Pery Ribeiro (born Peri de Oliveira Martins, October 27, 1937 in Rio de Jan… Read Full Bio ↴Pery Ribeiro (born Peri de Oliveira Martins, October 27, 1937 in Rio de Janeiro), was the son of composer Herivelto Martins and of the singer Dalva de Oliveira. Ribeiro is a bossa nova singer who is credited with having launched the song "Garota de Ipanema."

Ribeiro started his artistic career by providing singing and voices in Walt Disney animated movies. In 1944, he acted in the film Berlim na Batucada, by Luís de Barros. His debut on radio was in 1959, on Rádio Nacional, where he took his stage name Pery Ribeiro on suggestion of his godfather César de Alencar. In 1960, Ribeiro had his first song, "Não Devo Insistir" (written with Dora Lopes), recorded by Dalva de Oliveira. Ribeiro recorded his first single in the same year. In 1961, he recorded the bossa nova classics "Manhã de Carnaval" and "Samba de Orfeu" (both by Luís Bonfá and Antônio Maria) and "Barquinho" (Roberto Menescal and Ronaldo Bôscoli), among others.

The first LP came in 1962, “Pery Ribeiro e Seu Mundo de Canções Românticas”, backed by Luís Bonfá on the guitar. In the next year, "Pery é Todo Bossa" had an enormous success with the first recording of "Garota de Ipanema" (by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinícius de Moraes), along with other bossa nova classics like "Me Lembro Vagamente," "Nós e o Mar," "Ah! Se eu Pudesse," and "Rio" (all by Roberto Menescal and Ronaldo Bôscoli) and originals.

In 1965, he formed the group "Gemini V" with Leny Andradel and the bossa nova trio Bossa 3. They performed at the Porão 73 club and at the Princesa Isabel theater ("Rio"), also releasing a live record of the shows. In 1966, Ribeiro went to the U.S. where he joined the Bossa Rio (Sérgio Mendes, Gracinha Leporace, Osmar Milito, Manfredo Fest, Otávio Bailly, and Ronnie Mesquita), performing in several American cities.

Pery Ribeiro passed away on February 24, 2012.

Bossa Na Praia
Pery Ribeiro Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Onda que vai, onda que vem
Sol de um verão que é meu também
Praia em redor de mim, feliz
Ilha de amor que eu mesmo fiz

Gente que vem viver o amor
Nessa amplidão de luz e cor
Paz de um moreno sem pretensão

Que deita o amor e espera o céu

Gente que ri sem ver porquê
Canta o cantar que o mar cantou
Sonha e se esvai, vivendo Deus
Ama o seu sol que esbanja luz

Tudo isto é meu, veja por que
Onda quebrou, nasceu você
Hei de ser sol, hei de ser mar
E ser a paz de ter você

Gente que ri sem ver porquê
Canta o cantar que o mar cantou
Sonha e se esvai, vivendo Deus
Ama o seu sol que esbanja luz

Tudo isto é meu, veja por que
Onda quebrou, nasceu você

Hei de ser sol, hei de ser mar
E ser a paz de ter você

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Pery Ribeiro's "Bossa Na Praia" describe a beautiful and serene scene: the ebb and flow of the waves, the sun shining down on a summer day, a happy beach surrounding the singer, and an island of love that he has created. The people that come to this place are filled with joy and love, basking in the light and color of their surroundings. The singer describes a carefree way of living, without any pretension, just allowing love to come and waiting for the heavens to come down to earth.

The singer also notes the unexplainable happiness of the people who come to this place, singing the songs that the sea sings and dreaming their lives away, feeling the presence of God and loving the sun that illuminates everything. Finally, the singer declares that all of this beauty is his and that the person he speaks to is the reason for his existence. He wants to be the sun and the sea, and to be the peace that is found in having that person in his life.

Overall, the lyrics create a dreamy and romantic image of life on the beach, celebrating the natural beauty of the world and the joy that comes with love.

Line by Line Meaning

Onda que vai, onda que vem
The ebb and flow of the waves in the sea

Sol de um verão que é meu também
The sunshine of a summer that belongs to me too

Praia em redor de mim, feliz
A beach that surrounds me, making me happy

Ilha de amor que eu mesmo fiz
An island of love that I created myself

Gente que vem viver o amor
People who come to live love

Nessa amplidão de luz e cor
In this vastness of light and color

Paz de um moreno sem pretensão
The peace of a humble and unassuming person

Que deita o amor e espera o céu
Who gives love and waits for the sky

Gente que ri sem ver porquê
People who laugh without knowing why

Canta o cantar que o mar cantou
Singing the song that the sea sang

Sonha e se esvai, vivendo Deus
Dreams and fades away, living like a god