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.
Simples
Milton Nascimento Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
a volta do rio
virou a vida
a água da fonte
nossa tristeza
o sol no horizonte
uma ferida
o ouro da mina
virou veneno
o sangue na terra
virou brinquedo
e aquela criança
ali sentada
Milton Nascimento's song Simples is a beautiful portrayal of the transformation of nature and how human activities have affected it. In the first verse, he subtly muses on how the river's surroundings have changed, and how life has undergone a paradigm shift. The water from the spring has now become more than just a physical healing agent but has also become a source of emotional pain. The sun, which is traditionally seen as a source of warmth and comfort, has become a "wound." These contradictory descriptions bring out the adverse effects of human activity on nature. The river, the sun, and the water sources were pure and healing to humans, but the activities have left them polluted and contaminated.
In the second verse, the words expose mining as a human activity that has brought about significant changes to the environment. The gold in the mine has now become a poison. The blood that flows in the soil, which means death, has become the source of entertainment. Finally, the child's image seated in the tainted surroundings is a manifestation of the pain and discomfort caused by human activities, proving that the effects are not discriminating, and even beautiful children have to bear the brunt of such destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
Olha
Take a look
a volta do rio
at the bend of the river
virou a vida
life has changed
a água da fonte
the water from the spring
nossa tristeza
our sadness
o sol no horizonte
the sun on the horizon
uma ferida
a wound
Olha
Take a look
o ouro da mina
at the gold from the mine
virou veneno
turned into poison
o sangue na terra
the blood in the soil
virou brinquedo
turned into a toy
e aquela criança
and that child
ali sentada
sitting there
Contributed by Bella G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.