In the early 90's, the effervescent musical scene of Bahia generated a new … Read Full Bio ↴In the early 90's, the effervescent musical scene of Bahia generated a new phenomenon: Timbalada - a huge group of percussionist with tribal paintings on their bodies and a female singer that performed topless. they all played timbaus, a tall drum that hangs from the shoulder of the percussionist and is held between the legs.

A product of the brilliant imagination of singer, songwriter and virtuoso percussionist Carlinhos Brown, Timbalada does justice to Bahia's rhythmic tradition and, at the same time, introduces modernity and boldness to it. The main singer's hoarse voice, the non-sense of the lyrics, the tribal painting an the collective use of sunglasses helped to place Timbalada among the most original and ceative bands to appear in the last years.

Timbalada is an Afro-Brazilian musician group from Candeal, Salvador, Brazil. It was founded by drummer Carlinhos Brown. The musical style is between samba reggae and axé, with strong influences from African music. They are a highly popular group that regularly plays sold-out shows throughout Brazil.

The group is mostly known for its active participation to the carnival each year in the streets of Salvador de Bahia. It also engages in social activism by working with needy children, providing education and drum courses to help them in social integration.

Musically, Timbalada is credited with two major innovations in the instrumentation of Afro-Brazilian music: the revival of the timbal (a tall, high-pitched hand drum), and the development of a rack of 3 surdos (bass drums) that can be played by a single player. The timbal, which had been nearly extinct before Timbalada began featuring it, has since become widespread in many Afro-Brazilian genres, including axé and samba-reggae. The rack of surdos, also called a bateria-de-surdo (surdo drumset) is now widely used by many groups for stage performances when not parading. Because the bateria-de-surdo can only hold 3 surdos within arm's reach of a single player, the traditional 4-surdo arrangements of many samba-reggae rhythms is often trimmed down to a 3-surdo arrangement

Catar Cavaco
Timbalada Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

(Se ligue, Chica)
(Olê-lê-lê, oiá)

(Olê-lê-lê, oiá)

(Ô, Benedito, eu tenho dito)
(Eu não me canso de cantar pro periquito)
Ô, Benedito, eu tenho dito

Eu não me canso de cantar pro periquito

(Ô, Benedito, eu tenho dito)
(Eu não me canso de cantar pro periquito)
Ô, Benedito, eu tenho dito
Eu não me canso de cantar pro periquito

(Se ligue, Chica)
(Se ligue, Chica)
(Se ligue, Chica)
(Se ligue, Chica)

(Se ligue, Chica)
(Se ligue, Chica)
(Se ligue, Chica)
(Se ligue, Chica)

Adeus, panelona de feijão
Eu vou rasgar lona no caminhão
E levar minha nega
Que pra ela chega, chega de fogão

(Se ligue, Chica)
(Se ligue, Chica)
(Se ligue, Chica)
(Se ligue, Chica)
(Se ligue, Chica)
(Se ligue, Chica)

Adeus, panelona de feijão
Eu vou rasgar lona no caminhão
E levar minha nega
Que pra ela chega, chega de fogão

Eu vou ali catar cavaco
Eu vou ali catar cavaco, aiê
Eu vou lhe dar aquele abraço
Eu vou lhe dar aquele abraço

Eu vou ali catar cavaco
Eu vou ali catar cavaco, aiê
Eu vou lhe dar aquele abraço
Eu vou lhe dar aquele abraço

Ô, Benedito, eu tenho dito
Eu não me canso de cantar pro periquito
(Ô, Benedito, eu tenho dito)
(Eu não me canso de cantar pro periquito)

Ô, Benedito, eu tenho dito
Eu não me canso de cantar pro periquito
(Ô, Benedito, eu tenho dito)
(Eu não me canso de cantar pro periquito)

(Se ligue, Chica)
(Se ligue, Chica)
(Se ligue, Chica)
(Se ligue, Chica)

Adeus, panelona de feijão
Eu vou rasgar lona no caminhão
E levar minha nega
Que pra ela chega, chega de fogão

(Se ligue, Chica)
(Se ligue, Chica)

Adeus, panelona de feijão
Eu vou rasgar lona no caminhão
E levar minha nega
Que pra ela chega, chega de fogão

Eu vou ali catar cavaco
Eu vou ali catar cavaco, aiê
Eu vou lhe dar aquele abraço
Eu vou lhe dar aquele abraço

Eu vou ali catar cavaco
Eu vou ali catar cavaco, aiê
Eu vou lhe dar aquele abraço
Eu vou lhe dar aquele abraço

(Se ligue, Chica)
(Se ligue, Chica)
(Se ligue, Chica)
(Se ligue, Chica)

Ô, Benedito, eu tenho dito
Eu não me canso de cantar pro periquito
(Ô, Benedito, eu tenho dito)
(Eu não me canso de cantar pro periquito)

Ô, Benedito, eu tenho dito
Eu não me canso de cantar pro periquito

(Ô, Benedito, eu tenho dito)
(Eu não me canso de cantar pro periquito)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Timbalada's song "Catar Cavaco" are a playful and joyful celebration of music and love. The repeated refrain of "Ô, Benedito, eu tenho dito / Eu não me canso de cantar pro periquito" (Oh, Benedito, I have said / I never tire of singing to the parakeet) captures the exuberance of the singers and their commitment to the musical form known as axé, which originated in Bahia, Brazil in the late 1980s. The song's verses describe a farewell to a pot of beans on a stove ("Adeus, panelona de feijão / Eu vou rasgar lona no caminhão / E levar minha nega / Que pra ela chega, chega de fogão" - Goodbye, big pot of beans / I'm tearing down the tarp on the truck / And taking my baby / Who's had enough of the stove) and an intention to go "catar cavaco" (the term refers to the act of playing percussion instruments, but can also mean goofing off, hanging out, or flirting). Overall, the song celebrates the pleasures of music, dance, and romance, and its catchy melody and upbeat rhythm make it a classic of the axé genre.

Line by Line Meaning

Se ligue, Chica
Pay attention, Chica

Olê-lê-lê, oiá
Chanting sound

Ô, Benedito, eu tenho dito
Oh, Benedito, I have said

Eu não me canso de cantar pro periquito
I never tire of singing to the parakeet

Adeus, panelona de feijão
Goodbye, big pot of beans

Eu vou rasgar lona no caminhão
I'm going to rip the tarp on the truck

E levar minha nega
And take my woman

Que pra ela chega, chega de fogão
Who has had enough of cooking

Eu vou ali catar cavaco
I'm going to play the cavaquinho

Eu vou lhe dar aquele abraço
I'm going to give you that hug

Writer(s): Antonio Carlos Santos De Freitas, Durval Caldas

Contributed by Harper H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.