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.
Mangueira
Seu Jorge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ninguém chora, não há tristeza
Ninguém sente o dessabor
Vem aqui pra gente se encontrar
A vista é boa
E você tem que conhecer
E não tem com que se preocupar
Já botei cerveja no congelador
E liguei o fogo do feijão
Só estou esperando você chegar
Quero ver se tem coragem
De subir a famosa Mangueira
Samba na quadra
Melhor parada da cidade
Mangueira
Eu me amarro
Não moro lá
Mas considero a Mangueira
Mangueira melhor parada da cidade
É a Mangueira, Mangueira
The lyrics to Seu Jorge's song "Mangueira" describe the beauty and joy of the Mangueira community, located on a hill in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The first stanza celebrates the dawn on the hill as a symbol of the pure and joyful atmosphere of the Mangueira community, where there is no sadness or bitterness. The chorus of the song calls for the listener to come and experience the beauty of the view from the hill and to meet the friendly and relaxed "malandros" (a term used to describe streetwise types) who are waiting with cold beer and a hot pot of beans to share. The second stanza praises the famous Mangueira samba school and its vibrant atmosphere.
The lyrics draw attention to the fact that Mangueira is a place where people come together to celebrate life despite poverty and other adversities, and where the sense of community and pride is very strong. The use of the word "malandragem" also reveals a certain sense of defiance and resistance against social norms and expectations.
Overall, "Mangueira" is a tribute to a unique and special community that embodies the spirit of Brazil and its love for music, dance, and socializing.
Line by Line Meaning
Alvorada lá no morro que beleza
There's a beautiful sunrise on the hill
Ninguém chora, não há tristeza
Nobody cries, there's no sadness
Ninguém sente o dessabor
Nobody feels the bitterness
Vem aqui pra gente se encontrar
Come here so we can meet
A vista é boa
The view is good
E você tem que conhecer
And you have to see it for yourself
E não tem com que se preocupar
And you don't have to worry about anything
A malandragem 'tá ligado em você
The street smarts are looking out for you
Já botei cerveja no congelador
I already put the beer in the freezer
E liguei o fogo do feijão
And I turned on the stove for the beans
Só estou esperando você chegar
I'm just waiting for you to arrive
Quero ver se tem coragem
I want to see if you're brave enough
De subir a famosa Mangueira
To climb the famous Mangueira hill
Samba na quadra
Samba in the courtyard
Melhor parada da cidade
The best spot in the city
Mangueira
Mangueira
Eu me amarro
I love it
Não moro lá
I don't live there
Mas considero a Mangueira
But I consider Mangueira
Mangueira melhor parada da cidade
Mangueira, the best spot in the city
É a Mangueira, Mangueira
It's Mangueira, Mangueira
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Rildo Alexandre Barreto Da Hora, Sergio Cabral Santos, Jorge Mario Da Silva, Herminio Bello De Carvalho, Agenor De Oliveira, Carlos Moreira De Castro
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind