MAS QUE NADA by JORGE BEN JOR
These days, I am stuck on this Brazilian song. I listen to it over and over on YouTube; both the Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 version and the Jorge Ben Jor original from 1963.
The lyrics are in Portuguese and it is tricky to translate the phrase "mas que mada" into English. Literally, it means "but what nothing" or "but that nothing" which do not exist in English but are equivalent to a frustrated, incredulous person saying "But what nonsense!" or "Oh, come on!". Essentially, someone is in the singer's way and the singer wants the obstructor to step aside so he (the singer) has room to samba. In essence, he's saying "Oh, come on, get out of my way!"
I have used the original song title" Mas Que Nada" (pronounced mash ki nada, in Portuguese). Apparently, the original title was being confused with the Spanish phrase "mas que nada" which is pronounced "mass kay nada" and means "more than nothing", so the title was eventually changed to Mais Que Nada to differentiate between the Portuguese and the Spanish.
I don't speak Portuguese but based on my research, these are the best lyrics, pronunciation, and translation that I can provide.
LYRICS
O ariá raiô
Obá, obá, obá
O ariá raiô
Obá, obá, obá
Mas que nada!
Sai da minha frente, eu quero passar!
Pois o samba está animado
O que eu quero é sambar
Esse samba que é misto de marcatu
É samba de preto velho
Samba de preto tu
Mas que nada!
Um samba como esse tão legal
Você não vai querer
Que eu chegue no final
LYRICS, PRONUNCIATION, AND TRANSLATION (FOR ENGLISH-SPEAKERS)
O ariá raiô Oh, a raiô song
Obá, obá, obá! Wow, wow, wow!
Mas que nada! Oh, come on!
[mash ki nada]
Sai da minha frente, eu quero passar. Leave from in front of me (get out of my way), I want to pass!
[sai da minya frenchy, oo kayroo pass-a-ar]
Pois o samba está animado 'Cause the samba is lively
[poys oo samba eshta animado]
O que eu quero é sambar And what I want is to samba
[o ki oo kayroo ey sambar]
Esse samba, que é misto de maracatu This samba, that's a mix of maracatu (a Brazilian rhythm)
[eshte samba ki ey mishtu ji maracatu]
É samba de preto velhu Is a preto velhu's samba (an old black man's samba)
[ey samba ji pretoo beyloo]
Samba de preto tu Samba of black you (Your black samba)
[samba ji pretu du]
Mas que nada Oh, come on!
[mash ki nada]
Um samba como esse tão legal A samba like this is so great (awesome)
[oom samba como eshte taow leygal]
Você não vai querer, que eu chegue no final You are not going to want, that I arrive at the end [bosay no by kayrehr, ki oo shaygi nu feenal] (You're not going to want me to come to the end)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Thank you for the phoenetics! I am trying to go at 1/2 or 1/4 speed and follow their lips. I find Portuguese a real bear.
Thanks for the phonetics - they're a real help. :-)
This is awesome, thanks so much!!
If you can dance Samba and like it, you will understand it's message. I LOVE to dance Samba more than anything (mais que nada). If I hear a Samba starting to play on the dance floor I will push through the crowd to go dance Samba. It's so alive and lively, more than any other dance. It's for all people, old and young. While I dance Samba and hope it doesn't end. I just want to Samba
This is what the song reveals to me.
Jorge Ben Jor expressed the passion for this music in his magical visceral piece
Post a Comment