Seu Jorge has gained exposure through his work as an actor and soundtrack composer. He appeared in the critically acclaimed 2002 film City of God as Mané Galinha, directed by filmmakers Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund, and then played Pelé dos Santos in Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, for which he provided much of the soundtrack in the form of Portuguese language cover versions of David Bowie classics. Bowie later went on to say about his cover album, The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions, that "had Seu Jorge not recorded my songs in Portuguese I would never have heard this new level of beauty which he has imbued them with".
In June 2006, he performed at Bonnaroo music festival in Manchester, Tennessee and at the Festival Sudoeste TMN in Portugal. He has also performed in 2006 at the Bluesfest in Ottawa, Ontario and performed at the Harbourfront in Toronto, Ontario. Jorge's performances are known for their excitement as well as for getting the crowd moving. In January 2010 he performed with Thievery Corporation at the Austin City Limits.
His album 'América Brasil' had a limited Brazilian release in 2007 under his label Cafuné Gravadora, distributed in the UK by Proper Music Distribution. In May 2010, Now-Again Records announced that Jorge's new album, Seu Jorge & Almaz, a collaboration with drummer Pupillo and guitarist Lucio Maia from Nação Zumbi and bassist and composer Antonio Pinto would be released in North America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand on July 27 and in Europe on September 14. The album has been described as "how powerful Brazilian soul music can be".
In 2011, he collaborated with Beck on the Mario C. remix of "Tropicália" for the Red Hot Organization's most recent charitable album Red Hot+Rio 2.
In 2012, he collaborated with American fashion designer Rachel Roy on a line of sportswear, footwear, jewelry and handbags.
In 2015, he was nominated for the 16th Latin Grammy Awards in the Best Brazilian Contemporary Pop Album category.
On September 8, he performed after lighting the cauldron in the 2016 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro.
According to a DNA test, Seu Jorge is 85.1% African, 12.9% European and 2% Amerindian. He belongs to haplogroup R1b, suggesting that his paternal lineage probably derives from Western Europe.
Eu Sou O Samba
Seu Jorge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hoje você vai ser minha
Esse corpo me pertence
Eu vou pegar você (2x)
Eu cheguei chegando
Tô cheio de rima
Na boca do povo
Não faz isso não neguinha
Que eu me perco todo
Meu pandeiro quebra
Meu cavaco chora
E eu fico louco
Louco pra te ver mexer
E descer até o chão
Abre a roda pra geral
Bate na palma da mão
Já dançaram funk aí
Agora é a minha vez
Com surdo, cuíca, tamborim, repique
Eu vou pegar você
Eu sou o samba
Tenho certeza que você vai se amarrar
Eu sou o samba
Tenho certeza que você vai se entregar pra mim
Seu Jorge's "Eu Sou o Samba" is an upbeat and lively song that celebrates the spirit of samba music. The opening lines of "Coisa linda, muito prazer/Hoje você vai ser minha/Esse corpo me pertence/Eu vou pegar você" set the tone for the song, as the singer confidently claims ownership of their partner's body and declares their intention to dance with them. The singer is clearly in love with samba and sees it as the perfect way to express their passion for their partner.
The song is filled with musical references to samba, including mentions of a variety of instruments such as the pandeiro, cavaco, surdo, cuíca, tamborim, and repique. The lyrics also urge the listener to dance along and enjoy the music, with lines like "Abre a roda pra geral/Bate na palma da mão" encouraging a communal dance experience. The singer is clearly a seasoned samba musician, as they confidently assert their dominance in the musical world: "Eu sou o samba/Tenho certeza que você vai se amarrar/Eu sou o samba/Tenho certeza que você vai se entregar pra mim." In this context, samba is not just a genre of music, but a way of life and a deeply ingrained part of the Brazilian cultural identity.
Line by Line Meaning
Coisa linda, muito prazer
Beautiful thing, nice to meet you
Hoje você vai ser minha
Today you will be mine
Esse corpo me pertence
This body belongs to me
Eu vou pegar você (2x)
I'm gonna catch you
Eu cheguei chegando
I arrived dazzling
Tô cheio de rima
I'm full of rhymes
Na boca do povo
On everyone's lips
Em qualquer esquina
On any corner
Não faz isso não neguinha
Don't do that, honey
Que eu me perco todo
I lose myself completely
Meu pandeiro quebra
My tambourine breaks
Meu cavaco chora
My cavaco cries
E eu fico louco
And I go crazy
Louco pra te ver mexer
Crazy to see you move
E descer até o chão
And go down to the ground
Abre a roda pra geral
Open the circle for everyone
Bate na palma da mão
Clap your hands
Já dançaram funk aí
You already danced funk here
Agora é a minha vez
Now it's my turn
Com surdo, cuíca, tamborim, repique
With surdo, cuíca, tamborim, repique
Eu vou pegar você
I'm gonna catch you
Eu sou o samba
I am the samba
Tenho certeza que você vai se amarrar
I'm sure you'll love it
Tenho certeza que você vai se entregar pra mim
I'm sure you'll surrender to me
Contributed by Owen I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.