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.
Tribo dos carajás
Martinho Da Vila Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Noite de lua cheia
Aruanã!
Menina moça é que manda na aldeia
A tribo dança e o grande chefe pensa
Em sua gente
Que era dona deste imenso continente
Onde sonhou sempre viver da natureza
Respirando o ar
Pescando nos rios
E com medo do mar
Estranhamente o homem branco chegou
Pra construir, pra progredir, pra desbravar
E o índio cantou
O seu canto de guerra
Não se escravizou
Mas está sumindo da face da Terra
Aruanã! Aruanã açu
É a grande festa
De um povo do alto - Xigu
Martinho da Vila's Tribo dos carajás portrays the life of a tribe that once inhabited the vast area which now encompasses the Brazilian state of Pará. The song opens on a full moon night with a call to Aruanã, the tribal princess who leads the community. While the tribe rejoices and dances, the chief thinks about his people and their history, having once been the rightful owners of the land they lived in, a lush setting where they dreamt of living in harmony with nature, respecting the sky, the air, and the rivers but fearing the might of the sea.
However, the arrival of the white man disturbed the balance of their homeland as they aimed to modernize and expand their society. The tribe responded with songs of war before taking up arms to protect their way of life. The white man may have erected monuments and towers, but the tribe remained, singing their songs and fighting to preserve their culture. Unfortunately, despite their unwavering resistance, the tribe is gradually going extinct, a sorrowful fate simply because they are outlived by their conquerors.
Line by Line Meaning
Tribo dos carajás
This song is about the indigenous Carajás people
Noite de lua cheia
It was a night with a full moon
Aruanã!
A phrase used by the Carajás people, possibly to signal celebration or excitement
Menina moça é que manda na aldeia
It's the young woman who is in charge of the tribe's affairs
A tribo dança e o grande chefe pensa
While the tribe is dancing, the leader thinks about his people
Em sua gente
He thinks about his people
Que era dona deste imenso continente
The Carajás people used to be the owners of the vast continent where they lived
Onde sonhou sempre viver da natureza
They dreamt of living in harmony with nature
Respeitando o céu
They were respectful towards the sky
Respirando o ar
They breathed fresh air
Pescando nos rios
They fished in the rivers
E com medo do mar
They were afraid of the sea
Estranhamente o homem branco chegou
Suddenly, the white man arrived
Pra construir, pra progredir, pra desbravar
They came to build, to progress and to explore
E o índio cantou
And the indigenous people sang
O seu canto de guerra
Their war cry
Não se escravizou
They did not become slaves
Mas está sumindo da face da Terra
Unfortunately, they are disappearing from the face of the Earth
Aruanã! Aruanã açu
Another instance of the Carajás people's phrase, possibly to emphasize the importance of their traditions
É a grande festa
It is a big celebration
De um povo do alto - Xigu
Of a people from the Alto-Xingu (region in Brazil)
Contributed by Evelyn O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
MegatonSkyline 🎬🎤
Essa música é a nossa cara, é do Brasil. Esse Martinho, só você mesmo. Que melodia, nossa senhora. Sou fã número 1 dessa música😀✌
Maria Carolina
Gosto muito de escutar Martinho da Vila, em todas as músicas, mas esta para mim é muito especial. Considero um hino aos índios. Tão verdadeira esta letra, incrível. Parabéns. Portugal
João Carlos Souza
Alguns políticos deviam ler a letra dessa com bastante atenção, talvez aprendam alguma coisa sobre o povo brasileiro.
fishtv José pescador
a letra do samba é uma história cantada sobre nosso paíz, shou
Simone Lima
Amo Martinho! Já usei essa música em turmas do Ensino Fundamental. As crianças/ pré adolescentes amam, se encantam com as poesias da nossa língua!! E eu também!!
Lilian Silva
Uso também!!
Simone Lima
@Lilian Silva uma riqueza de que dispomos!!
Sebastião Bezerra
Puro samba verdadeiro não tem prá ninguém
EVANGELHO e SOCIEDADE
têm muita gente boa no samba, isto é fato, mas nesse assunto martinho é o cara.
kokie chocolate
Vdd