“Brasil Pandeiro” (Assis Valente, 1940)
Source: Eu marco, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Composer Assis Valente, born on this date in 1911, wrote “Brasil Pandeiro” for Carmen Miranda, but she didn’t like it. It was made famous decades later by the group Novos Baianos, who included it on their landmark 1972 album “Acabou Chorare” at the suggestion of João Gilberto. Gilberto had brought his then very young daughter Bebel to meet with the band members before the album was recorded. She apparently had been crying but told everyone in her own somewhat invented words that “crying stopped,” giving the album its name.
“Tambourine Brazil”
It’s time for this tanned people to show its worth
I went to Penha to ask the patron saint to help me
Hail Vintém Mountain
Twirl your skirt, I want to see
I want to see Uncle Sam play tambourine for the world to samba
Uncle Sam wants to learn our samba beat
He’s been saying that Bahian sauce improved his dishes
He’ll get into the couscous, acarajé, and abará
At the White House, they’ve danced the Ioiô and Iaiá batucada
Brazil, warm up your tambourines
Light up the yards
Because we want to samba
Some samba differently in other lands
Other people, a samba beat to die for
Batucada unites our values
Samba singers and dancers
An expression without equal, my Brazil
Brazil, warm up your tambourines
Light up the yards
Because we want to samba