 1968, they opened a show shared with Buarque at the Teatro Toneleros, and also had a season in São Paulo. Three years later, they did the historic show Construção at the Canecão with Buarque, Jacques Klein, and the Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira (Brazilian Symphony Orchestra) conducted by Isaac Karabtchevski. In the next year, MPB-4 toured Portugal and in 1973, Buenos Aires, Argentina, both with Buarque. In 1975, they participated, with Buarque, in the show República de Ugunga. In 1980, the group released, together with Quarteto em Cy, the children's LP Flicts/de Ziraldo e Sérgio Ricardo. Recording another children's LP in the next year with "O Pato" (Toquinho/Vinicius de Moraes), they had the song presented in the TV Globo musical A Arca de Noé. The LP Caminhos Livres (1983) had another of their hits with an Aldir Blanc song, "A Nível De..." (with João Bosco). In 1991, the quartet launched another of their themed albums, the CD Sambas da Minha Terra, dedicated to the works of Dorival Caymmi, Toquinho/Vinícius, Zé Kéti, and Ary Barroso, among others. Always doing shows and recording frequently, the group commemorated their 30-year career in 1995 with the show Arte de Cantar and the eponymous album. ~ Alvaro Neder, Rovi
Sites: MusicBrainz & Discogs.
A Lua
MPB-4 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quando ela roda
É Nova
Crescente ou Meia-Lua
É Cheia
E quando ela roda
Minguante e Meia
Depois é Lua novamente
Quando ela roda
É Nova
Crescente ou Meia-Lua
É Cheia!
E quando ela roda
Minguante e Meia
Depois é Lua novamente
Quem diz que a Lua é velha
Mente quem diz
Que a Lua é velha
A Lua
Quando ela roda
É Nova
Crescente ou Meia-Lua
É Cheia
E quando ela roda
Minguante e Meia
Depois é Lua novamente
Bis
Quando ela roda
É Nova
Crescente ou Meia-Lua
É Cheia
E quando ela roda
Minguante e Meia
Depois é Lua novamente
Quem diz que a Lua é velha
Mente quem diz
Que a Lua é velha
Mente quem diz
A Lua
Quando ela roda
É Nova
Crescente ou Meia-Lua
É Cheia
E quando ela roda
Minguante e Meia
Depois é Lua novamente
Quem diz que a Lua é velha
Mente quem diz
Que a Lua é velha
Mente quem diz
The lyrics of MPB-4's song A Lua are focused primarily on the phases of the moon. The song starts with a simple explanation of how the phases of the moon works by stating that the moon revolves around the Earth in different phases. The phases, as described in the song, are "nova", "crescente ou meia-lua," "cheia," and "minguante e meia." The lyrics tell us that the moon keeps rotating even after its "full" phase and comes back to "nova" again.
The second half of the song appears to be a response to someone who says that the moon is old. The lyrics assert that whoever says that the moon is old is lying. It is essential to note that the lyrics do not explicitly mention why the moon is not old; it seems that the song is suggesting that the phases of the moon are proof that it is not old.
Overall, the song's meaning is relatively simple: the phases of the moon show that even though it looks different every night, it is still the same moon that we see. Additionally, it could be interpreted as a message about the importance of change and cycles in life, as exemplified by the moon's constant rotation.
Line by Line Meaning
A Lua
Referring to the moon
Quando ela roda
When it rotates or moves in its orbit
É Nova
It appears as a new moon when it is between the Earth and Sun
Crescente ou Meia-Lua
It appears as a crescent or half-moon when only a portion of the sunlit side is visible
É Cheia
It appears as a full moon when the entire sunlit side is visible
E quando ela roda
And when it continues to rotate
Minguante e Meia
It appears as a waning or decreasing moon when the sunlit side starts to diminish, and as a half-moon when only a portion is visible
Depois é Lua novamente
Then it becomes a new cycle of the moon again
Quem diz que a Lua é velha
Whoever claims that the moon is old or aged
Mente quem diz
Is lying or incorrect
Que a Lua é velha
Because the moon is constantly renewing and repeating its cycles
Mente quem diz
Is lying or incorrect
Mente quem diz
Is lying or incorrect
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Renato Da Rocha Silveira
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@alexguimaraes8593
Hoje tenho 31 anos, qdo passava meus finais de semana na casa dos meus avós era tão prazeroso escutar essa música que dentre outras me marcou muito, saudade dos meus avós, desse tempo que não volta mais!
@walterbernardo5576
Uma das melhores músicas já feitas por aqui. Deveria ser matéria obrigatória das faculdades de música. Música é para quem sabe, não para quem quer!
@laismariane3631
Meus filhos 1 tem 3 anos, a outra tem 2, eles amam, "mente quem diz q a lua é veia"
@JessicaFerreira1991
Mente quem diz que a lua é velha....❤❤
@danielemottabizzineli4886
Ela roda como bailarina!
@marciaxyz3556
Ouvi essa música aos 8 anos de idade nunca mais esqueci, vivo cantarolando ela, amoooo demais.❤
@arturobaixoclero6527
Tanta sensibilidade, tanta simplicidade sofisticada. Coisa linda.
@marcelopereira5908
Muito foda!!!! Quando vierem no Nordeste será um prazer asistilos. Conheci esse vocal através de um DVD de crianças que comprei para o meu filho, MPB4 o som dos bichos, cara me chamou a atenção pela criatividade e qualidade. Sem palavras!! Top!!!!
@jairo269
SIMPLESMENTE OS MELHORES ❤
@Vinicius-mg1lg
Só 8 comentários.....🙄😬🤦♂️😢, muito triste. Cresci ouvindo essa música, hoje tenho 50 anos. Infelizmente , a verdadeira MPB de raiz, brasileira, é praticamente esquecida pelos jovens dessa geração que cultuam o funk, o sertanejo, a música eletrônica e cantores(as) que fazem "música" sem alma e com letras apelativas e vulgares.