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.
O Navegante
MPB-4 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
E um motor de pano
Pra passear meu corpo
E adormecer meu som
Na esburacada estrada do oceano
Aportarei meu barco apenas de ano em ano
E onde houver silêncio
Pra não deixar morrer o gesto humano
Entenderei as águas e os peixes passando
E se me perguntarem pra onde vou e quando
Responderei
Apenas navegando
Apenas navegando
Embarcarei comigo o feminino encanto
Pra que não falte a vida quando for preciso
Uma razão mais forte que o espanto
Mais forte que o espanto
Semearei meu sangue,
Meu amor, meu rosto
Pra que depois de mim eu possa estar presente
Entre as canções que eu não houver composto
Naufragarei um dia
Em pleno mar sem dono
E submerso em lendas como um visitante
Entre os recifes dormirei meu sono
Quero um montão... do oceano
The lyrics of MPB-4's song O Navegante describe the life of a sailor who dreams of nothing but sailing through the rough oceans, living a simple life, and experiencing the tranquility of the vast expanse of water. The sailor expresses his desire to have a boat made of wood and a cloth sail to navigate the ocean road. He dreams of sailing to remote places where there is complete silence and singing to keep alive the human spirit. He aims to understand the ways of the sea and fishes and respond to any curiosity about his whereabouts by merely saying that he is just sailing.
Line by Line Meaning
Quero um montão de tábuas
I want a heap of planks
E um motor de pano
And a cloth motor
Pra passear meu corpo
To take my body for a ride
E adormecer meu som
And to put my sound to sleep
Na esburacada estrada do oceano
On the bumpy road of the ocean
Aportarei meu barco apenas de ano em ano
I will only dock my boat once a year
E onde houver silêncio
And where there is silence
Eu ficarei cantando
I will keep singing
Pra não deixar morrer o gesto humano
To not let the human gesture die
Entenderei as águas e os peixes passando
I will understand the waters and fish passing by
E se me perguntarem pra onde vou e quando
And if they ask me where I'm going and when
Responderei
I will answer
Apenas navegando
Just sailing
Embarcarei comigo o feminino encanto
I will embark with me the feminine charm
Pra que não falte a vida quando for preciso
So that life won't be missing when necessary
Uma razão mais forte que o espanto
A reason stronger than fear
Semearei meu sangue,
I will sow my blood,
Meu amor, meu rosto
My love, my face
Pra que depois de mim eu possa estar presente
So that I can be present after me
Entre as canções que eu não houver composto
Among the songs that I haven't composed
Naufragarei um dia
One day I will shipwreck
Em pleno mar sem dono
In the open sea without an owner
E submerso em lendas como um visitante
And submerged in legends like a visitor
Entre os recifes dormirei meu sono
Among the reefs, I will sleep my sleep
Quero um montão... do oceano
I want a heap... of the ocean
Contributed by Leo G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.