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

Na Ilha Grande
Timbalada Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Timbaleira
Vamos pra lareira
Timbaleira
Vamos pra lareira
Timbaleira
Vamos pra lareira

Na ilha grande

O amor reina
Barra do Gil
Passei de prancha
E você não viu

Ponta de Areia
Namorei lá
E tudo ficou
Por conta do acaso
Em Amoreira você me apaixonou

Olhei de Salvador
Te vi sair do mar
Você em bruta cor
Bailando na janela

Olhei de Salvador
Te vi sair do mar
Você em bruta cor
Bailando na janela

Olha ela lá, lá, lá
Olha ela lá, lá, lá
Olha ela lá, lá, lá
Olha ela lá, lá, lá

Olha ela lá, lá, lá
Olha ela lá, lá, lá
Olha ela lá, lá, lá
Olha ela lá, lá, lá

Olhei de Salvador
Te vi sair do mar
Você em bruta cor
Bailando na janela

Olhei de Salvador
Te vi sair do mar
Você em bruta cor
Bailando na janela

Olha ela lá, lá, lá
Olha ela lá, lá, lá
Olha ela lá, lá, lá
Olha ela lá, lá, lá

Olha ela lá, lá, lá
Olha ela lá, lá, lá
Olha ela lá, lá, lá
Olha ela lá, lá, lá

Timbaleira
Vamos pra lareira
Timbaleira
Vamos pra lareira

Timbaleira
Vamos pra lareira

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Timbalada's song "Na Ilha Grande" speak of a lost love and the memories associated with different locations. The chorus repeats "Timbaleira, vamos pra lareira" which translates to "Let's go to the fire," a reference to the Brazilian tradition of gathering around a fire to sing and dance. The verses mention specific locations such as Barra do Gil and Ponta de Areia where the singer has memories of love and romance. The line "Em Amoreira você me apaixonou" translates to "In Amoreira, you made me fall in love" indicating that this location holds a significant memory of the lost love. The chorus repeats twice more before the final verse where the singer describes seeing the lost love emerge from the ocean in "bruta cor" meaning "rough color" or "vibrant color."

The song captures the nostalgia and longing for a love that has been lost. The use of specific locations adds to the emotional depth of the lyrics, as the singer recalls memories associated with each place. The repetition of the chorus creates a sense of community and togetherness, as the "Timbaleira" gathers around the fire to sing and dance.

Line by Line Meaning

Timbaleira
Let's get our group together

Vamos pra lareira
Let's go to the fireplace

Timbaleira
Let's get our group together

Vamos pra lareira
Let's go to the fireplace

Timbaleira
Let's get our group together

Vamos pra lareira
Let's go to the fireplace

Na ilha grande
On the big island

O amor reina
Where love reigns

Barra do Gil
At Gil's beach

Passei de prancha
I surfed

E você não viu
And you didn't see me