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.
Um Gosto De Sol
Milton Nascimento Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Algum que vi de passagem
Numa cidade estrangeira
Lembrou os sonhos que eu tinha
E esqueci sobre a mesa
Como uma pera se esquece
Dormindo numa fruteira
Como adormece o rio
O sol na sombra se esquece
Dormindo numa caldeira
Algum sorriu de passagem
Numa cidade estrangeira
Lembrou o riso que eu tinha
E esqueci entre os dentes
Como uma pera se esquece
Sonhando numa fruteira
Andr Velloso - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Alv@domain.com.br / alvnet@yahoo.com
The lyrics of Milton Nascimento's song "Um Gosto de Sol" are full of metaphors and symbolic language. The opening lines "Algum que vi de passagem / Numa cidade estrangeira" can be interpreted as a chance encounter with someone on a journey, someone who reminds the singer of the dreams he once had and left behind. The singer then compares these forgotten dreams to a pear left on a table, like something that is ignored or forgotten. However, the dreams are still alive, like a sleeping river, waiting to be remembered.
The lyrics continue with the metaphor of the pear, describing it as something that dreams while it sleeps in a fruit basket. The sun forgets itself in the shadow, and it dreams in the shadow of the pear. The second stanza uses the same metaphor, but this time it refers to a passerby who reminds the singer of his laughter, something he had forgotten. Like a pear left in a fruit basket, the laughter is something that exists but is ignored, waiting to be remembered.
Overall, the song is a reflection on the passage of time and the things we leave behind. The pear is a symbol of forgotten dreams and memories, while the river and the sun represent the possibility of renewal and remembering. The chance encounter with a stranger in a foreign city brings back the forgotten memories and dreams, reminding the singer of who he once was.
Line by Line Meaning
Algum que vi de passagem
I saw someone passing by
Numa cidade estrangeira
In a foreign city
Lembrou os sonhos que eu tinha
They reminded me of my dreams
E esqueci sobre a mesa
And I forgot them on the table
Como uma pera se esquece
Just like a pear is forgotten
Dormindo numa fruteira
Sleeping in a fruit bowl
Como adormece o rio
Just like the river falls asleep
Sonhamos na carne da pera
We dream inside the flesh of the pear
O sol na sombra se esquece
The sun is forgotten in the shadow
Dormindo numa caldeira
Sleeping in a pot
Algum sorriu de passagem
Someone smiled as they passed by
Lembrou o riso que eu tinha
It reminded me of the laughter I used to have
E esqueci entre os dentes
But I forgot it between my teeth
Como uma pera se esquece
Just like a pear is forgotten
Sonhando numa fruteira
Dreaming in a fruit bowl
Contributed by Emily O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.