When she was twelve, her father gave her a guitar since he was worried about her being shy. Popular musician and composer Patricio Teixeira and classical guitarist Solon Ayala were her teachers. While still a teenager, she met a number of singers and composers who took part of Bossa Nova's musical revolution, in late 50s and early 60s, including Roberto Menescal, Carlos Lyra, Ronaldo Bôscoli, João Gilberto and Antônio Carlos Jobim.
By 1963, after singing as an amateur for a few years, she became a professional and toured with Sergio Mendes. In the mid-1960s, the institution of military dictatorship in Brazil led her to sing increasingly political lyrics. Her show "Opinião" reflected her political beliefs and she had largely switched to political music by this point. In 1964, she even spoke against bossa nova as a movement, calling it "alienating". In 1968, being part of the Tropicália movement, she appeared on the album Tropicália: ou Panis et Circenses, performing "Lindonéia."
She later left Brazil for Paris and in the 1970s abandoned music to focus on her family. She returned to music later and when she discovered, in 1979, that she had an inoperable brain tumor she increased her productivity as much as possible. She died in 1989, leaving a great legacy behind her succesful years of career.
Laranja Da China
Nara Leão Lyrics
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Vela no mar, luz cristalina
Areia branca, areia fina
Verde no mar, pôr do sol na salina
Areia branca, areia fina
Vela no mar, luz cristalina
Risca no céu meu amor, me alucina
Areia branca, areia fina
Vela no mar, luz cristalina
E o meu amor adormeceu
Lambendo o mel, longe da usina
Areia branca, areia fina
Vela no mar, luz cristalina
Laranja da terra, Coca-Cola da China
Laranja da terra, Coca-Cola da China
Laranja da terra, Coca-Cola da China
Laranja da terra, Coca-Cola da China
Laranja da terra, Coca-Cola da China
The lyrics of Nara Leão's "Laranja da China" are poetic and evocative, conjuring images of idyllic landscapes and sensory details. The repeated refrain of "Areia branca, areia fina / Vela no mar, luz cristalina" (White sand, fine sand / Sail on the sea, crystal clear light) creates a dreamy atmosphere of natural beauty and peace. The verses hint at a romantic relationship, with the lines "Risca no céu meu amor, me alucina" (My love traced in the sky, drives me crazy) suggesting a feeling of infatuation and wonder.
The image of the singer's love "licking honey far from the factory" ("Lambendo o mel, longe da usina") adds a note of escape or rebellion, as if the couple is enjoying a moment of freedom from the stresses and constraints of modern life. Meanwhile, the final lines of the song juxtapose two seemingly opposite ideas, "Laranja da terra, Coca-Cola da China" (Land orange, China-made Coca-Cola), in a way that suggests the blending of different cultures and traditions. Overall, "Laranja da China" is a visual and emotional feast for the senses, conveying a sense of wonder, nostalgia, and peace.
Line by Line Meaning
Areia branca, areia fina
White sand, fine sand
Vela no mar, luz cristalina
Sail on the sea, crystal clear light
Verde no mar, pôr do sol na salina
Green in the sea, sunset in the salt pan
Risca no céu meu amor, me alucina
Draws in the sky my love, mesmerizes me
E o meu amor adormeceu
And my love fell asleep
Lambendo o mel, longe da usina
Licking honey, far from the factory
Laranja da terra, Coca-Cola da China
Orange from the land, Coca-Cola from China
Laranja da terra, Coca-Cola da China
Orange from the land, Coca-Cola from China
Laranja da terra, Coca-Cola da China
Orange from the land, Coca-Cola from China
Laranja da terra, Coca-Cola da China
Orange from the land, Coca-Cola from China
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LOPES, NILO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind