Spending his childhood in his hometown Belo Horizonte, Horta became acquainted with soon-to-be famous names like Nivaldo Ornelas, Milton Nascimento, Wagner Tiso, and others that became known as the Clube da Esquina. His first recording was for Nivaldo Ornelas's 1969 album. In 1970, he accompanied Elis Regina and Tom Jobim in the show Tom & Elis in Rio. His participation in Nascimento's Clube da Esquina (1972) was noticed, and soon he was backing Gal Costa, Nana Caymmi, Joyce, Edu Lobo, Maria Betânia, Dori Caymmi, among others. In 1973, he recorded the album Beto Guedes, Danilo Caymmi, Novelli e Toninho Horta (EMI). His first solo album came in 1980, the independent Terra Dos Pássaros, which was released in the U.S. in 1995 (WEA). In 1980, he released the LP Toninho Horta on EMI, released in the U.S. in 1990 through Capitol. In 1985, he performed in the Free Jazz Festival (São Paulo) together with Toots Thielemans and Bob McFerrin. Horta moved to the U.S. in 1992, continuing to record with other artists and to release his solo albums. In 1992, he performed in London, England, accompanying Marisa Monte. In 1993, he backed Caetano Veloso in Brussels, Belgium. In the same year, he appeared in the Heineken Concerts (Rio) with Gary Peacock and Billy Higgins. In 1994, he played with Phillip Catherine at the IX Martinique Guitarre Festival. In 1995, he played in Japan with Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, and Keith Jarrett.
By Alvaro Neder
Lullaby of Birdland
Toninho Horta Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Always hear when you sigh
Never in my wordland
Could there be ways to reveal
In a phrase how I feel
Have you ever heard two turtle doves
Bill and coo when they love?
Music we make with our lips when we kiss
And there's a weepy old willow
He really knows how to cry
That's how I'd cry in my pillow
If you should tell me farewell and goodbye
Lullaby of Birdland whisper low
Kiss me sweet and we'll go
Flyin' high in Birdland
High in the sky up above
All because we're in love
The song 'Lullaby of Birdland' by Toninho Horta opens with the line 'Lullaby of Birdland, that's what I always hear when you sigh'. The line seems to suggest that whenever the singer hears their lover's sigh, they are reminded of the lullaby of birdland. They explain how they can never find the right words to express how they feel, but when they kiss their lover, the music they make with their lips is akin to 'two turtle doves' who 'bill and coo when they love'.
The singer goes on to describe how they would cry in their pillow like a 'weepy old willow' if their lover should ever say farewell or goodbye. The song ends on a sweet and romantic note with the singer inviting their lover to whisper the lullaby of birdland to them, to kiss them sweetly and fly with them high up in the sky, because they are in love.
Line by Line Meaning
Lullaby of Birdland, that's what I
The melody of Birdland resonates with me deeply.
Always hear when you sigh
I become particularly attuned to this melody when I see you sighing.
Never in my wordland
There are no words in my vocabulary to describe the depth of my feelings.
Could there be ways to reveal
I struggle to express my emotions.
In a phrase how I feel
I wish I could encapsulate my feelings in a single phrase.
Have you ever heard two turtle doves
Can you fathom the sweetness of two love doves cooing?
Bill and coo when they love?
They offer an affable show of affection.
That's the kind of magic
That endearing magic is what we create when we kiss.
Music we make with our lips when we kiss
The sound our lips make while kissing is music to my ears.
And there's a weepy old willow
There's an emotive, melancholic willow tree.
He really knows how to cry
It seems almost as though the willow is able to weep for me.
That's how I'd cry in my pillow
If you were to ever say goodbye, I'd weep inconsolably.
If you should tell me farewell and goodbye
The thought of you leaving is unbearable.
Lullaby of Birdland whisper low
Please sing the melody of Birdland to me softly.
Kiss me sweet and we'll go
Encapsulate me in your embrace, then we can go anywhere.
Flyin' high in Birdland
Together, we feel free and contented under the blue sky.
High in the sky up above
Our love enables us to feel elevated high above in the sky.
All because we're in love
We feel like we're soaring because we're in love.
Lyrics © IMAGEM MUSIC INC
Written by: GEORGE SHEARING, GEORGE DAVID WEISS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alfredo Molim
Pat Metheny disse um dia que era muito fácil e ao mesmo tempo um tremendo desafio tocar com Toninho Horta, porque em suas harmonias ele abre tantas possibilidades de improvisação, que as vezes você sai fora de si, e não sabe mais para onde a sua mente o leva e concomitante os seus dedos no braço da guitarra.
Penso que Gary e Billy, estão com essa mesma sensação. Os acordes de Stella, é pra ficar de queixo caído, e quando chega no trecho bossanovista, ai que a coisa fica linda demais, acho que nem Victor Young imaginou isso para sua música eterna. E olhe que Mr. Milles Davis fez o que o impossível fosse feito, dessa música.
Outra obra prima é com um dos temas mais ricos do Jazz, My Funny Valentine. Que coisa meu Deus, um lirismo poético feito por dedos não em papel, mas, em cordas e braços de guitarra.
Esse 6/4 em Footprints é demais da conta do jazzismo moderno, pós Dave Brubeck, o cara que desafiou o Jazz em compassos totalmente fora das características que se utilizava até então. Tradicionalmente os temas eram 4/4 e 3/4. Ele veio com 5/4, 7/4, 6/8, 6/4/, 9/8 e os tradicionais misturados com tudo isso.
E para finalizar o meu comentário, Tarde de Milton e Borges, um das músicas mais difíceis do cancioneiro Miltoniano, de harmonia nada simples a gosto do próprio Milton, que nos dedos de Toninho, Peacock, Higgins, ficou além de um primor de obra, de uma beleza harmônica sem fim. O Disco é um dos mais bonitos já feitos por Toninho com esses parceiros de altíssimo nível. Lindo de se ouvir.
Martin Manzor Lauría
as harmonias do Toninho Horta son de otro planeta.
Alfredo Molim
Grato pela demonstração de carinho de todos vocês, mas, quando se houve essas músicas de nível altíssimo, a minha inspiração musical e alguma pequena verve literária que vem dai mesmo, acabam fluindo comentários assim.
San Eckelhöfer
valeu Odack Costa, mandou benzao. Toninho Horta, mestre, gênio, paixao da vida! beloved master!
Rogerio Souza
Trabalho primoroso. Valeu por postar, Odack Costa.
Cassy Lewi
Very smooth and majestic. Toninho Horta you are a spectacular artist!!!!
LizaBopiza
Muito Obrigado, Mr. Costa! Simply divine, Toninho Horta's music.
Rica Carvalho
Toninho é o maior!
Paulo Oliveira
Comprei este CD no lançamento, muito bom !
Jose Roberto Nasser Vasquez
Paulo Oliveira creo que tienes mucha razon este cd es para disfrutarlo y no arrepentirse de haberlo comprado, saludos desde el salvador🐗