Milton Nascimento (born 26 October, 1942) is a Brazilian songwriter, singer… Read Full Bio ↴Milton Nascimento (born 26 October, 1942) is a Brazilian songwriter, singer, and guitarist, who is considered one of the foremost icons of Brazilian popular music. His work spans a multitude of genres, from contemporary folk to jazz, and is often rooted in the traditional and indigenous music of the country.

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.

Era Rei E Sou Escravo
Milton Nascimento Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Era rei e sou escravo
Era livre e sou mandado!
Onde a minha terra firme, áfrica dos meus amores.
Onde a minha casa branca, minha mulher e meus filhos.
Me trouxeram para longe, amarrado na madeira, me bateram com chicote, me xingaram, me feriram.
Era rei e sou escravo, era livre e sou mandado.
Mas por mais que me naveguem, me levando pelos mares, mas por mais que me maltratem, carne aberta pela faca,
A memória vem e salva, a memória vem e guarda,

Guarda o cheiro da minha terra, a música do meu povo, a certeza de hoje e sempre que ningúem vais nos tirar. a onde estiver o porto,

Por mais que eu sofra e grite,
Sou mandado serei livre, sou escravo serei rei.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Milton Nascimento's song Era Rei E Sou Escravo tell the story of a man who was once a king, but was taken from his homeland in Africa and brought to a foreign land where he became a slave. He longs for the stability and love of his homeland, where his wife and children are, but is forced to endure the harsh treatment of his captors. He is beaten, insulted, and injured, but he holds onto the memory of his home and his people, and no matter how much they mistreat him, he is still free in his mind.

Line by Line Meaning

Era rei e sou escravo
I was a king once, now I am a slave

Era livre e sou mandado!
I was once free, but now I am commanded!

Onde a minha terra firme, áfrica dos meus amores.
My love lies in Africa, where my homeland stands firm

Onde a minha casa branca, minha mulher e meus filhos.
In my white home, with my wife and children

Me trouxeram para longe, amarrado na madeira, me bateram com chicote, me xingaram, me feriram.
They brought me far away, bound and beaten, whipped, cursed and wounded

Era rei e sou escravo, era livre e sou mandado.
I used to be a king, now I am a slave; once free, now enslaved

Mas por mais que me naveguem, me levando pelos mares, mas por mais que me maltratem, carne aberta pela faca,
Despite how far they take me, across the seas, despite the abuse, the cuts of the knife,

A memória vem e salva, a memória vem e guarda,
My memory saves me, my memory protects me

Guarda o cheiro da minha terra, a música do meu povo, a certeza de hoje e sempre que ningúem vais nos tirar. a onde estiver o porto,
It guards the smell of my homeland, the music of my people, the surety that nobody can take us away. Wherever the port may be,

Por mais que eu sofra e grite, Sou mandado serei livre, sou escravo serei rei.
However much I may suffer and shout, I am free even when commanded, I am a king even when enslaved.

Contributed by Max O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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