"Elogio da Raca" by Carmen Miranda

Hey guys. Long time no post. I'm holed away painting & getting ready for Oasis.

Anyway, I'm looking for info on the Carmen Miranda song called "Elogio da Raca" which I think was originally recorded in 1933. I haven't had much luck on google, but that's the extent of my search so far. I'm mainly looking for the lyrics, which as far as I can tell are in Portuguese, but I'm also looking for a translation into English. Any info about this song's history or content would be appreciated. There is something about it that just totally intrigues me and transports me away into exotica. If I can ever find out any more about it, I have a feeling it will inspire a painting.

Thanks dudes,
heather

You can hear the song here:

(Track 11)
carmen miranda

Enjoy!

[ Edited by: Travellin' Tiki on 2005-03-03 11:18 ]

*ELOGIO DA RA
[Marcha De Assis Valente Acompanhamento dos Diabos do C o Gravado em 18 de maio de 1933]

Autoridade tem que dar (se tem)

carta branca para o n go vadiar

Pois ele um cavalheiro (est.)

e basta ser um brasileiro

p'r saber se comportar

Um navegante puxou a coberta

e descobriu a nossa ra a t o falada

O sol queimava tanto e roupa n�o havia

Por isso que o n go tem a pele t o queimada

Eu hei de ver o n go vencendo

N go bamba nos ataques do fuzil

N go bronzeado, bronze que tem alma

A alma de guerreiro p'r defesa do Brasil.*

I ran this through Babel Fish and this is the garble it spewed:

"COMPLIMENT Of the RA [ Marcha De Brave Assis Accompaniment of the Devils of the C the Recorded one in 18 of May of 1933 ] Authority has that to give (if it has) blank paper for the n go to loiter Therefore it a gentleman (est.) e is enough to be a Brazilian p'r to know to behave A navigator pulled the cover e discovered ours ra the t the spoken one The sun burnt in such a way and clothes n?o had Therefore that the n go has skin t the forest fire I have to see the n go being successful N go bamba in the attacks of the metal ring N go bronzed, bronze that has soul The prohibited soul of warrior p'r of Brazil."

[ Edited by: stuff-o-rama on 2005-03-03 12:46 ]

Nice work, Stufforama!

I went searching and found zip/zilch/nada!

However, my sis-in-law is Brazilian and speaks the lingo, so I will email her the lyrics you posted and see what she says!

Awesome! Thanks guys. I can't wait to see how it matches up to the other 'translation' :)

Elogio da Raça ( Eulogy of the Race )
( Song is a marching samba written by Assis Valente and an accompanied by the Devil's of C, recorded in May 18 1933)

Autoridade tem que dar ( se tem)
Authority must be given ( if you have)

Carta branca para o nego vadiar
Wild card to the nigger to idle (in Brazil the word nigger is not derogatory it means very black)

Pois ele um cavalheiro
(Since he,a gentleman )

e basta ser brasileiro
( and being Brazillian is enough )

P'r saber se comportar
(to know how to behave )

Um navegante puxou a coberta
(A navigator pulled the blanket)

e descobriu a nossa raca tao falada
(and discovered our famous race)

O sol queimava tanto e roupa n&#65533 ; o havia
( The sun was burning a lot and cloth number 65533, he had )

Por isso que o nego tem a pele tao queimada
( That's why the nigger has the skin so tanned)

Eu hei de ver o nego vencendo
( I shall see the nigger win)

Nego bamba nos ataques do fuzil
(Nigger very good in the attacks of the rifle )

Nego bronzeado, bronze que tem alma
( Tanned nigger, bronze color that has soul)

A alma de guerreiro pta defesa do Brasil
( the soul of a worrior to defend Brazil)

Note: the song is about the black Brazillian man who is decendent from Africans that have a very strong influennce in Brazilan culture, including the music, the song is an elogy to the black race in Brazil. I hope I did not kill the poem it is kind of hard to translate romance poems to English, but it gives you a good idea of what it is about. I would love to listen to the music, since I don't recognize the music by the words.

This is translated by my sister-in-law, who is a native of Sao Paulo. It's been neat to see this question come to fruition!

Cheers!

Thanks Stufforama & geeky tiki! & please send your sister in law a big thanks for me too for the translation. It ended up being quite an interesting little song. Not sure how it will inspire a painting just yet... but I'm sure something will evenutally come of it. GT, tell your sis in law she can hear the song at amazon.com. The link is in one of my earlier posts in this thread and is definitely worth checking out. A beautiful piece of music.

Thanks again!