Born in Rio de Janeiro to a family deeply rooted in the samba tradition, Paulinho met and befriended much of Rio's samba elite as a child. His father was a guitar player and musicians like Pixinguinha and Jacob do Bandolim would often come to his house for rehearsals, which Paulinho watched for hours on end. After the rehearsals, Paulinho would pick up his father's guitar and strum the few chords he knew. Later, as a teenager, he was frequently seen at jams at Jacob do Bandolim's house, quietly and attentively observing the older, more experienced musicians. He began writing his own songs as a teenager, but never considered a career as a professional musician until he met poet Hermínio Bello de Carvalho in 1964. By then, Paulinho was working as a teller at a bank in Rio de Janeiro, and recognised Hermínio from the jam sessions at Jacob do Bandolim's house. The two became close friends and soon began writing music together. The first song they wrote together was Duvide-o-dó, recorded by singer Isaurinha Garcia. He then began performing his own songs at a restaurant in Rio, owned by samba legend Cartola and his wife.
He got his famous nickname in 1965, when he was a member of the samba group A Voz do Morro (the voice of the hills), alongside Zé Keti and Oscar Bigode. After their first recording session, a publicist from the record label reportedly told him "'Paulo César' is not a samba name!". Zé Keti and journalist Sérgio Cabral eventually came up with the nickname "Paulinho da Viola" (something to the lines of "Guitar Paul").
By the 1970s, Paulinho was at the most prolific stage of his career, releasing an average of one album per year. He was already a household name in samba, choro and MPB circles and broadened his audience by touring all over Brazil and also playing at festivals in Europe and the USA. His productivity and popularity had waned by the mid-80s, when he decided to focus more on his songwriting. In 1996 he regained notoriety after releasing the much-acclaimed album Bebadosamba, in which he once again joined forces with Hermínio Bello de Carvalho and Elton Medeiros, his early songwriting partners. He still lives in Rio de Janeiro and performs around Brazil.
Cidade Submersa
Paulinho da Viola Lyrics
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Minha negra bandeira e me sento.
Mexo e remexo e me perco e adormeço,
Nas ruínas da cidade submersa.
Sonhando um mar que não conheço
Como não conheço as ondas do meu coração.
Restaram que nem cinzas, cicatrizes que tentei cobrir ainda com pudor.
Na memória tantas vagas, que nem posso repetir ou explicar, se me doeu azar,
The lyrics to Paulinho Da Viola's song Cidade Submersa paint a picture of a city engulfed by water, leaving nothing but ruins and scars behind. The singer of the song seems to be a lost pirate, sitting with his black flag in silence as he reflects on this flooded city. He describes how he gets lost in his thoughts and dreams of a sea he doesn't know, just like he doesn't know the waves of his heart. Despite trying to hide his scars in shame, the memories of this sunken city remain with him like ashes, reminding him of the pain he felt.
The song implicitly explores themes of loss, both personal and collective. The city, as a collective entity, is lost and destroyed, leaving scars and ashes in its wake. The singer, as an individual, also seems to be lost, struggling to understand the waves of his own heart and the pain that lingers within him. The use of the pirate flag adds an extra layer to this metaphor, suggesting that the singer is not just lost, but also a rebel who's possibly fighting against the societal norms that led to the submersion of the city.
Overall, the lyrics of Cidade Submersa provide a poignant reflection on loss and the scars it leaves behind, both in the collective and personal sense.
Line by Line Meaning
Ergo em silêncio, como um pirata perdido,
I stand in silence, like a lost pirate,
Minha negra bandeira e me sento.
With my black flag, I sit down.
Mexo e remexo e me perco e adormeço,
I move, I shake, I lose myself, and then fall asleep,
Nas ruínas da cidade submersa.
In the ruins of the sunken city.
Sonhando um mar que não conheço
Dreaming of a sea I do not know.
Como não conheço as ondas do meu coração.
Just as I do not know the waves of my own heart.
Restaram que nem cinzas, cicatrizes que tentei cobrir ainda com pudor.
Only scars remain, which I tried to cover with shame.
Na memória tantas vagas, que nem posso repetir ou explicar, se me doeu azar,
In my memory, so many waves that I cannot repeat or explain, if it hurt, so be it,
Não quero saber de nada...
I do not want to know anything...
Contributed by Eliana R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.