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.
Ziggy Stardust
Seu Jorge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Eu não vi o seu filme
Não sou de jogar
Não bebo em pé
Não frenquento barra
Assim me sinto bem
Não devo a ninguém
Vou ficar com meu time
Não vou misturar
Cachaça e café
Só pra te agradar
Assim me sinto bem
Não devo a ninguém
Meu instinto não falha
Nega abaixa essa saia ia ia ia
Gente assim se atrapalha
Eu já quase morri de fome
Mas hoje estou bem
Eu não sei pintar
Eu não vi o seu filme
Não sou de jogar
Não bebo em pé
Não frenquento barra
Assim me sinto bem
Não devo a ninguém
Eu não vou mudar
Vou ficar com meu time
Não vou misturar
Cachaça e café
Só pra te agradar
Assim me sinto bem
Não devo a ninguém
Meu instinto não falha
Nega abaixa essa saia ia ia ia
Gente assim se atrapalha
Eu já quase morri de fome
Mas hoje estou bem
Eu só sei tocar guitar
Seu Jorge's song "Ziggy Stardust" is a cover of David Bowie's classic song about an androgynous rock star who comes to Earth as a messenger of hope to the youth. In Seu Jorge's version, the lyrics have been translated into Portuguese and the song has a distinct Brazilian samba feel. The lyrics talk about how the singer doesn't feel the need to conform to society's expectations of him. He doesn't know how to paint, he hasn't seen the movie, he's not into drinking or going out to bars. He's happy with his own choices and doesn't owe anyone an explanation for it. He is content to just play his guitar and be himself, and he urges others to do the same.
The opening lines, "Eu não sei pintar, eu não vi o seu filme" ("I don't know how to paint, I haven't seen your movie"), can be interpreted as a rejection of the idea that someone needs to be cultured or knowledgeable about certain things in order to be considered successful or interesting. The rest of the lyrics build on this theme of individuality and self-acceptance, as the singer asserts that he doesn't have to change or compromise to please anyone else. The repetition of the phrase "assim me sinto bem" ("this is how I feel good") emphasizes this idea.
Overall, the message of "Ziggy Stardust" is one of embracing one's own identity and not feeling pressured to conform to society's expectations. In Seu Jorge's version, the song takes on a distinctly Brazilian flair with its samba rhythms and Portuguese lyrics, but the sentiment remains universal.
Line by Line Meaning
Eu não sei pintar
I don't know how to paint
Eu não vi o seu filme
I haven't seen your movie
Não sou de jogar
I'm not a gambler
Não bebo em pé
I don't drink standing up
Não frequento barra
I don't go to bars
Assim me sinto bem
That's how I feel good
Não devo a ninguém
I don't owe anyone
E eu não vou mudar
And I'm not gonna change
Vou ficar com meu time
I'm gonna stick with my team
Não vou misturar
I'm not gonna mix
Cachaça e café
Cachaça and coffee
Só pra te agradar
Just to please you
Meu instinto não falha
My instinct doesn't fail
Nega abaixa essa saia ia ia ia
Girl, lower that skirt (ia ia ia)
Gente assim se atrapalha
People get in trouble like that
Eu já quase morri de fome
I almost died of hunger
Mas hoje estou bem
But today I'm good
Eu só sei tocar guitar
I only know how to play guitar
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVID BOWIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Pierry Gomes
Translation:
I don’t now to paint
I didn’t saw your movie
I don’t like playing
I don’t drink standing
I don’t go to “Barra”¹
That’s how I fell good
I don’t owe anyone
and I won’t change
I’m going stay with my team
I won’t mix
Cachaça² and coffee
Just to please you
That’s how I fell good
I don’t owe anyone
My instinct doesn’t fail
“nega”³ put that skirt down
People like this gets all confused
I’ve almost starved to death
but today, I’m okay
(Repeat 2x)
I only know how to play guitar…
Notes:
I imagine it's a place in Rio called “Barra da Tijuca”.
Chacaça It’s a typical alcoholic beverage from Brazil. Made of a common vegetable, and used to blend with ice, sugar and lemon, to become the famous “Caipirinha”.
“Nega” Is a kind and loving way of calling a girl, afro-descendant. Some people may think that’s racist, but some not.
And I’m sorry for the translation. May content errors and mistakes. Again, I’m SORRY!
Ana Carolina
Ziggy Stardust
Eu não sei pintar
Eu não vi o seu filme
Não sou de jogar
Não bebo em pé
Não frenquento barra
Assim me sinto bem
Não devo a ninguém
E eu não vou mudar
Vou ficar com meu time
Não vou misturar
Cachaça e café
Só pra te agradar
Assim me sinto bem
Não devo a ninguém
Meu instinto não falha
Nega abaixa essa saia ia ia ia
Gente assim se atrapalha
Eu já quase morri de fome
Mas hoje estou bem
Eu não sei pintar
Eu não vi o seu filme
Não sou de jogar
Não bebo em pé
Não frenquento barra
Assim me sinto bem
Não devo a ninguém
Eu não vou mudar
Vou ficar…
mygumbyhurts
Bowie actually said "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" on the covers, so yeah, I think it's fair to say he liked them.
Felipe Games1000
@Rich Clavey yeah, but it still wrong, he should give them the credits for the version
Rich Clavey
@Felipe Games1000 Assuming the truth of this statement: Yeah, but Seu got it out to us.
Felipe Games1000
Seu jorge stole Starman version from a brazilian band called Nenhum de Nos.
Atenção Chegou Chatuba
Br é muito pau no cu mesmo né? A versão ficou ótima cara, inclusive o próprio David Bowie falou muito bem da versão, todo americano que vem ver curte também, só quem xinga é br pq "se for br é pior"... Você pode não ter gostado, mas não fala que ficou ruim não pq qualidade é diferente de opinião!
Uma brasileira na Suécia
Ele foi ovacionado em Estocolmo - Suécia 🙏👏🏿😍
CPD0123a
The World Cafe played this tonight. Awesome hearing it in a different language. Bowie's so amazing, you don't even have to understand the lyrics to understand how awesome the song is.
Sodapop Shadow
That's the way of music. Can do anything to the feelings without understanding an language. 💖
Ikki Son
Mano, isso é totalmente inacreditável pra mim kkkkkkkkkk, Gosto dos dois, descobri que isso existia agora kkkkkkkkkkkkk
Lucas de Carvalho
Esse disco é uma das melhores coisas que já ouvi!