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.
Roda viva
MPB4 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Como quem partiu ou morreu
A gente estancou de repente
Ou foi o mundo então que cresceu
A gente quer ter voz ativa
No nosso destino mandar
Mas eis que chega a roda viva
E carrega o destino prá lá
Roda mundo roda gigante
Roda moinho, roda pião
O tempo rodou num instante
Nas voltas do meu coração
A gente vai contra a corrente
Até não poder resistir
Na volta do barco é que sente
O quanto deixou de cumprir
Faz tempo que a gente cultiva
A mais linda roseira que há
Mas eis que chega a roda viva
E carrega a roseira prá lá
Roda mundo roda gigante
Roda moinho, roda pião
O tempo rodou num instante
Nas voltas do meu coração
A roda da saia mulata
Não quer mais rodar não senhor
Não posso fazer serenata
A roda de samba acabou
A gente toma a iniciativa
Viola na rua a cantar
Mas eis que chega a roda viva
E carrega a viola prá lá
Roda mundo roda gigante
Roda moinho, roda pião
O tempo rodou num instante
Nas voltas do meu coração
O samba, a viola, a roseira
Um dia a fogueira queimou
Foi tudo ilusão passageira
Que a brisa primeira levou
No peito a saudade cativa
Faz força pro tempo parar
Mas eis que chega a roda viva
E carrega a saudade prá lá
Roda mundo roda gigante
Roda moinho, roda pião
O tempo rodou num instante
Nas voltas do meu coração
Roda mundo roda gigante
Roda moinho, roda pião
O tempo rodou num instante
Nas voltas do meu coração
Roda mundo roda gigante
Roda moinho, roda pião
O tempo rodou num instante
Nas voltas do meu coração
Roda mundo roda gigante
Roda moinho, roda pião
O tempo rodou num instante
Nas voltas do meu coração
The lyrics of MPB4's song "Roda Viva" portray the idea that life is like a "roda," which means "wheel" in Portuguese. The song begins by describing how sometimes we feel like we have died or left the world behind because everything around us seems to have changed suddenly. We want to have control over our destiny, but the wheel of life has its own direction and can take us away from our goals.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Roda mundo roda gigante," which means "The world turns, it's a big wheel." This emphasizes how everything in life is constantly changing and moving, just like a wheel that never stops turning. The verses continue by describing how we struggle against the current of life, trying to make something of ourselves, but in the end, we feel like we have missed out on so much.
The song then turns to talk about specific cultural elements of Brazil, such as the "saia mulata" (the skirt of a mulatto woman), the "viola" (a stringed instrument), and the "rosa" (the rose flower), which are all parts of traditional Brazilian music and culture. However, even these cultural icons are subject to the wheel of life and can fade away, as the roda moves on and brings changes. The song ends with a sense of nostalgia and longing, as the singer realizes that everything is fleeting and temporary in the face of the endless turning of the wheel.
Line by Line Meaning
Tem dias que a gente se sente
There are days when we feel
Como quem partiu ou morreu
Like someone who has left or died
A gente estancou de repente
We suddenly stopped in our tracks
Ou foi o mundo então que cresceu
Or perhaps it was the world that grew
A gente quer ter voz ativa
We want to have an active voice
No nosso destino mandar
To control our own destiny
Mas eis que chega a roda viva
But then the wheel of life arrives
E carrega o destino prá lá
And takes our destiny away
Roda mundo roda gigante
The world spins, the giant wheel turns
Roda moinho, roda pião
The mill spins, the top spins
O tempo rodou num instante
Time passed in an instant
Nas voltas do meu coração
In the turnings of my heart
A gente vai contra a corrente
We go against the current
Até não poder resistir
Until we can resist no longer
Na volta do barco é que sente
It's only on the return trip of the boat that we feel
O quanto deixou de cumprir
How much we have left undone
Faz tempo que a gente cultiva
We've been nurturing for some time
A mais linda roseira que há
The most beautiful rose bush there is
Mas eis que chega a roda viva
But then the wheel of life arrives
E carrega a roseira prá lá
And takes the rose bush away
A roda da saia mulata
The skirt of the mulatto woman's dress
