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").

Portela
Teresa Cristina Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Portela
Já disseram que o teu manto
Pintadinho de azul e branco
Lembra as cores do céu

Se passas na avenida decidida
Trocas de sambar com a vida
És de tirar o chapéu

As cores que escolheste com vaidade
E exibes na cidade
Sempre chamando atenção

São cores que carregas na bandeira
Que ilumina a cachoeira
Da Virgem da Conceição

São cores que carregas na bandeira
Que ilumina a cachoeira
Da Virgem da Conceição

Cai véu de água pelo ar
Ai, Portela, o teu cantar
Faz brilhar a tua luz
Por isso vou levando
Com respeito

Duas cores no meu peito
Por amor a Oswaldo Cruz.

Overall Meaning

The song "Portela" by Teresa Cristina is an ode to the samba school of the same name located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The lyrics describe the colors of the school, blue and white, as representing the colors of the sky. The singer praises the determination of those who walk in the school's parade, exchanging steps with life itself. The colors chosen by the school are shown off with pride in the city, always drawing attention. The song speaks to the powerful heritage, symbolized by the colors of the school's banner that carries a light that illuminates the waterfall of the Virgin of Conception. The song ends with a declaration of love for the neighborhood of Oswaldo Cruz, where the samba school was founded, and for the two colors that are carried in the singer's heart out of respect for the school.

Line by Line Meaning

Já disseram que o teu manto
It has been said that your mantle

Pintadinho de azul e branco
Painted in blue and white

Lembra as cores do céu
Reminds us of the colors of the sky

Se passas na avenida decidida
If you walk down the avenue determined

Trocas de sambar com a vida
You exchange samba moves with life

És de tirar o chapéu
You deserve a round of applause

As cores que escolheste com vaidade
The colors you chose with pride

E exibes na cidade
And display them in the city

Sempre chamando atenção
Always attracting attention

São cores que carregas na bandeira
They are the colors you carry on your flag

Que ilumina a cachoeira
That illuminates the waterfall

Da Virgem da Conceição
Of the Virgin of Conception

Cai véu de água pelo ar
Curtains of water fall in the air

Ai, Portela, o teu cantar
Oh, Portela, your singing

Faz brilhar a tua luz
Makes your light shine

Por isso vou levando
That's why I carry

Com respeito
With respect

Duas cores no meu peito
Two colors on my chest

Por amor a Oswaldo Cruz.
Out of love for Oswaldo Cruz.

Contributed by Owen I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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TRACKS

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01Depois De Tanto Amor3:17

02Dona Joaninha2:55

03Na Aldeia5:38

04Coisas Banais

05Para Ver as Meninas3:32

06Vai com Deus3:39

07Tudo Se Transformou4:41

08Cafofo da Surica3:08

09Argumento2:41

10Marcha Das Flores3:01

11Swing Do Campo Grande2:59

12A Banca do Distinto2:51

13pode guardar as panelas / perdoa4:15

14Portela3:23

PT3M23S

Teresa Cristina

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Comments from YouTube:

Andre Lara

4y↑2

Salve a Portela, uma das instituições culturais mais importantes do país!

Leonardo Lima

Que benção

Regatas rio

Portela já disseram que o teu manto
Pintadinho de azul e branco
Lembra as cores do céu
Se passas na avenida decidida
Trocas de sambar com a vida
És de tirar o chapéu
As cores que escolheste com vaidade
E exibes na cidade
Sempre chamando atenção
São cores que carregas na bandeira
Que ilumina a cachoeira
Da Virgem da Conceição
São cores que carregas na bandeira
Que ilumina a cachoeira
Da Virgem da Conceição
Cai véu de água pelo ar
Ai, Portela, o teu cantar
Faz brilhar a tua luz
Por isso vou levando
Com respeito
Duas cores no meu peito
Por amor a Oswaldo Cruz
Cai véu de água pelo ar
Ai, Portela, o teu cantar
Faz brilhar a tua luz
Por isso vou levando
Com respeito
Duas cores no meu peito
Por amor a Oswaldo Cruz
Portela já disseram que o teu manto
Pintadinho de azul e branco
Lembra as cores do céu
Se passas na avenida decidida
Trocas de sambar com a vida
És de tirar o chapéu
As cores que escolheste com vaidade
E exibes na cidade
Sempre chamando atenção
São cores que carregas na bandeira
Que ilumina a cachoeira
Da Virgem da Conceição
São cores que carregas na bandeira
Que ilumina a cachoeira
Da Virgem da Conceição
Cai véu de água pelo ar
Ai, Portela, o teu cantar
Faz brilhar a tua luz
Por isso vou levando
Com respeito
Duas cores no meu peito
Por amor a Oswaldo Cruz
Cai véu de água pelo ar
Ai, Portela, o teu cantar
Faz brilhar a tua luz
Por isso vou levando
Com respeito
Duas cores no meu peito
Por amor a Oswaldo Cruz
Duas cores no meu peito
(Por amor a Oswaldo Cruz)
Duas cores no meu peito
(Por amor a Oswaldo Cruz)