Jorge Mário da Silva, known by his stage name Seu Jorge, is a Brazilian mus… Read Full Bio ↴Jorge Mário da Silva, known by his stage name Seu Jorge, is a Brazilian musical artist, songwriter and actor. He is considered by many a renewer of Brazilian pop samba. Seu Jorge cites samba schools and soul singer Stevie Wonder as major musical influences. Jorge is also known for his film roles as Mané Galinha in the 2002 film City of God and as Pelé dos Santos in the 2004 film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. His musical work has received praise from many of his fellow musicians including Beck and David Bowie.

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.

Fiore de la Città
Seu Jorge Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Nel mio cuore lo sguardo del mio amore fa
Una grazia che è nata dal tuo modo di amare
Un sorriso negli occhi, un alito di fiore
E le labbre bagnate di celo, con sapore di vino
Nel deserto umano, nuvola di sogno su di me

Nel tuo corpo io voglio viaggiare e perdermi
Dopo vado a esplorare i luoghi che incontrerò

Il tuo profumo guidando il mio tocco
Come un dotto
Le mie mani con te mescolate sono ballerine

In questo tuo mondo pieno
Che adesso posso avere

Overall Meaning

Seu Jorge's song Fiore de la Città is a heartfelt declaration of love that speaks about the intense emotions that one feels for their beloved. The song begins by describing how the gaze of the singer's lover brings a unique grace that is born from their way of loving. It is said to be a smile in the eyes, a breath of flower, and the lips wet with the taste of wine. These lines describe the overwhelming beauty of love, stating that even in the 'human desert,' the presence of love is like a dreamy cloud over the singer.

Later in the song, the singer expresses the desire to travel alongside their lover's body and get lost in it. This line symbolizes the need to be one with their beloved, to explore the world around them, and be guided by their smell. Then the singer proclaims himself a dancer with hands mixed with his love's touch. In their love's world, the singer feels whole, complete, and alive.

Overall, the song is about an unconditional love that takes the singer to a whole new level of existence. The song speaks of pure bliss, the kind that only love can bring - intoxicating, seductive, and life-changing.

Line by Line Meaning

Nel mio cuore lo sguardo del mio amore fa
In my heart, my love's gaze creates a grace that is born from your way of loving

Una grazia che è nata dal tuo modo di amare
A grace that is born from your way of loving

Un sorriso negli occhi, un alito di fiore
A smile in your eyes, a breath of flower

E le labbre bagnate di celo, con sapore di vino
And your lips soaked in heaven, with a taste of wine

Nel deserto umano, nuvola di sogno su di me
In the human desert, a dream cloud over me

Nel tuo corpo io voglio viaggiare e perdermi
In your body, I want to travel and lose myself

Dopo vado a esplorare i luoghi che incontrerò
Then, I'll go explore the places I'll encounter

Il tuo profumo guidando il mio tocco
Your scent guiding my touch

Come un dotto
Like a scholar

Le mie mani con te mescolate sono ballerine
My hands mixed with yours are like dancers

In questo tuo mondo pieno
In your full world