Não quer mais rodar não senhor
Doesn't want to spin anymore, no sir
Não posso fazer serenata
I can't serenade anymore
A roda de samba acabou
The samba circle has ended
A gente toma a iniciativa
We take the initiative
Viola na rua a cantar
To sing with a guitar in the streets
Mas eis que chega a roda viva
But then the wheel of life arrives
E carrega a viola prá lá
And takes the guitar away
O samba, a viola, a roseira
The samba, the guitar, the rose bush
Um dia a fogueira queimou
One day the bonfire burned them
Foi tudo ilusão passageira
It was all a passing illusion
Que a brisa primeira levou
That the first breeze carried away
No peito a saudade cativa
In our hearts, captive longing
Faz força pro tempo parar
Tries to make time stand still
Mas eis que chega a roda viva
But then the wheel of life arrives
E carrega a saudade prá lá
And takes the longing away
Roda mundo roda gigante
The world spins, the giant wheel turns
Roda moinho, roda pião
The mill spins, the top spins
O tempo rodou num instante
Time passed in an instant
Nas voltas do meu coração
In the turnings of my heart
Roda mundo roda gigante
The world spins, the giant wheel turns
Roda moinho, roda pião
The mill spins, the top spins
O tempo rodou num instante
Time passed in an instant
Nas voltas do meu coração
In the turnings of my heart
Roda mundo roda gigante
The world spins, the giant wheel turns
Roda moinho, roda pião
The mill spins, the top spins
O tempo rodou num instante
Time passed in an instant
Nas voltas do meu coração
In the turnings of my heart
Roda mundo roda gigante
The world spins, the giant wheel turns
Roda moinho, roda pião
The mill spins, the top spins
O tempo rodou num instante
Time passed in an instant
Nas voltas do meu coração
In the turnings of my heart
Contributed by Max E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Emiliane Santos
Tem dias que a gente se sente
Como quem partiu ou morreu
A gente estancou de repente
Ou foi o mundo então que cresceu
A gente quer ter voz ativa
No nosso destino mandar
Mas eis que chega a roda-viva
E carrega o destino pra lá
Roda mundo, roda-gigante
Rodamoinho, roda pião
O tempo rodou num instante
Nas voltas do meu coração
A gente vai contra a corrente
Até não poder resistir
Na volta do barco é que sente
O quanto deixou de cumprir
Faz tempo que a gente cultiva
A mais linda roseira que há
Mas eis que chega a roda-viva
E carrega a roseira pra lá
Roda mundo, roda-gigante
Rodamoinho, roda pião
O tempo rodou num instante
Nas voltas do meu coração
A roda da saia, a mulata
Não quer mais rodar, não senhor
Não posso fazer serenata
A roda de samba acabou
A gente toma a iniciativa
Viola na rua, a cantar
Mas eis que chega a roda-viva
E carrega a viola pra lá
Roda mundo, roda-gigante
Rodamoinho, roda pião
O tempo rodou num instante
Nas voltas do meu coração
O samba, a viola, a roseira
Um dia a fogueira queimou
Foi tudo ilusão passageira
Que a brisa primeira levou
No peito a saudade cativa
Faz força pro tempo parar
Mas eis que chega a roda-viva
E carrega a saudade pra lá
Roda mundo, roda-gigante
Rodamoinho, roda pião
O tempo rodou num instante
Nas voltas do meu coração
Roda mundo, roda-gigante
Rodamoinho, roda pião
O tempo rodou num instante
Nas voltas do meu coração
Roda mundo, roda-gigante
Rodamoinho, roda pião
O tempo rodou num instante
Nas voltas do meu coração
Rosana Nascimento rosa
E pensar que nessa época o Chico só estava com 23 anos e já compunha uma obra prima como essa.
Eliana Medeiros
Genio!!!
Eduardo Dias Nunes
@Eliana Medeiros É! gênio ´gênio! Falar mais o que?
Fernando Miller
uma pequena pausa para todos apreciarmos a fofura desse menininho aos 2:40 cantando roda viva emocionadíssimo..🙂
๖ۣۜǤнσsτ༻
Que bonitinho :)
Rita de Cassia
O meu rapaz ❤
Getúlio Vargas
Ele comentou nesse video, mas acho que apagou. Ela ta com 60 e poucos anos hoje
Maria Eliene Rodrigues da Cruz Destro
Juventude politizada, época dos festivais músicas maravilhosas, tempo bom , sinto saudades.
Davi Alex
Nasci em 2002, ou seja, os tempos áureos da música brasileira já haviam passado e o Funk já havia dominado o gosto dos jovens. Tenho que me contentar portanto com essas músicas antigas, a verdadeira música brasileira!
Franco, Renatale Silveiras .2.5
Eu adoro, acho bem reflectiva, filosófica estudantil ao qual me faz lembrar da época de meus pais. 🥰🐾🎼 💖 A banda!!!