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

Se você se for
Timbalada Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Se você se for
Como vou ficar
É que meu coração, linda (BIS)
Não vai aguentar

Por isso não me faça sofrer
Não me faça lembrar
Da noite que passamos (BIS)

No Candeal a swingar

Não vá á á
Não me deixe nessa solidão
Venha á á (BIS)
Meu brinquedo é cim ti bailar

Vou falar com Zambi
Abraçando a fé
Já gritei na praça
Que te amo
Oh rainha linda
Já é carnaval
E o verão é a causa
Da cor do cacau

Não vá á á...

Quanto riso
Oh quanta alegria
Som de bloco afro no salão

Arlequim está chorando pelo amor da colombina
No meio da multidão.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Timbalada's "Se você se for" express the singer's fear of being heartbroken due to their lover's departure. They say that their heart will not be able to handle the separation and implore their lover not to make them suffer or remember the good times they had together in Candeal. The singer urges their lover to stay, mentioning that their "brinquedo", or toy, is dancing with them. They also speak of seeking comfort in their faith by talking to Zambi, a deity from Afro-Brazilian religions, and proclaiming their love for their "rainha linda", or beautiful queen, during the carnival season. The final lines describe a scene of joy and celebration with the sound of a bloco afro, while also referencing the tragic love story of Arlequim and Colombina.

Overall, the lyrics convey a bittersweet sense of longing and attachment to the singer's lover and their shared experiences, while also acknowledging the inevitability of change and loss. The use of Afro-Brazilian cultural references and imagery also adds depth and richness to the song, highlighting the influence of African heritage in Brazilian music and society.

Line by Line Meaning

Se você se for
If you leave me

Como vou ficar
How will I manage

É que meu coração, linda (BIS)
My heart, my dear (repeat)

Não vai aguentar
Cannot stand it

Por isso não me faça sofrer
So don't make me suffer

Não me faça lembrar
Do not make me remember

Da noite que passamos (BIS)
Of the night we spent together (repeat)

No Candeal a swingar
Swinging in Candeal

Não vá á á
Don't go, oh oh

Não me deixe nessa solidão
Don't leave me in this loneliness

Venha á á (BIS)
Come, oh oh (repeat)