Quarteto em Cy (Quartet in Cy) is a MPB Brazilian vocal quartet originally … Read Full Bio ↴Quarteto em Cy (Quartet in Cy) is a MPB Brazilian vocal quartet originally composed of four sisters hailing from Ibirataia, a town located in the Brazilian state of Bahia: Cybele, Cylene, Cynara and Cyva – their real first names. The group name was given by poet and lyricist Vinicius de Moraes (a joke about the fact that the first names of the four sisters begin with "Cy"). They're considered the greatest Brazilian female vocal quartet, in addition to being the oldest.

Noted for the extraordinary precision of the vocalists' intonation and delivery, the quartet performed and recorded with almost every single major Brazilian artist of the '60s and '70s; their popularity exceeded and still exceeds the borders of their native country. They met with great success in America in the mid-sixties, and have a considerable following in Japan, where they still tour regularly.

They started performing in 1959, appearing on local television in that year. Cyva, the leader of the group, then moved to Rio de Janeiro, and persuaded her three sisters to join her there. They then started to make regular appearances in the boates (small nightclubs) of Rio, particularly Bottle's bar and the legendary Zum-Zum, where they caught the attention of Vinicius de Moraes and other prominent figures of the bossa nova scene. Their first album was released in 1964, and was to be followed by regular releases up to the late '90s, at the frequency of one a year, and sometimes more.

In the late 1960s, the group achieved international success under the title The Girls from Bahia, having undergone changes in its original composition. The first modification happened in 1966, when the youngest sister, Cylene, left the group to marry, getting replaced by Regina Werneck. Later, sisters Cynara and Cybele left the group to form a brief succesful duo that won, in 1968, the III Festival Internacional da Canção. Both got replaced by Sonia Ferreira and Semíramis Rubim, remaining only Cyva from the original formation, but despite the success of the duo, Cynara decided to rejoin the Quartet in the place of Semíramis. After a brief hiatus, the group resumed its activities in 1972 with the singers Cyva, Cynara, Sonia, and recently added member Dorinha Tapajós (replacing Regina). In 1980 Dorinha left for health reasons and was replaced by Cybele, who remained in the group until 2013 and was replaced by Keyla Fogaça, by her own indication. On 21 August 2014, at the age of 74, Cybele died of a lung ischemia at her home in Rio de Janeiro. Since then, after periods of work, Sonia and Keyla left the quartet, adding Corina Viana into the group.

The group's voices have transited through notable Brazilian music composers such as Vinícius de Moraes, Toquinho, Dorival Caymmi, Chico Buarque, Tom Jobim and many others. Their phonographic recordings have been released on more than 30 records - both in Brazil and abroad. With a solid and unwavering career for fifty years, Quarteto em Cy remains one of the most remarkable and expressive vocal groups in the history of MPB.

Samba do Carioca
Quarteto Em Cy Lyrics

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Tinha cá pra mim
Que agora sim
Eu vivia enfim o grande amor
Mentira
Me atirei assim
De trampolim
Fui até o fim um amador
Passava um verão

A água e pão
Dava o meu quinhão pro grande amor
Mentira
Eu botava a mão
No fogo então
Com meu coração de fiador

Hoje eu tenho apenas uma pedra no meu peito
Exijo respeito, não sou mais um sonhador
Chego a mudar de calçada
Quando aparece uma flor
E dou risada do grande amor
Mentira

Fui muito fiel
Comprei anel
Botei no papel o grande amor
Mentira
Reservei hotel
Sarapatel
E lua-de-mel em Salvador
Fui rezar na Sé
Pra São José
Que eu levava fé no grande amor
Mentira
Fiz promessa até
Pra Oxumaré
De subir a pé o Redentor

Hoje eu tenho apenas uma pedra no meu peito
Exijo respeito, não sou mais um sonhador
Chego a mudar de calçada
Quando aparece uma flor

E dou risada do grande amor
Mentira

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Quarteto Em Cy's song "Samba do Grande Amor" touch upon the theme of unrequited love and the disillusionment that one feels after investing so much into a romantic relationship that fails to materialize. The singer initially believed that they had finally found the grande amor (great love) they had been waiting for, but it turns out that it was all a lie. They threw themselves into the relationship with reckless abandon, but now they feel foolish for having been so naive. In the second verse, the singer claims to have a "stone" in their chest, implying that they are incapable of feeling anything anymore. They demand respect and insist that they are no longer a "dreamer" who gets carried away by their emotions. When they see a flower, which is often associated with love, they laugh at the notion of grande amor. While they once believed in the power of love and made grand promises to their partner, they now recognize that it was all a sham.

The song captures the pain of having one's heart broken and the sense of betrayal that comes with realizing that you have been lied to. It also touches on the idea that love can be a fleeting and fickle thing, which can ultimately serve to disillusion people. The notion of being a dreamer versus a realist is another theme that is explored in the lyrics. The singer seems to have transitioned from being someone who believed in fairy tale endings to someone who is more grounded in reality.

Line by Line Meaning

Tinha cá pra mim
I had this feeling

Que agora sim
That finally, now

Eu vivia enfim o grande amor
I was living the great love

Mentira
A lie

Me atirei assim
I threw myself in

De trampolim
Off a diving board

Fui até o fim um amador
I went all the way as an amateur

Passava um verão
I spent a summer

A água e pão
On water and bread

Dava o meu quinhão pro grande amor
I gave my share to the great love

Mentira
A lie