Paulinho da Viola (born Paulo César Batista de Faria on November 12, 1942) … Read Full Bio ↴Paulinho da Viola (born Paulo César Batista de Faria on November 12, 1942) is a Brazilian guitar, cavaquinho and bandolin player, known for his sophisticated harmonies and soft, gentle singing voice.

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.

Meu Carnaval
Paulinho da Viola Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Muita gente na folia
Cantando sem perceber
Que eu buscava na avenida
A razão para não sofrer
Meu amor quis brincar o carnaval
E saiu pela avenida escolas a desfilar
Foi vestida de alegria
E saiu para não voltar

E eu vestido de tristeza
Cantei para não chorar

Eu quisera ser feliz
Mais a felicidade foi uma quimera no meu coração
Preferia não falar
Mais eu preciso fazer minha confissão

Ai de quem nunca teve amor

Mesmo iludido encontro esperança no meu padecer
Pois o mais importante é viver

Overall Meaning

In Paulinho Da Viola's song Meu Carnaval, the singer starts by saying that amidst all the joy and celebration of Carnival, he was searching for something deeper. He watched the people around him singing and dancing without realizing that he was on the avenue searching for a reason not to suffer. He then goes on to narrate how his loved one got caught up in the festivities and went out to parade with the samba schools. She was dressed in joy, but she never came back. Meanwhile, he was clothed in sadness and had to sing to keep from weeping.

The song is a poignant lamentation of lost love amidst the chaos of Carnival. The singer's pain is palpable, and his search for answers feels sincere. He talks about how he wishes he could be happy, but happiness is elusive in his heart. He would rather not speak about his feelings, but he needs to make a confession. The confession is that despite the pain, he still finds hope in his suffering. He believes that anyone who has never loved has missed out on the most important aspect of life.

Overall, Paulinho Da Viola's Meu Carnaval is a beautifully crafted song that captures the essence of Carnival festivities, but also speaks to the deeper human emotions that cannot be drowned in the revelry.

Line by Line Meaning

Muita gente na folia
There are a lot of people celebrating in the carnival

Cantando sem perceber
They are singing without realizing

Que eu buscava na avenida
While I was searching in the avenue

A razão para não sofrer
For a reason not to suffer

Meu amor quis brincar o carnaval
My love wanted to play carnival

E saiu pela avenida escolas a desfilar
And walked down the avenue, watching the schools parade

Foi vestida de alegria
She was dressed in joy

E saiu para não voltar
And left, never to return

E eu vestido de tristeza
While I was dressed in sadness

Cantei para não chorar
I sang to avoid crying

Eu quisera ser feliz
I wanted to be happy