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.
Hulla-Hulla
Rita Lee Lyrics
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Num ponto qualquer do Pacific Ocean
Lá um dia desceram estranhos seres extraterrenos
Que modificaram toda a natureza do lugar
Hulla-hulla, vamos pra lá
Coca-Cola no coco dá
Hulla-Hulla, vamos dançar
Lá as seringueiras crescem ainda mais alto
E produzem uma saborosa goma que os jovens mascam
Ao ritmo da nova dança
Que os estranhos seres ensinaram
Chiclet, chiclet vamos mascar
Hulla-Rock, vamos dançar
É gostoso se balançar
Com o povo bonito de lá
E graças aos estranhos seres
As frutas já nascem em sorvetes
E as aves brilhantes que trouxeram
Transportam o povo em seus ventres
E de suas janelas pode-se contemplar todo o paraíso
Boeing-Boeing, vamos voar
Lá de cima vamos olhar
Todo o povo a nos acenar
Mas nós vamos voltar
Hulla-hulla, vamos pra lá
Coca-Cola no côco dá
Hulla-Hulla, vamos mascar
Com o povo bonito de lá
The song "Hulla-Hulla" by Rita Lee describes a mythical island located somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, where strange extraterrestrial beings have landed and have made changes to the environment, making it a paradise. The singer is excited to visit this island, where the tall rubber trees produce delicious gum that the locals chew while dancing to the new rhythms introduced by the extraterrestrial beings.
The chorus of the song, "Hulla-hulla, vamos pra lá" (let's go to the Hulla-Hulla) is a rallying cry for the listener to join in the journey to this fantastical place. The verses are filled with descriptions of the bountiful nature of the island, where fruits grow into ice creams and people can fly on the backs of shiny birds. It is an idyllic and joyful place, where both food and music abound.
The song can be read as a metaphor for escapism, as the island is an idealized place to escape from reality. It is a place where the singer and listener can forget their worries and be carried away by the upbeat rhythms and whimsical imagery. At the same time, it is a playful poke at consumerist culture, where even Coca-Cola is imagined as being made from coconuts on this magical island.
Line by Line Meaning
Estou indo para uma ilha
I am going to an island
Num ponto qualquer do Pacific Ocean
At some point in the Pacific Ocean
Lá um dia desceram estranhos seres extraterrenos
One day, strange extraterrestrial beings descended there
Que modificaram toda a natureza do lugar
They changed the whole nature of the place
Hulla-hulla, vamos pra lá
Hulla-hulla, let's go there
Coca-Cola no coco dá
Coca-Cola in a coconut is a thing
Hulla-Hulla, vamos dançar
Hulla-Hulla, let's dance
Com o povo bonito de lá
With the beautiful people there
Lá as seringueiras crescem ainda mais alto
There, the rubber trees grow even higher
E produzem uma saborosa goma que os jovens mascam
And produce a tasty gum that young people chew
Ao ritmo da nova dança
To the rhythm of the new dance
Que os estranhos seres ensinaram
That the strange beings taught
Chiclet, chiclet vamos mascar
Chew gum, let's chew gum
Hulla-Rock, vamos dançar
Hulla-Rock, let's dance
É gostoso se balançar
It's nice to sway
Com o povo bonito de lá
With the beautiful people there
E graças aos estranhos seres
And thanks to the strange beings
As frutas já nascem em sorvetes
Fruits already come in ice cream
E as aves brilhantes que trouxeram
And the bright birds they brought
Transportam o povo em seus ventres
Transport the people in their bellies
E de suas janelas pode-se contemplar todo o paraíso
And from their windows, one can contemplate the whole paradise
Boeing-Boeing, vamos voar
Boeing-Boeing, let's fly
Lá de cima vamos olhar
From up there, we'll look
Todo o povo a nos acenar
All the people waving at us
Mas nós vamos voltar
But we'll come back
Hulla-hulla, vamos pra lá
Hulla-hulla, let's go there
Coca-Cola no côco dá
Coca-Cola in a coconut is a thing
Hulla-Hulla, vamos mascar
Hulla-Hulla, let's chew gum
Com o povo bonito de lá
With the beautiful people there
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ELCIO DECARIO, RITA CARVALHO, RITA LEE JONES CARVALHO, RITA LEE JONES DE CARVALHO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind