Rita helped to incorporate the rock revolution into the creative explosion of tropicalismo, formed the most celebrated Brazilian rock band in the world, Os Mutantes, and created solo songs with enormous popular appeal without losing her freedom and irreverence.
Former member of the group Os Mutantes (1966 — 1972) and leader of the band Tutti Frutti (1973 — 1978), Lee participated in important revolutions in the world of music and society, such as the Tropicália movement during the Brazilian dictatorship, which led her to be the artist with the most censored songs in Brazil during that period. Her songs, usually watered with an acid irony or with a claim for female independence and sexual topics, became ubiquitous in the charts. The album, Fruto Proibido (1975), released together with the band Tutti Frutti, is commonly seen as a fundamental milestone in the history of Brazilian rock, considered by some as her masterpiece.
In 1976, Lee began a romantic relationship with guitarist Roberto de Carvalho and since then he has been the partner on most of her songs and accompanied her in all her live performances. They had three children, including Beto Lee, also a guitarist, who accompanies his parents in concerts. With a career that has reached 50 years, Rita Lee has gone from the musical innovation of the late 1960s and 1970s to the highly successful romantic ballads of the 1980s. In October 2008, Rolling Stone magazine promoted the List of the 100 Greatest Artists in Brazilian Music, where Rita Lee ranks 15th.
In 2001, Rita Lee won the Latin Grammy for Best Portuguese Language Rock Album with "3001". She would receive five more nominations for the award and in 2022, she was awarded the Musical Excellence award for her body of work. In 2012, she announced that she would retire from performing live due to physical frailty. "I retire from shows, but never from music," she wrote on Twitter.
She was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2021 and had been undergoing treatment for the disease. She passed away in her hometown of São Paulo at the age of 75 on May 8, 2023.
Bwana
Rita Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Me chama que eu vou
Sou tua mulher robô
Teleguiada pela paixonite
Que não tem cura
Que não tem culpa
Pela volúpia
Bwana Bwana
Teu desejo é uma ordem
Te satisfazer
É o meu prazer
Que não tem jeito
O meu defeito
É não saber parar
Volúpia!
Adeus sarjeta
Bwana me salvou
Não quero gorjeta
Faço tudo por amor
Ah! Ah! Ah!
Adeus sarjeta
Bwana me salvou
Não quero gorjeta
Faço tudo por
Faço tudo
Faço tudo por amor
Ah! Ah! Ah!
Uh! Uh! Uh!
Ah! Ah! Uh!
Ah! Ah! Uh!
Bwana Bwana
Não sei cozinhar
Mas sou carinhosa
E tenho talento
Prá boemia
Corre sangria
Nas minhas veias
Volúpia!
Adeus sarjeta
Bwana me salvou
Não quero gorjeta
Faço tudo por amor
Ah! Ah! Ah!
Adeus sarjeta
Bwana me salvou
Não quero gorjeta
Faço tudo por amor
Ah! Ah! Ah! Adeus!
Bwana me salvou
Não quero gorjeta
Faço tudo por
Faço tudo
Faço tudo por amor
Ah! Ah! Au!
The lyrics of Rita Lee's song "Bwana" tell the story of a robotic woman who is controlled by a man who she refers to as "Bwana." The woman is guided by an incurable desire for Bwana, who she obeys without question. She admits that her flaw is her inability to stop her desires, and that she is willing to do anything for Bwana, even though she admits her lack of cooking skills. However, she is grateful to Bwana because he has saved her from a life of poverty on the streets, where she wasn't able to make ends meet.
Interpreting the song's lyrics, Bwana has saved the woman from a difficult life and taken advantage of her vulnerable state. The song speaks to the idea of power dynamics in relationships and how manipulation and control can prevent someone from being able to make rational decisions. The lyrics seem to suggest a sort of Stockholm Syndrome, where the woman is grateful to Bwana in spite of his treatment of her.
Line by Line Meaning
Bwana Bwana
The person addressed as Bwana is the center of the song.
Me chama que eu vou
Call me, Bwana, and I'll come. The singer is always ready to please Bwana.
Sou tua mulher robô
The singer is completely devoted to Bwana, almost like a robot.
Teleguiada pela paixonite
The singer is guided by the love she feels for Bwana, unable to resist him.
Que não tem cura
The singer's love for Bwana is so strong that it cannot be cured.
Que não tem culpa
The singer feels no guilt for her intense feelings towards Bwana.
Pela volúpia
The singer's love for Bwana is driven by passion and desire.
Volúpia!
Passion and desire are strong themes throughout the song.
Teu desejo é uma ordem
Bwana's desires are commands that the singer is eager to follow.
