Let’s celebrate Brazil’s national day with some music. The National anthem may be the most popular – sang in parades on Independence Day and in the opening of soccer games -, but it is certainly not the country’s most beautiful anthem. Do you know the other ones?
1 – Hino à Bandeira – the 1906 Flag Anthem has lyrics by poet Olavo Bilac and music by Francisco Braga. You can read the lyrics here. It has a peculiarity. There are two versions for the refrain, with only one difference: the word juvenil (youthful) sometimes is substituted by varonil (manly). Traditionally, young people sing the first version, while adults choose the second.
The refrain:
Recebe o afeto que se encerra
em nosso peito juvenil/varonil,
Querido símbolo da terra,
Da amada terra do Brasil!
2 – Hino da Proclamação da República – the Republic Anthem (lyrics here) was composed right after the end of the Monarchic period, in 1889, with lyrics by Medeiros e Albuquerque and music by Leopoldo Miguez.
3 – Hino da Independência – the anthem that celebrates the independence from Portugal, was the national anthem till the abdication of Dom Pedro I, in 1831. It was believed for a long time that the emperor composed the music the same day he declared independence, September 7th 1822, but some historians say his version was composed later, after a first version by his former music teacher. The lyrics (which you find here, in a bilingual version) are by Evaristo da Veiga . It was originally a poem that was popular in the court by the time of the Independence Declaration.
Then comes a series of military anthems.
4 – Cisne Branco – White Swan, the Navy anthem, here sang by famous singer Dalva de Oliveira (and these are the lyrics)
5 – Canção do Exército – the Army Song
6 – Hino dos Aviadores – the Aviation Anthem
7 – And finally, the National Anthem : You find a bilingual version of the lyrics here.
If you are interested in the national symbols, check also this post: Brazil national bird, flower, holiday, anthem…
OK. How about “P’ra não dizer que não falei das flores”?
Loved the idea. Could have also added Flamengo’s and Corinthians anthems. Do you remember any other unofficial ones? They are surely worth a post. And, hey, Thaddeus, welcome back!