Lamento Sertanejo
Lamento Sertanejo
Música: Dominguinhos
Texto: Gilberto Gil
Me foi ensinada por Vitória Faria
Por ser de lá
Do sertão, lá do cerrado
Lá do interior do mato
Da caatiga do roçado
Eu quase não saio
Eu quase não tenho amigos
Eu quase que não consigo
Ficar na cidade sem viver contrariado
Por ser de lá
Na certa por isso mesmo
Eu ñao gosto de cama mole
Não sei comer sem terresmo
Eu quase não falo
Eu quase não sei de nada
Sou como rês desgarrada
Nessa multidão boiada caminhando a êsmo
The Lament of Sertão
Music: Dominguinhos
Lyrics: Gilberto Gil
As taught to me by Vitoria Faria
Because I’m from there
From the Sertão, the shrubland
Out there, in the middle of the woods
From the brush of the fields
I rarely go out
I don’t really have any friends
I’m barely able to stay in the city
Without living in contradiction
Because I’m from there
That is certainly why
I don’t like soft beds
I can’t eat without pork rinds
I barely speak
I barely know anything
I’m like stray head of cattle in this crowd,
herd walking aimlessly
Evoking the Sertão
This song is set in the Sertão, a dry region in the Northeastern corner of Brazil characterised by scrubby forests known as caatingas, marked by the yellow zone on the map.
The region lies around the equator, so temperatures are always consistent all year round. It differs starkly from the rest of Brazil due to the low amount of rainfall.
Even though the region is economically poor, it is often portrayed as a region rich in history and culture. However, Lamento Sertanejo focuses on narrator's difficult life of being from the Sertão, but also not being able to adjust to any other way of living.
I learnt this song in 2019 when I took part in Ethno England, and this song was taught to me by Brazilian accordionist Vitória Faria (see embed).
A product of musical geniuses
Lamento Sertanejo was originally an instrumental piece composed by Dominguinhos, with the words added later by Gilberto Gil. This song has been recorded many times by numerous artistes, and was featured in the films "O Milagre de Santa Luzia" (2006), "Eu, Tu, Eles" (2000), and in the soap opera "Gabriela" (2012).
Dominguinhos (1941-2013)
Born José Domingos de Morais in Garanhuns, Pernambuco, Dominguinhos was a prolific composer and accordionist who has 41 records credited to his name.
He was exposed to the accordion at a young age: his father Mestre Chicão was an accordionist who is also known for his accordion tuning skills.
He met his master Luiz Gonzaga at the tender age of seven which kickstarted his illustrious music career.
Dominguinhos passed away in 2013 at the age of 72.
Gilberto Gil (b. 1942)
Born in Salvador, Bahia, Gilberto Gil is a decorated singer-songwriter who has engaged in political activism. He also served as Minister of Culture in Brazil between 2003-2008.
Like Dominguinhos, Gil was also influenced by the music of Luiz Gonzaga. He later became associated with fellow singer and guitarist Caetano Veloso.
They performed and released music together. Gil and Veloso were later arrested and sent to exile in London during the military dictatorship of Brazil (1964-1967).
Gil embarked on a political career advocating for environmental protection. He has since returned to making music, releasing music with Caetano Veloso in 2016, and releasing the album OK, OK, OK in 2018.
References
Author unknown, Dominguinhos. [Online] MGT Radio. Available at: <https://www.mgtradio.net/artista/dominguinhos> [Accessed 12 August 2022].
Ricardo Schott, Gilberto Gil's story with the guitar. [Online] Google Arts and Culture. Available at: <https://artsandculture.google.com/story/gilberto-gil%E2%80%99s-story-with-the-guitar-instituto-gilberto-gil/HAUBOyy9U8aYWw?hl=en> [Accessed 12 August 2022].
The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, 2022. Gilberto Gil. [Online] Encyclopedia Britannica. Available at: <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gilberto-Gil> [Accessed 12 August 2022].