Disfarça e Chora

Cartola

Brazil 

Cartola, real name Angenor de Oliviera, was a brazilian singer who lived from 1908-1980. He was a key figure in the development of samba around the 1930's, working with samba schools and composing samba music. The meaning of Disfarça e Chora isn't very clear according to online resources, but it could be about a women who has cheated in a relationship and she is crying to disguise her treachery, attempting to make the man forgive her and take her back. The man, who is the singer in the song, is aware of her sneaky intentions, but will remain by her side, never deserting her. 

This song is a good example of what samba music consists of, which is rich harmonic chord progression, syncopated rhythms and instrumentation. It is a relatively slow piece compared to other well known samba works that are rapid in tempo, for purposes of dance. I like this song and find most other samba songs very enjoyable, mainly due to harmonic progression within the pieces. Harmonically, it moves unexpectedly but with satisfaction in the color of the chords and melody that flow throughout the piece. Rhythmically, it has a good pace and beat that produces a foot tapping effect from the listener because of the consistent groove provided by the guitar's syncopation. Despite the fact that I am mostly unsure of what the lyrics are about and I have never heard this piece before, there is a nostalgic quality to this piece. It could be the relaxed mood that this song paints.