Riachão, samba from Bahia

I was just reading Mestre Nei Lopes' blog and was saddened to hear about the tragedy that has struck the legendary Bahian sambista Riachão. On January 8th a car accident here in Rio took the lives of his wife Dona Dalva, his 25-year-old daughter and her spouse. His 29-year-old son is said to be in critical condition, while his fiancé also died in the crash. Clementino Rodrigues, known affectionately as Riachão, was born in 1921 in Salvador. He is said to be in his home town of Salvador, deeply depressed by the tragic event. Although he is not well known outside of his home town and is not a household name like many of his contemporaries, he is a beloved local legend.



"Vou chegando" by Riachão



"Cada macaco no seu galho" by Riachão

Cada macaco no seu galho, xô xuá
Eu não me canso de falar, xô xuá
O meu galho é na Bahia, xô xuá
O seu é em outro lugar, xô xuá
Não se aborreça moço da cabeça grande
Você vem não sei de onde
Fica aqui não vai pra lá
Esse negócio da mãe preta ser leiteira
Já encheu sua mamadeira
Vá mamar noutro lugar
xô xuá...

Each monkey on his own branch, (shoo away?)
I can't say it enough
My branch is in Bahia
Yours is somewhere else
Don't be down, big-headed young man
You come from who-knows-where
Stay here don't go there
This thing about the black wet nurse mother
You've filled your baby bottle
Now go nurse somewhere else
xô xuá!

Both selections are from the album Sambas da Bahia (1973), which also features songs by fellow baianos Batatinha and Panela. The following example is Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil's version of "Cada macaco no seu galho":



"Cada macaco no seu galho" (Riachão) by Caetano Veloso and Giberto Gil, from the album Tropicália 2 (1993)

My heart goes out to Mestre Riachão...