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
Ralé
Timbalada Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
É palestino;
É palestino;
Ralé, ralé, ralé
Força e pudor
Liberdade ao povo do Pelô
Mãe que é mãe no parto sente dor
E lá vou eu
Pelourinho contra a prostituição
Faz protesto, manifestação
E lá vou eu
Aqui se expandiu
E o terror já domina o brasil
Faz denúncia Olodum Pelourinho
E lá vou eu
Brasil liderança
Força e elite da poluição
Em destaque o terror, Cubatão
E lá vou eu
Io io io io io
La la la la la la la
Io io io io io
La la la la la la la
Io io io io io
E lá vou eu
Brasil nordestópia
Na Bahia existe Etiópia
Pro nordeste o país vira as costas
E lá vou eu
Nós somos capazes
Pelourinho a verdade nos trás
Monumento caboclo da paz
E lá vou eu
Io io io io io
La la la la la la la
Io io io io io
La la la la la la la
E lá vou eu
Desmound tutu
Contra o apartaid lá na África do Sul
Vem saudando o Nelson Mandela
O Olodum
Io io io io io
La la la la la la la
Io io io io io
La la la la la la la
E lá vou eu
Moçambique, Moçambique, Moçambique
Moçambique, Moçambique, Moçambique
The lyrics of Timbalada's song Ralé express messages of hope, social justice, and activism. The phrase "Jesus desde menino é palestino" (Jesus, since he was a child, is Palestinian) alludes to the fact that Jesus was born in the Middle East, and highlights the struggles of the Palestinian people for their rights and self-determination. The chorus "Ralé, ralé, ralé" is a slang term in Brazilian Portuguese that can be translated as "common people" or "underprivileged," and it is repeated throughout the song as a call to action and solidarity with the marginalized groups in society.
The verses of the song touch on different topics related to social and political issues in Brazil and beyond. For example, the lyrics "Pelourinho contra a prostituição" (Pelourinho against prostitution) refer to the historic neighborhood of Pelourinho in Salvador, Bahia, where the song was written and recorded. Pelourinho was a site of colonial-era slavery and punishment, and later became known as a cultural and artistic hub, but also as a place where sex work was prevalent. The song calls for action against this exploitation and for the freedom of the people of Pelourinho. Other verses mention environmental degradation, racism, apartheid in South Africa, and the struggle for independence in Mozambique.
Overall, the lyrics of Ralé are a call to action and a celebration of resistance against oppression and social injustice. The song's catchy rhythms and percussion, typical of the Afro-Brazilian musical tradition, make it a popular anthem for social movements and protests in Brazil and beyond.
Line by Line Meaning
Jesus desde menino
Jesus was a Palestinian since he was a child
É palestino;
He is Palestinian
Ralé, ralé, ralé
Crowd, crowd, crowd
Força e pudor
Strength and dignity
Liberdade ao povo do Pelô
Freedom to the people of Pelô
Mãe que é mãe no parto sente dor
A mother feels pain during childbirth
E lá vou eu
And there I go
Declara a nação,
Declare the nation
Pelourinho contra a prostituição
Pelourinho against prostitution
Faz protesto, manifestação
Protest, demonstration
E lá vou eu
And there I go
Aqui se expandiu
Here it has expanded
E o terror já domina o brasil
And terror already dominates Brazil
Faz denúncia Olodum Pelourinho
Report Olodum Pelourinho
E lá vou eu
And there I go
Brasil liderança
Brazilian leadership
Força e elite da poluição
Strength and elite of pollution
Em destaque o terror, Cubatão
Highlighting terror, Cubatão
E lá vou eu
And there I go
Io io io io io
Io io io io io
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
Io io io io io
Io io io io io
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
Io io io io io
Io io io io io
E lá vou eu
And there I go
Brasil nordestópia
Northeastern Brazilian dystopia
Na Bahia existe Etiópia
In Bahia, there is Ethiopia
Pro nordeste o país vira as costas
The country turns its back on the Northeast
E lá vou eu
And there I go
Nós somos capazes
We are capable
Pelourinho a verdade nos trás
Pelourinho brings us the truth
Monumento caboclo da paz
Caboclo monument of peace
E lá vou eu
And there I go
Desmound tutu
Desmond Tutu
Contra o apartaid lá na África do Sul
Against apartheid in South Africa
Vem saudando o Nelson Mandela
Saluting Nelson Mandela
O Olodum
The Olodum
Moçambique, Moçambique, Moçambique
Mozambique, Mozambique, Mozambique
Writer(s): Antonio Carlos Santos de Freitas, Geronimo Santana Duarte, Carlos Alaim Tavares da Silva
Contributed by Lucy S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@vitoriamaria1588
O povo deveria falar muito mais de timbalada, eles são incríveis.
“E com trabalho e contrabando
Nas ruas da Bahia
A gente é solução se amando
Tá quente a guerra fria”
sério, sensacional
@edivaldosilva3526
Salvador é a única cidade brasileira com sangue puramente africano, tesão de cidade.
@EduardoSantos-ek5rq
Que voz deliciosa de se ouvir.salve Ninha gogó de ouro.
@vidaloka3482
Ô pré caju q me faz falta...kkkk bons tempos...porradero
@webersg9638
FREE PALESTINE
@alissonvinicius2905
Muito boa, exatamente essa versão que eu estava a procura, a versão do filme ó paí ó, obrigado..
@yahrayah7741
Jesus desde menino é palestino! <3
@marcelosouza2254
Agente e solução se amando ,👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
@wallenbreno6516
muito linda achei essa musica que procurava tanto
@MrLucas2981
Sensacional...