Te satisfazer
The singer's goal is to please Bwana at all costs.
É o meu prazer
The singer finds pleasure in satisfying Bwana's desires.
Que não tem jeito
There is no way to change the singer's devotion to Bwana.
O meu defeito
The singer's flaw is her inability to resist Bwana's charms.
É não saber parar
The singer cannot stop herself from fulfilling Bwana's desires.
Adeus sarjeta
The singer is leaving behind a life of poverty, thanks to Bwana's help.
Bwana me salvou
Bwana saved the singer from her former life of destitution.
Não quero gorjeta
The singer does not want to be paid for her services to Bwana, as her love for him is payment enough.
Faço tudo por amor
The singer does everything for Bwana out of love, not for money.
Ah! Ah! Ah!
These repeated sounds represent the singer's pleasure and excitement throughout the song.
Não sei cozinhar
The singer is not a skilled cook.
Mas sou carinhosa
Despite her lack of cooking skills, the singer is affectionate and loving towards Bwana.
E tenho talento
The singer has a talent for the bohemian lifestyle that she shares with Bwana.
Prá boemia
The singer and Bwana enjoy a bohemian lifestyle together.
Corre sangria
The singer has wine, or sangria, flowing through her veins, adding to the passionate and sensual atmosphere of the song.
Nas minhas veias
The wine flows through the singer's veins, making her feel alive and passionate.
Ah! Ah! Au!
These sounds represent the singer's pleasure and excitement throughout the song, similar to the previous repeated sounds.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RITA CARVALHO, RITA LEE JONES CARVALHO, RITA LEE JONES DE CARVALHO, ROBERTO ZENOBIO AFFONSO DE CARVALHO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Luís Fernando Brasil
@Leitura do Tempo Douglas Pimentel Rapaz, acorda! Tome tino na vida! #PARTIU MILÃO!!! 🤷🏻♂️
😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😆😆
🤗
🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀
ARMI♥️
Bwana, Bwana
Me chama que eu vou
Sou tua mulher robô
Teleguiada pela paixonite
Que não tem cura
Que não tem culpa
Pela volúpia
Volúpia
Bwana, Bwana
Teu desejo é uma ordem
Te satisfazer
É o meu prazer
Que não tem jeito
O meu defeito
É não saber parar
Volúpia
Adeus sarjeta
Bwana me salvou
Não quero gorjeta
Faço tudo por amor
Ah, ah, ah
Adeus sarjeta (aleluia)
Bwana me salvou
Não quero gorjeta
Faço tudo por
Faço tudo
Faço tudo por amor
Bwana, Bwana
Não sei cozinhar
Mas sou carinhosa
E tenho talento
Pra boemia
Corre sangria nas minhas veias (aleluia)
Volúpia
Adeus sarjeta
Bwana me salvou
Não quero gorjeta
Faço tudo por amor
Ah, ah, ah
Adeus sarjeta
Bwana me salvou
Não quero gorjeta
Faço tudo por
Faço tudo
Faço tudo por amor
RHAFAEL AVELAR
Essa música me lembra quando cheguei em Belo Horizonte na época eu sem , Dinheiro morando de favor, passando humilhação , a noite pra , tira o vazio a angústia e a solidão ouvia a rádio no celular e sempre Tocava essa música, sem sabe o que seria da minha vida eu dormindo no chão época difícil mas quando ficava essa música na rádio eu me alegrava hoje melhorei de vida , graças a Deus e ouço essa música e como uma viagem no tempo , de dias difíceis anos difícil, , hoje sou empresário , tenho uma ótima família, pra um cara sem família sem ajuda de ninguém, chegar onde cheguei e difícil, e essa música sempre que ouço me leva a esse passado mas , me alegro em ouvi pois literalmente sair da sarjeta!
Diego Santana
Caraca
Cleonice Aparecida Bezerra Lima
Deus Ti abençoe infinitamente 🙌
Josephine Marie Nina
😍😍 é tão bom quando não esquecemos das nossas raízes.Parabéns que Deus continue te abençoando.
Cristine Buch
Que bacana,Deus te abençoe sempre
Nada dura para sempre ,depois da sarjeta vem abundância
Para aqueles que não perdem a esperança!
Buana Cavalcante
Meus pais escolheram meu nome por causa desta música. Tenho muito orgulho dele, pois admiro muito a rainha Rita Lee.
♥️BUANA♥️
ALBERTO MEIER
♥️
Meri Arruda
Que legal!!!!😍🥰
Terra Planinha da Silva Sauro
O seu nome é Senhor.... Senhor Cavalcante.... Bwana significa Senhor...
Monica Costa
Que bacana!!!O nome da minha filha foi por causa de Flagra!!!