Nascimento was born in Rio de Janeiro, and grew up in Três Pontas, Minas Gerais. His mother was the maid Maria do Carmo Nascimento. When he was just a few months old, the boy was adopted by the family for whom his mother had previously worked: the couple Josino Brito Campos (a banker, mathematics teacher and electronic technician) and Lília Silva Campos (a music teacher). He lived in the boroughs of Laranjeiras and Tijuca in Rio de Janeiro. When he was 18 months old, his biological mother died and he moved with his adoptive parents to the city of Três Pontas, in the State of Minas Gerais.
In the earlier stages of his career, Nascimento played in two samba groups, Evolussamba and Sambacana. In 1963 he moved to Belo Horizonte, and his friendship with the Borges brothers (Marilton, Márcio e Lô Borges) led to the Clube da Esquina ("corner club") movement. Other members included Beto Guedes, Toninho Horta, Wagner Tiso, and Flavio Venturini.
Nascimento is famous for his chime-clear falsetto and tonal range, as well for highly acclaimed songs such as "Canção da América" ("Song from America") and "Coração de Estudante" ("Student's Heart"). The lyrics of "Coração de Estudante" remembers the funeral of the student Edson Luís, killed by police officers in 1968. The song became the hymn for the diretas Já campaign in 1984 and it was also played in the funeral of the late president Tancredo Neves the next year, who died before assuming the presidency.
While his reputation within Brazil was firmly established with his Clube da Esquina works, Nascimento's international breakthrough came with his appearance on jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter's 1974 album "Native Dancer". This led to widespread acclaim, and collaborations with American stars such as Paul Simon, James Taylor, and Pat Metheny.
Through his friendship with guitarist Warren Cuccurullo, Nascimento came to work with the pop-rock band Duran Duran in 1993. Nascimento co-wrote and performed (in the Portuguese language) the song "Breath After Breath", featured on the band's 1993 album "Duran Duran". He also performed with the band in concert when they toured in Brazil, in support of that album. Nascimento earned a Grammy award for "Best World Music Album" in 1998 for his album "Nascimento", and was also nominated in 1991 and 1995.
Anima
Milton Nascimento Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drama, lapidar o que o coração
Com toda inspiração
Achou de nomear, gritando alma
Recriar cada momento belo
Já vivido e mais, atravessar fronteiras
Do amanhecer e ao entardecer
Alma vai além de tudo
Que o nosso mundo ousa perceber
Casa cheia de coragem vida
Tira a mancha que há no meu ser
Te quero ver, te quero ser alma
Viajar nessa procura toda
De me lapidar nesse momento agora
De me recriar de me gratificar
De custo alma, eu sei
Casa aberta onde mora o mestre
O mago da luz onde se encontra o templo
Que inventa a cor animará o amor
Onde se esquece a paz
Alma vai além de tudo
Que o nosso mundo ousa perceber
Casa cheia de coragem vida
Todo afeto que há no meu ser
Te quero ver, te quero ser alma
Alma vai além de tudo
Que o nosso mundo ousa perceber
Casa cheia de coragem vida
Todo afeto que há no meu ser
Te quero ver, te quero ser alma
Te quero ver alma, te quero ser
The Portuguese lyrics of "Anima" by Milton Nascimento evoke themes of self-discovery and transcendence. The first two lines of the song signify the desire to refine the search for meaning in life. The lines "Lapidar minha procura toda / Drama, lapidar o que o coração" imply that the singer wants to improve their search for the ultimate reality and also polish their emotions. The following lines, "com toda inspiração / Achou de nomear, gritando alma" suggest that the singer found inspiration and named their soul by shouting it out loud. The passion and intensity of this expression imply the singer's strong desire for self-expression and exploration.
The second stanza emphasizes the importance of reliving past beautiful moments and crossing the boundaries of time and space to discover new experiences. "Recriar cada momento belo" implies that the singer wants to relive beautiful moments while "atravessar fronteiras" suggests a willingness to extend beyond the known world. The chorus, "Alma vai além de tudo / Que o nosso mundo ousa perceber / Casa cheia de coragem vida / Tira a mancha que há no meu ser," suggests that the soul is capable of transcending everything in this world, and a house full of courage and life can remove blemishes from one's identity. In the final stanza, the singer reiterates their desire to discover their true self, to search for the divine, and to be their soul.
