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.
Eu Canto Samba
Paulinho da Viola Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Por que sou assim eu me sinto contente
Eu vou ao samba
Porque longe dele eu não posso viver
Com ele eu tenho de fato uma velha intimidade
Se fico sozinho ele vem me socorrer
Há muito tempo eu escuto esse papo furado
Dizendo que o samba acabou
O samba é alegria
Falando coisas da gente
Se você anda tristonho
No samba fica contente
Segure o choro criança
Vou te fazer um carinho
Levando um samba de leve
Nas cordas do meu cavaquinho
In the song Eu Canto Samba, Paulinho Da Viola expresses his love and passion for samba music. He explains that he feels happy and content when he sings samba, and that he cannot live without it. The singer also describes his long-standing relationship with samba, which has always been there for him when he is alone or feeling down.
Paulinho Da Viola then addresses the criticism that samba music has received over the years, with some people claiming that it is outdated or no longer relevant. However, the singer firmly believes that samba is still alive and well, and that it brings happiness and joy to people's lives. He emphasizes that samba is a form of expression that speaks to the human experience and allows people to connect with one another.
Overall, the lyrics of Eu Canto Samba celebrate the power and beauty of this beloved genre of music, and the way that it brings people together and uplifts their spirits.
Line by Line Meaning
Eu canto samba
I sing samba
Por que sou assim eu me sinto contente
Because that's who I am and it makes me happy
Eu vou ao samba
I go to samba
Porque longe dele eu não posso viver
Because I can't live without it
Com ele eu tenho de fato uma velha intimidade
I have a long-standing intimacy with it
Se fico sozinho ele vem me socorrer
When I'm alone, it comes to my rescue
Há muito tempo eu escuto esse papo furado
I've been hearing that nonsense for a long time
Dizendo que o samba acabou
Saying that samba is over
Só se foi quando o dia clareou
Maybe only when the day breaks
O samba é alegria
Samba is joy
Falando coisas da gente
Talking about people's lives
Se você anda tristonho
If you're feeling sad
No samba fica contente
You'll be happy at the samba
Segure o choro criança
Hold your tears, child
Vou te fazer um carinho
I'll be gentle with you
Levando um samba de leve
Bringing you a light samba
Nas cordas do meu cavaquinho
On the strings of my cavaquinho
Contributed by Cole C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
JEFIN DO ARGO
Meu pai era oficial da marinha, na minha infância foi só que ouvia. Geralmente nas estradas....coisa boa e de uma riqueza cultural extrema. Parabéns Paulinho
Daniel Melo
Bom demais!
Karolyna Santos
Amoooo ❤❤❤
Diegão OQZ!
Menestrel!
Janete Dalonso
Genial!
Janete Dalonso
Genial
Daniel Daniel2
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Janete Dalonso
Genial!