Rita Lee Jones de Carvalho was born in São Paulo, Brazil, on December 31, 1… Read Full Bio ↴Rita Lee Jones de Carvalho was born in São Paulo, Brazil, on December 31, 1947, and passed away in her hometown on May 8, 2023. Best known as Rita Lee, was a Brazilian MPB singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, actress, writer, TV host and animals rights activist of American and Italian descent, being regarded as the "Queen of Brazilian Rock".

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.

Menino De Braçanã
Rita Lee Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

É tarde, eu já vou indo
Preciso ir embora
'Té amanhã
Mamãe quando eu saí disse
"Bichinho, não demora em Braçanã"

Se eu demoro mamãezinha tá a me esperar
Pra me castigar

'Tá doido, moço, num faço isso não
Vou m'imbora, vou sem medo dessa escuridão
Quem anda com Deus não tem medo de assombração
E eu ando com Jesus Cristo no meu coração

Ai, ai
Lá, lá, lá, lá, lá, lá, ai, ai

Lá, lá, lá, lá, lá, lá, lá, lá, lá, lá, lá
Lá, lá, lá, lá, lá, lá

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Rita Lee's song "Menino De Braçanã" tell the story of a young boy who needs to leave his hometown of Braçanã and head home before it's too late. His mother warns him not to delay his departure, and if he does, she'll be waiting to reprimand him. However, the boy is brave and unafraid of the darkness as he walks home, with the knowledge that he is walking with God and has Jesus in his heart. The song is a beautiful representation of a child's sense of innocence and faith, as well as the strength that comes from having a divine presence in their life.

Throughout the song, the boy's faith and trust in God shine through. He knows that he is not alone in his journey and that God is always with him, protecting him from any harm. This message of faith and hope is emphasized by the repeated refrain of "Ai, ai/Lá, lá, lá, lá, lá, lá, ai, ai/Lá, lá, lá, lá, lá, lá, lá, lá, lá, lá, lá/Lá, lá, lá, lá, lá, lá," which creates a sense of comfort and reassurance, reinforcing the idea that the boy is not alone.

Overall, "Menino De Braçanã" is a powerful and touching song that speaks to the unwavering faith of a child and highlights the importance of having faith in something greater than oneself.

Line by Line Meaning

É tarde, eu já vou indo
It's late, I have to leave

Preciso ir embora
I need to go away

'Té amanhã
Until tomorrow

Mamãe quando eu saí disse
Mom said when I left

"Bichinho, não demora em Braçanã"
"Little one, don't take too long in Braçanã"

Se eu demoro mamãezinha tá a me esperar
If I take too long, mommy will be waiting for me

Pra me castigar
To punish me

'Tá doido, moço, num faço isso não
"Are you crazy, man? I won't do that"

Vou m'imbora, vou sem medo dessa escuridão
I'm leaving, I'm not afraid of this darkness

Quem anda com Deus não tem medo de assombração
"Who walks with God is not afraid of ghosts"

E eu ando com Jesus Cristo no meu coração
"And I walk with Jesus Christ in my heart"