MPB-4 (aka MPB4), is an important Brazilian vocal / instrumental group, whi… Read Full Bio ↴MPB-4 (aka MPB4), is an important Brazilian vocal / instrumental group, which devoted its activities to MPB (where commercial aspects were subordinate to the group's artistic standards). They reinvented the Brazilian vocal groups with their jazz free style focused on samba and also launched the careers of several soon-to-be masters of Brazilian music, such as Aldir Blanc (with his "Amigo É Pra Essas Coisas" with Sílvio da Silva Jr.). Having recorded more than 30 albums since 1964, many of them of utmost historical and artistic significance, they had a considerable part of this production released in countries like the U.S., Norway, Canada, Japan, Portugal, Mexico, Argentina, and others. The group was awarded with the Sharp prize as the best MPB group in 1987, 1989, and 1995. In 2001, MPB-4 completed a 36-year career with the same formation (registered in the Brazilian edition of the Guinness Book of Records of 1996).

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

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Samba Lamento
MPB-4 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Samba lamento
Ritmo só
É que lhe segue no balanço lento
Que o samba que eu vou
Samba lamento
Ritmo só
É que lhe segue no balanço lento
Que o samba que eu vou

Samba lamento
Ritmo só
É que lhe segue no balanço lento
Que o samba que eu vou

Minha nêga espere o corpo
Não despreze o seu amor
Mas não me tire do balanço lento
Do samba que eu vou
Minha nêga espere o corpo
Não despreze o seu amor
Mas não me tire do balanço lento
Do samba que eu vou
Minha nêga espere o corpo
Não despreze o seu amor
Mas não me tire do balanço lento
Do samba que eu vou

Samba lamento,
Ritmo só
É que lhe segue no balanço lento
Que o samba que eu vou
Mas não me tire do balanço lento
Do samba que eu vou
E a nossa gente no balanço lento
Do samba que eu vou
E vamos juntos pro balanço lento
Do samba que eu vou

E todo o mundo no balanço lento
Do samba que eu vou

Overall Meaning

The song "Samba Lamento" by MPB-4 is a love letter to the slow, rhythmic sway of samba music. The lyrics describe the beauty of the "ritmo só" (sole rhythm) that follows the "balanço lento" (slow swing) of the samba. The singer urges his partner, "Minha nêga" (my darling), not to abandon him in this languid, seductive dance. He tells her not to "despreze o seu amor" (despise her love), but to surrender to the enchanting power of the samba's gentle sway.

Line by Line Meaning

Samba lamento
This song is about a Samba lament.

Ritmo só
The only thing that accompanies this Samba lament is its rhythm.

É que lhe segue no balanço lento
The rhythm slowly follows the Samba lament melody.

Que o samba que eu vou
This is the samba the singer is going to play/perform.

Minha nêga espere o corpo
The singer addresses his partner with the term 'nêga' and asks her to wait for him.

Não despreze o seu amor
The singer advises his partner to not ignore her love for him.

Mas não me tire do balanço lento
The singer pleads with his partner to not take him away from the slow Samba rhythm he is playing.

Do samba que eu vou
This is the samba the singer is going to play/perform.

E a nossa gente no balanço lento
The singer refers to the people dancing to the slow Samba rhythm he is playing.

E vamos juntos pro balanço lento
The singer invites his partner to join him in dancing to the slow Samba rhythm he is playing.

E todo o mundo no balanço lento
The singer includes everyone in the invitation to dance to the slow Samba rhythm he is playing.