With a melody created by Sivuca in 1947, "João e Maria" became an absolute classic of the Rio de Janeiro musician
Chico Buarque is considered by many as one of the main exponents of Brazilian culture worldwide. Not surprisingly, the singer and composer not only has successful albums but also timeless songs that, in a way, tell the story of our country.
One of these classics is "João e Maria," a track that easily embraced the national songbook. However, what few know is that its melody was created in 1947 by the Paraiban Sivuca (1930 - 2006), one of the heavyweight names in the history of Brazilian music. The most curious thing about all this is that the aforementioned melody of the track was created when Chico Buarque was only 3 years old. The lyrics, however, were composed in 1977 when Chico adapted the Italian musical "Os Saltimbancos" into Portuguese.
Check out the performance for this song on the show "Carioca", by Chico Buarque, now available on WePlay!
Although it has traces of childish aesthetics, "João e Maria" is also interpreted as a song that narrates a relationship that has come to an end or even a political critique, considering it was made during the Military Dictatorship. Regarding the composition, Chico stated in an interview:
"He (Sivuca) made the music, which ended up being called 'João e Maria'. He sent a tape with a song he composed in 1947, around that time. I said, 'But that was when I was born.' The music was my age." Although Chico's statement, the music was actually made three years after the artist's birth.
"When I started working on the song, the lyrics necessarily led me to a childish theme. The lyrics came out with a childish feel because simply, on the tape, he said: 'I made this song in 47.' Then I thought: 'But I was a child…' And it took me there. Each partnership is a story." He concluded.