The band´s interesting name did not come about until journalist João Piment… Read Full Bio ↴The band´s interesting name did not come about until journalist João Pimentel, writing for Brazil´s top selling daily paper O Globo, made a reference in one of his articles to the group of musicians that played with Teresa Cristina every Saturday night at the bar Semente, placed in one of Rio´s most bohemian neighborhoods, Lapa. It was in 1998 that Bernardo, João, Pedrinho, Ricardo Cotrim (no longer a member of Semente) and other friends, got together for the first time. Back then, Teresa was selecting repertoire for a tribute show she intended to put together in honor of Brazilian music virtuoso Candeia, and handpicking the musicians. Bernardo, at the time a member of group Acorda Bamba, invited band mate Alexandre Bittencourt (who, in turn, invited other musician pals, including Pedrinho, João and Ricardo) to Teresa´s 30th birthday party. That was when the invitation was formalized and well accepted, prompting a routine of meetings between Teresa and the guys to rehearse Candeia´s repertoire, though, in the end, the show never made it to the stage. Still in that year, Teresa and the boys played together for the first time at a show celebrating the International Women´s Day at the Planetário da Gávea theatre. Their premiere on the pulsating night of Lapa, one of Rio de Janeiro´s musical cribs, took place right after this, when Teresa and the group were invited by a certain well known character "Seu Guaracy", of Portela Samba School, to launch the new night music program at local bar Semente, known as a health food place, up until then. It worked out so well that soon Teresa Cristina and Grupo Semente were being called the "rescuers of Lapa´s night life", that had been going down since the eighties. After becoming a hit band playing at Semente, Teresa and the guys went on to perform at other venues in Lapa, such as carioca da Gema and Centro Cultural Carioca, for an ever growing audience. Media recognition came with the release of the first album, a double tribute to Brazilian idol Paulinho da Viola´s 60th birthday, which won Teresa a couple of awards - "Prêmio Rival BR" and "Prêmio Tim"- as "Best New Artist", and a "Best Samba Album" nomination at the 2003 Latin Grammy´s. After that, many were the invitations that took Teresa and Semente all over Brasil and even to Japan, showing the world all the beauty of the good genuine Brazilian music. In 2004, Teresa, Bernardo, Pedrinho and João welcomed Mestre Trambique, coming to replace Ricardo Cotrim, who was leaving the band, and they went in the studio once again to record the band´s second album "A Vida Me Fez Assim" ("Life has Made Me This Way"), which featured Teresa´s premiere as a songwriter. They gathered an excess of overwhelming reviews, and sold-out theatres on which they performed. On that same year, the band hit the road with the "Projeto Pixininguinha" tour, performing at the main cities of the Northeast of Brazil. In 2005, they performed at the "Brazilian Year" Celebrations in Paris, while recording their fist live CD and DVD, suitably titled: "O Mundo é Meu Lugar" ("The World is My Place").

Para Não Contrariar Você
Teresa Cristina Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Pra dizer que você fica mais bonita
Desse jeito ou daquele
Quem sou eu
Quem sou eu
Pra falar mal do seu gosto
Da pintura no seu rosto
Quem sou eu?
Não sou ninguém

Cada um trata de si
Seus olhos parecem dizer
Muito bem
Eu prefiro não falar
Para não contrariar você

Fico no meu samba
Se quiser pode ficar
Vou lá na Portela
Mesmo que você não vá
Não darei ouvidos
Se você me provocar
Mas aceito um beijo
Se você quiser me dar
Se você quiser me dar

Quem sou eu?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Para Não Contrariar Você by Teresa Cristina are reflective of the singer's perspective on beauty and individuality. The song speaks of not wanting to criticize someone's appearance or personal preferences, acknowledging that everyone is entitled to their choices. The opening lines "Pra dizer que você fica mais bonita / Desse jeito ou daquele / Quem sou eu / Quem sou eu" portray the idea that beauty is subjective and that no one person's opinion is more valid than another's.

The second paragraph speaks to the singer's independence and self-assurance. She talks about going to Portela, a well-known samba school in Rio de Janeiro, and not caring if the person she is addressing joins her or not. She continues by saying that she will not be swayed by any attempts to provoke her and that she is open to receiving a kiss should the person extend the offer.

Overall, the lyrics celebrate the importance of individuality and respect for personal choices. Teresa Cristina's smooth and soulful delivery adds to the emotional impact of the lyrics, conveying a sense of understanding and compassion.

Line by Line Meaning

Pra dizer que você fica mais bonita
To say that you look prettier

Desse jeito ou daquele
This way or that way

Quem sou eu
Who am I

Pra falar mal do seu gosto
To speak badly of your taste

Da pintura no seu rosto
Of the makeup on your face

Quem sou eu?
Who am I

Não sou ninguém
I am nobody

Cada um trata de si
Everyone looks after themselves

Seus olhos parecem dizer
Your eyes seem to say

Muito bem
Very well

Eu prefiro não falar
I prefer not to speak