The composer of bossa nova classics like "O Barquinho," "Ah, Se Eu Pudesse,… Read Full Bio ↴The composer of bossa nova classics like "O Barquinho," "Ah, Se Eu Pudesse," "Errinho à Tôa," "Nós e o Mar," "Rio," "Você," and "Vagamente," Roberto Menescal (Roberto Batalha Menescal - 10/25/1937 Vitória, ES) started his professional career in 1957 as Sylvia Telles' sideman (on guitar) in a tour around Brazil. In 1958, he opened a guitar school in Copacabana (Rio) with Carlos Lyra, having as his pupils Nara Leão and his sister Danuza Leão. In the same year, he formed, with Luís Carlos Vinhas, João Mário, Henrique, and Bebeto, the Conjunto Roberto Menescal, one of the first instrumental groups of bossa nova. The group accompanied Dorival Caymmi, Vinícius de Moraes, Billy Blanco, Maysa, and Telles. Also in 1958, he participated, with Telles, Carlos Lyra, and other artists, in a show at the Clube Hebraica (Rio), when the words "bossa nova" were used (inadvertently, by the club's secretary) for the first time to advertise the event. Having taken part with his group in the recording of Garotos da Bossa Nova in 1959, he participated in the I Festival de Samba Session at the Teatro de Arena theater of the School of Architecture at the State University of Rio de Janeiro. Such informal venues were important vehicles for bossa nova among the middle-class university people who were more inclined to absorb and disseminate it, and Menescal was instrumental for the promotion of such concerts in 1959, 1960, and 1961. Also in 1959, he had his first recorded composition, "Jura de Pombo" (with Ronaldo Bôscoli), by Alaíde Costa. His "O Barquinho" (with Ronaldo Bôscoli), a bossa nova classic, was simultaneously recorded by Maysa, Perry Ribeiro, and Paulinho Nogueira in 1960. In 1962, he accompanied Maysa in her Argentinean tour and, with Eumir Deodato's group, he performed in Marlene's program on TV Rio, having been hired for two years with his own group to back up artists on that TV station. In November 1962, he participated in the historic Bossa Nova Festival at Carnegie Hall in New York, NY, with Tom Jobim, Carlos Lyra, and others, interpreting "O Barquinho" in one of his few performances as a singer. From 1964 to 1968, he worked as an arranger and, invited by André Midani, he started to work as an independent producer and arranger at Polygram. In 1968, he accompanied Elis Regina in her performance at the MIDEM (International Phonographic Market and Music Publishers) in Cannes, France, and in her subsequent European tour, having been Regina's sideman until 1970, when he became Polygram's A&R. Already established as a major producer (having worked with Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Jorge Ben Jor, Gal Costa, Maria Bethânia, and many others), instrumentalist (as a session man he worked with Lúcio Alves, Maysa, Claudette Soares, Nara Leão, Jair Rodrigues, and Elis Regina), he had several compositions of his included in soundtracks of broadly popular TV soap operas and also wrote music for the cinema (Bye Bye Brasil, Joana Francesa, both by Cacá Diegues, and Vai Trabalhar Vagabundo, by Hugo Carvana). In 1985, having accompanied Nara Leão in performances in Brazil and abroad, he launched with her the LP Um Cantinho, Um Violão/Nara Leão e Roberto Menescal. In the next year, he abandoned his career in A&R and dedicated himself to his solo career. He has also been participating in jazz projects, among others with Joe Henderson. In 2001, he participated with Wanda Sá, Danilo Caymmi, and Marcos Valle in the Fare Festival (Pavia, Italy). Menescal also owns the label Albatroz, which released albums by Danilo Caymmi, Emílio Santiago, and others. - by Alvaro Neder - AllMusic

Corcovado
Roberto Menescal Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Um cantinho e um violão
Este amor, uma canç�£o
Pra fazer feliz a quem se ama

Muita calma pra pensar
E ter tempo pra sonhar

Da janela vê-se o Corcovado

O Redentor que lindo

Quero a vida sempre assim com você perto de mim
Até o apagar da velha chama

E eu que era triste
Descrente deste mundo
Ao encontrar você eu conheci
O que é felicidade meu amor

O que é felicidade, o que é felicidade

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Roberto Menescal's song Corcovado are a beautiful expression of love, contentment, and appreciation for the simple pleasures of life. The singer describes a peaceful moment, sitting in a corner with a guitar, singing and playing music to make the one he loves happy. He emphasizes the importance of calmness and time for dreaming and reflecting, suggesting that these are the necessary ingredients for an enduring love. The view outside the window is of Corcovado, the peak in Rio de Janeiro with the iconic statue of Jesus Christ at the top. The singer points out the beauty of the sight, adding to the tranquil and happy mood of the song.

The song continues with the singer declaring his desire to always live this way, with his loved one close by, until their love fades away. He admits to previously being unhappy and disillusioned with the world, but upon meeting his partner, he has discovered what true happiness is. The final lines of the song ask the question, "what is happiness?" as if acknowledging the concept is difficult to define or contain within words.

Overall, Corcovado is a tribute to love, peace, and simple pleasures. The imagery of a calm evening with a guitar and a beautiful view outside the window creates a serene atmosphere that emphasizes the importance of things such as music, calmness, and relationships.

Line by Line Meaning

Um cantinho e um violão
A simple place and a guitar

Este amor, uma canção
This love, a song

Pra fazer feliz a quem se ama
To make whom you love happy

Muita calma pra pensar
A lot of calm to think

E ter tempo pra sonhar
And have time to dream

Da janela vê-se o Corcovado
From the window you can see Corcovado

O Redentor que lindo
The Redeemer, how beautiful

Quero a vida sempre assim com você perto de mim
I want life to always be like this, with you near me

Até o apagar da velha chama
Until the old flame goes out

E eu que era triste
And I, who was sad

Descrente deste mundo
Disbelieved in this world

Ao encontrar você eu conheci
Upon finding you, I learned

O que é felicidade meu amor
What happiness is, my love

O que é felicidade, o que é felicidade
What happiness is, what happiness is

Writer(s): Giorgio Calabrese, Antonio Carlos Jobim Copyright: Universal Music Publishing Ricordi S.r.l., Duchess Music Corp.

Contributed by Daniel S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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