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.

Estrelada
Milton Nascimento Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

És menina do astro sol
És rainha do mundo mar
Teu luzeiro me faz cantar
Terra, Terra és tão estrelada
O teu manto azul comanda
Respirar toda criação
E depois que a chuva molha
Arco-íris vem coroar

A floresta é teu vestido
E as nuvens, o teu colar
És tão linda, ó minha Terra
Consagrada em teu girar
Navegante das solidões
No espaço a nos levar
Nave mãe e o nosso lar
Terra, Terra és tão delicada
Os teus homens não tem juízo
Esqueceram tão grande amor
Ofereces os teus tesouros
Mas ninguém dá o teu valor
Terra, Terra eu sou teu filho
Como as plantas e os animais
Só ao teu chão eu me entrego

Com amor, firmo tua paz
Fernando de Paula Junior

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Milton Nascimento's song Estrelada paint the picture of the Earth as a powerful and beautiful entity, personified as a woman. The singer addresses the Earth as "menina do astro sol" (girl of the sun) and "rainha do mundo mar" (queen of the sea world), praising her as a starry beauty whose blue mantle commands all creation to breathe. He sings about the way the Earth is adorned with rainbows after the rain, and how her forest is her dress and clouds her necklace. The singer notes that the Earth is a delicate and sacred entity that he compares to a "nave mãe" (mothership) that carries humans through space.

The song then takes a more serious turn, as the singer laments the fact that humans have not treated the Earth with the respect she deserves. He notes how humans have forgotten the great love she offers and how they do not value her treasures. The singer declares himself a "filho" (son) of the Earth, pledging to give himself fully to the planet in a loving way, like the plants and animals that call it home. He finishes the song by declaring that only by loving and respecting the Earth can we build a peaceful future.

Line by Line Meaning

És menina do astro sol
You are a girl of the sun's star, you are radiant and full of warmth

És rainha do mundo mar
You are the queen of the world's seas, powerful and majestic

Teu luzeiro me faz cantar
Your light makes me sing, fills me with joy and inspiration

Terra, Terra és tão estrelada
Earth, Earth, you are so starry, full of beauty and wonder

O teu manto azul comanda
Your blue mantle commands, you are in control of the elements

Respirar toda criação
Breathing in all of creation, taking in the wonders of the world

E depois que a chuva molha, arco-íris vem coroar
And after the rain falls, the rainbow comes to crown the beauty of the earth

A floresta é teu vestido, e as nuvens, o teu colar
The forest is your dress, and the clouds are your necklace, you are adorned by nature

És tão linda, ó minha Terra, consagrada em teu girar
You are so beautiful, oh my Earth, consecrated in your rotation, always changing and evolving

Navegante das solidões, no espaço a nos levar
Navigator of the solitudes, taking us through space

Nave mãe e o nosso lar
Mother ship and our home

Terra, Terra és tão delicada
Earth, Earth, you are so delicate, precious and fragile

Os teus homens não tem juízo, esqueceram tão grande amor
Your men have lost their sanity, they have forgotten such great love

Ofereces os teus tesouros, mas ninguém dá o teu valor
You offer your treasures, but no one values your worth

Terra, Terra eu sou teu filho, como as plantas e os animais
Earth, Earth, I am your child, like the plants and the animals

Só ao teu chão eu me entrego, com amor, firmo tua paz
I surrender only to your ground, with love, I establish your peace

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARCIO BORGES, MILTON NASCIMENTO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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