maguinha: Music

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• MP3 short clip, lo-fi play (modem)

I learned this song from my mother, Tercinha Pires do Prado, when I was seven.
Written by the great Waldemar Henrique, from Belem do Para', with lyrics by Antonio Tavarnard, it talks about the legend of the manatee, who comes out of the water as a seductive young man and steals the heart and all sense from beautiful young girls.

Tajapanema chorou no terreiro
E a virge morena
fugiu no costeiro//

Foi boto, sinhá
Foi boto, sinhô
que veio tentar
e a moça levou
no tar dancará,
aquele doutor
Foi boto sinhá
Foi boto sinhô

Tajanema se pos a chorar
Quem tem filha moca
é bom vigiar//

O boto num dorme
no fundo do rio
Seu dom é enorme
quem quer que o viu
que diga que informe
se lhe resistiu

O boto num dorme
no fundo do rio


Tajapanema cried in the yard
The dark-haired virgin
ran off on a coast boat//

It was the manatee, m'am
It was the manatee, sir
who came to tempt the girl
and took her
at that dance by the river,
That stuffed shirt
It was the manatee, m'am
It was the manatte, sir

Tajapanema started to cry
You'd better keep an eye
On your young daughters//
The manatee doesn't sleep
At the bottom of the river
His gift is enormous
whoever has seen it
must tell, must inform
if it can be resisted

At the bottom of the river
The manatee doesn't sleep