Ceará, Brazil
in the n… Read Full Bio ↴Mastruz com Leite is a band from the state of
Ceará, Brazil
in the northeastern part of the country. They play forró eletrônico (electronic forró), a modern style of forró that uses electronic elements such as keyboard, contrabass and electric guitar. They are responsible for a new interpretation of the traditional northeastern rhythm called forró.
(forro)
Their repertoir includes more than 40 albums including covers of the biggest names in Brazilian music (
mpb
or música popular Brasileira/popular music of Brazil). Their music is full of lyrics which portray a true to life saga of the history and emotional experience of the people of the northeast. Love, marriage, the festas (celebrations/parties), and the vaquejadas (cattle roundups that usually take place at the end of winter).
They have had a number of hits with songs like:
"O Rei do Baralho" (the deck of cards river), "Eu Preciso de Você" (I need you), "Meu Vaqueiro, Meu Peão" (my cowboy, my cow hand), and "Tatuagem" (tattoos).
The group was formed in
1990
by
Emanuel Gurgel, leader of the band
Aquarius
who saw the lack of a band in the area that played only forró music. The name comes from the name of Gurgel's handball team in college, the team itself no longer exists. Mastruz is a medicinal herb often taken in Brazil and surrounding countries with milk(leite).
Band members initially included:
accordionist
Zé Wilson
drummers
Jean
and
Marcelo
,
bass player
Bel
and singers
Japinha
and
Tony Silveira
,
this last also playing guitar.
As time went on the need arose for a feminine voice in the band. Current lineup includes
Katia Cilene
Bete Nascimento
Raynner
Neto
Initially, Mastruz com Leite only played during the breaks of Aquarius's shows. They played their first solo gig at the Mangueira Clube, in Fortaleza, capitol of the state of Ceará where they were based. Later they decided to leave the capitol for more rurral areas, mainly playing in Quixadá, Iguatú Campos Sales. The band began to feel they were on the right track and decided to spread their music throughout the northeast, making their first appearance in Araripinha in the state of Pernambuco. It was never easy, even in the northeast their particular rhythms took a while to catch on. São Paulo in the southeast was a particularly tough nut to crack. The first time they were invited to play there the concert venue that contracted them had, at the time of the concert, not a single paying attendee. The audience consisted of the waiters, the owners, and the musicians. Today Mastruz com Leite attracts more than ten thousand people to their concerts in São Paulo, capitol of São Paulo state. In 2002 after twelve years of existance they toured outside Brazil for the first time, this being a U.S. tour that covered cities such as Stanford, New York city, and Revere. Later in 2003 they toured Europe, playing in Switzerland and Portugal, and twice in Italy, taking the culture of northeast Brazil worldwide. After seventeen years they're still going strong, playing their lively brand of forró.
Carimbo no mato
Mastruz Com Leite Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fui tirar cipó
Muito longe ouvi um batuque 2x
Parecido um carimbó
Eu vou de banda, de banda, de banda
Eu vou de lado, do lado de lá 2x
Eu fiquei só
The lyrics to "Carimbo no Mato" by Mastruz com Leite tell the tale of someone who ventures out to the woods to cut a liana, or a type of vine. While out there, they hear a drumming that sounds a lot like the traditional Brazilian dance style carimbó. Carimbó originated in the northern Brazilian state of Pará and is rooted in indigenous and African traditions. The singer is so taken by the beat that they begin to dance alone in the woods to this infectious rhythm.
The lyrics suggest a sense of liberation in the dance, as the singer abandons their initial task and instead fully embraces the joy of carimbó by dancing in the wilderness. There is also perhaps a suggestion of the power of the natural world to inspire and connect us culturally through music, with the drums of carimbó echoing through the forest and drawing in the listener.
Overall, "Carimbo no Mato" is a celebration of carimbó and the power of music to transport us beyond our mundane and daily lives. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of this dance form's origins in the forest and its ability to inspire joy and liberation in those who hear its rhythms.
Line by Line Meaning
Eu Fui no mato, Moreno
I went to the bush, my friend
Fui tirar cipó
I went to extract liana
Muito longe ouvi um batuque 2x
Far away, I heard a rhythm
Parecido um carimbó
Similar to carimbó dance
Eu vou de banda, de banda, de banda
I go to this side, to that side, and back again
Eu vou de lado, do lado de lá 2x
I go to one side, then to the other
Eu fiquei só
I stayed alone
Dançando no mato o carimbó.
Dancing carimbó alone in the bush.
Contributed by Julia J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.