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.
Nova Ilusão
Paulinho da Viola Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que ilumina e conduz
Minha nova ilusão
É nos teus olhos que eu vejo
O amor e o desejo
Do meu coração
És uma estrela no céu
Um tesouro no mar
És tanta felicidade
Que nem a metade
Eu consigo exaltar
Se um beija-flor descobrisse
A doçura e a meiguice
Que teus lábios têm
Jamais roçaria as asas brejeiras
Por entre roseiras
Em jardins de ninguém
Oh, dona dos sonhos
Ilusão concebida
Surpresa que a vida
Me fez das mulheres
Há no meu coração
Uma flor em botão
Que abrirás se quiseres
Se um beija-flor descobrisse
A doçura e a meiguice
Que teus lábios têm
Jamais roçaria as asas brejeiras
Por entre roseiras
Em jardins de ninguém
Oh, dona dos sonhos
Ilusão concebida
Surpresa que a vida
Me fez das mulheres
Há no meu coração
Uma flor em botão
Que abrirás se quiseres
The lyrics of Paulinho da Viola's song "Nova Ilusão" describe the singer's newfound love and infatuation with someone. The first two lines express that the light that illuminates and guides the singer's new illusion comes from the eyes of the person they are addressing. The eyes are seen as the gateway to love and desire, representing the deep emotions that the singer feels in their heart.
The following lines compare the person to a star in the sky, a poem on earth, and a treasure in the sea. They symbolize the immense joy and happiness that this person brings to the singer's life, so much so that they feel unable to fully express it. The singer acknowledges that their words cannot fully capture the extent of their feelings.
The third stanza refers to a hypothetical situation where a hummingbird discovers the sweetness and gentleness of the person's lips. However, even in this scenario, the hummingbird would not dare disturb the beauty of the person by flying through anyone else's garden. This metaphor reinforces the uniqueness and value of the person being described.
The fourth and final stanza addresses the person as the "dona dos sonhos" (lady of dreams) and acknowledges that their presence in the singer's life is an unexpected but cherished surprise. The singer reveals that within their heart, there is a flower bud waiting to bloom, which will only open if the person desires it.
Overall, the lyrics of "Nova Ilusão" convey the passionate admiration and affection that the singer feels for someone, highlighting their importance and impact on the singer's life.
Line by Line Meaning
É dos teus olhos a luz
The light comes from your eyes
Que ilumina e conduz
That illuminates and guides
Minha nova ilusão
My new illusion
É nos teus olhos que eu vejo
It's in your eyes that I see
O amor e o desejo
The love and desire
Do meu coração
Of my heart
És uma estrela no céu
You are a star in the sky
Um poema na terra
A poem on earth
Um tesouro no mar
A treasure in the sea
És tanta felicidade
You are so much happiness
Que nem a metade
That not even half
Eu consigo exaltar
I can exalt
Se um beija-flor descobrisse
If a hummingbird discovered
A doçura e a meiguice
The sweetness and gentleness
Que teus lábios têm
That your lips have
Jamais roçaria as asas brejeiras
It would never touch its playful wings
Por entre roseiras
Among rosebushes
Em jardins de ninguém
In gardens of no one
Oh, dona dos sonhos
Oh, lady of dreams
Ilusão concebida
Conceived illusion
Surpresa que a vida
Surprise that life
Me fez das mulheres
Made me from women
Há no meu coração
There is in my heart
Uma flor em botão
A flower in bud
Que abrirás se quiseres
That you will open if you want
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Claudionor Cruz, Pedro Caetano
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Edson de Barros
1931 ? --- Pedro Caetano e Claudionor Cruz. Muito feras! ...No início da década de 50, fizeram muito sucesso com carnaval, nas vozes de Dirciinha , Orlando Silva, Francisco Alves, Ataulfo Alves( também compositor com Claudionor). Gente de bem e muito criativos...
Angela Maria Moreira
Paulinho da Viola! Compõe e canta e nos encanta!
Joel Abreu
Pedro Caetano x Alcir Pires Vermelho formaram uma das mais importantes duplas de compositores dos anos 40/50 depois que Francisco Alves gravou
a mais importante valsa Dama de Vermelho, que o Brasil parava para ouvir!!
Thammy Dantas
Há no meu coração
Uma flor em botão
Que abrirás se quiseres
LUIS EDUARDO SOARES TORRES
Essa musica me lembra uma linda mulher que eu conheci la de COLINAS-TO,se formou e foi embora tao rapido como nos conhecemos,desde entao esses versos desse samba nem a metade consegue exaltar a sua beleza.
Delania Benevides
É A SEGUNDA VEZ QUE OUÇO ESSA MÚSICA . É LINDA DEMAIS. ME ENCANTEI. É APAIXONANTE. UM BELO POEMA. 💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔
Joel Abreu
Esta é uma linda música de autoria do compositor Pedro Caetano!!
Valmir Ferreira Loureiro
Me fazer feliz
É ver você sorrindo
A alegria do meu coração
É o seu coração me achando
Wanderlei Guedes da Silva
Pedro Caetano e Claudionor Cruz. Grandes compositores.
José Roberto Barbieri
Maravilhoso. Tudo perfeito na composição e na interpretação do Paulinho da Viola, que é uma das vozes mais lindas do Brasil. O Paulinho é sempre enfatizado como um dos melhores compositores do País, o que realmente é (embora no caso a composição não seja dele), mas as qualidades dele como cantor deveriam ser mais notadas.