Line by Line Meaning
Lapidar minha procura toda
To refine my entire search
Drama, lapidar o que o coração
Dramatically refine what the heart
Com toda inspiração
With all inspiration
Achou de nomear, gritando alma
Found to name, shouting soul
Recriar cada momento belo
Recreate every beautiful moment
Já vivido e mais, atravessar fronteiras
Already lived and more, cross borders
Do amanhecer e ao entardecer
From dawn to dusk
Olhar com calma e então
Look calmly and then
Alma vai além de tudo
Soul goes beyond everything
Que o nosso mundo ousa perceber
That our world dares to perceive
Casa cheia de coragem vida
House full of courageous life
Tira a mancha que há no meu ser
Remove the stain in my being
Te quero ver, te quero ser alma
I want to see you, I want to be soul
Viajar nessa procura toda
Travel in this entire search
De me lapidar nesse momento agora
To refine myself at this very moment
De me recriar de me gratificar
To recreate myself, to gratify myself
De custo alma, eu sei
At the cost of soul, I know
Casa aberta onde mora o mestre
Open house where the master lives
O mago da luz onde se encontra o templo
The wizard of light where the temple is found
Que inventa a cor animará o amor
Who invents color will animate love
Onde se esquece a paz
Where peace is forgotten
Te quero ver, te quero ser alma
I want to see you, I want to be soul
Alma vai além de tudo
Soul goes beyond everything
Que o nosso mundo ousa perceber
That our world dares to perceive
Casa cheia de coragem vida
House full of courageous life
Todo afeto que há no meu ser
All the affection that exists in my being
Te quero ver, te quero ser alma
I want to see you, I want to be soul
Alma vai além de tudo
Soul goes beyond everything
Que o nosso mundo ousa perceber
That our world dares to perceive
Casa cheia de coragem vida
House full of courageous life
Todo afeto que há no meu ser
All the affection that exists in my being
Te quero ver alma, te quero ser
I want to see you soul, I want to be
Contributed by Mason F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Branca Leão
❤
Lapidar
Minha procura toda
Trama lapidar
O que o coração
Com toda inspiração
Achou de nomear
Gritando alma
Recriar
Cada momento belo
Já vivido e mais
Atravessar fronteiras
No amanhecer
E ao entardecer
Olhar com calma, então
Alma vai
Além de tudo
Que o nosso mundo
Ousa perceber
Casa cheia de coragem
Vida
Tira a mancha que há no meu ser
Te quero ver
Te quero ser
Alma
Viajar
Nessa procura toda
De me lapidar
Nesse momento agora
De me recriar
De me gratificar
Te busco alma
Eu sei
Casa aberta
Onde mora o mestre
O mago da luz
Onde se encontra o templo
Que inventa a cor
Animará o amor
Onde se esquece a paz
Alma vai
Além de tudo
Que o nosso mundo
Ousa perceber
Casa cheia de coragem
Vida
Todo afeto que há no meu ser
Te quero ver
Te quero ser
Alma
Edivaldo
Música inspirada por DEUS, simplesmente linda!
CUPERTINO SANTOS
Como alguém consegue conceber uma canção destas ?! Que coisa !
Luiz Carlos Venancio
Mr. Nascimento forever and ever !
Katia Ferreira
Direto na alma
Mãe de 3 Artes
Milton Nascimento...grande Alma brilhante, homem da terra canta a voz de muitas Almas🙏🏼🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌏🌏🌎🌎🌍
Sebastian FX
This is not a song: it's a prayer set to music. Absolutely beautiful!
Mayo Velvo
A truly outstanding artist and a brilliant song from a brilliant album, obrigado Milton!!!
Metis
Pure joy. How this brightens a grey, damp, drizzle-grizzle day in lockdown UK. Tropically dreaming.
Luiz Carlos Venancio
Mr. Nascimento, forever and ever !
Marizete Fagundes
..."alma vai além de tudo o que o nosso mundo ousa perceber."... 🦋
Alegria genuína!