He is most associated with the samba school Vila Isabel, and his own compositions (sambas de enredo) have been annually inaugurated by Vila Isabel in Rio de Janeiro's Carnaval competition for decades. His signature song, "Casa de Bamba," which dates back to the 1970s, is one of Brazilians' most beloved sambas. At age 74, he is still doing concerts and his lyrics continue to rally the spirits of audiences throughout Brazil. His 1995 CD "Ta Delicia Ta Gostoso" sold more than a million copies. His music shows influence from the region where he was born, such as the calango rhythm.
Martinho is politically active and a prominent figure and spokesperson for Afro-Brazilian issues as well as for the Brazilian Communist Party. He is the author of six books, and has been a recording artist since 1969.
Jaguatirica
Martinho Da Vila Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Desvirginando a minha mente
E em mim se faz presente
Com seu jeito sedutor
Plantou em mim
Plantou em si floresceu
Um grande amor
Igual já mais aconteceu
Minha caça perseguida
Meu sentimento maior
Minha canção preferida
Meu acorde em tom menor
Eu sei que é
Esse tal de amor que fica
É pequenina e gostosa
Como banana nanica
Uma mistura cheirosa
Carvalho, rosa e arnica
Me bebe como cachaça
Me come como canjica
Quem ela é?
É minha Jaguatirica
Parece gata selvagem
Me arranha e me complica
Quem ela é?
É minha Jaguatirica
The lyrics to Martinho da Vila's song "Jaguatirica" describe the arrival of someone who has awakened the singer's consciousness and made a deep impression on him. This person is described as having a seductive manner and planting seeds of love in both the singer and herself, resulting in a great love between them that is unlike anything that has happened before. The song uses the metaphor of a female jaguar, a fierce and powerful creature, to describe this person's effect on the singer. He sees her as his prey, the greatest of all his feelings, his favorite song, and his saddest chord. The singer knows that this love will stick around, as it is small and delightful, much like a banana, yet potent and potent, like a mixture of oak, rose, and arnica. This love consumes him like caipirinha and satisfies him like corn porridge, and this person is the singer's jaguar, a wild and unpredictable woman who claws and complicates his life.
Line by Line Meaning
Chegou
She arrived
Desvirginando a minha mente
Deflowering my mind
E em mim se faz presente
And is present in me
Com seu jeito sedutor
With her seductive way
Plantou em mim
She planted in me
Plantou em si floresceu
She planted in herself and bloomed
Um grande amor
A great love
Igual já mais aconteceu
Like never before
Fêmea felina que lambe meu suor
Feline female that licks my sweat
Minha caça perseguida
My pursued prey
Meu sentimento maior
My greatest feeling
Minha canção preferida
My favorite song
Meu acorde em tom menor
My minor chord
Eu sei que é
I know it is
Esse tal de amor que fica
This thing called love that stays
É pequenina e gostosa
It's small and tasty
Como banana nanica
Like a nanica banana
Uma mistura cheirosa
A fragrant mixture
Carvalho, rosa e arnica
Oak, rose, and arnica
Me bebe como cachaça
She drinks me like cachaça
Me come como canjica
She eats me like canjica
Quem ela é?
Who is she?
É minha Jaguatirica
She's my Jaguar
Parece gata selvagem
She looks like a wild cat
Me arranha e me complica
She scratches me and complicates me
Quem ela é?
Who is she?
É minha Jaguatirica
She's my Jaguar
Contributed by Bella K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.