Milton Nascimento - Ponta de Areia (Sand Edge)

My favourite version of this wonderful song by Milton Nascimento and Fernando Brant. Taken from the 2-cd album 'Maria Maria/Ultimo Trem', re-released by Far Out Recordings 2004.

Originally recorded in 1980 as music for a ballet, danced by Grupo Corpo, with text and lyrics by journalist Fernando Brant, lamenting the closing of a railway line in the state of Minas Gerais, north east Brazil. In the title song we hear:

"Weep, oh my people, weep, oh my engine driver
Those who take away the railway take away some of your life
At the end of the railway is a leap into the void
Turn off the embers, come home my fireman,
Forget the charcoal, the boiler and the smoke
Because the railway is now dead, nothing more runs on it......
The last train is like a wool winder
spinning a ball of wool
It rolls up the railway, adding to our despair
The last train
Makes the people weep
It takes away our railway
It changes our lives
It takes away our joy"

Slideshow with pics from Brasil nordeste and the Sertao made by myself.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Milton
• Nascimento
• ponta
• de
• areia
• ultimo
• trem
• Brasil
• MPB

[ValdirSergio]

Nowadays, we have a house my parents built in Ponta de Areia, near to the old station. Unfortunately, she suddenly died last last month. She was the only one who was still alive.

Listening to the music makes me remind of her. Thank you for posting this.

[MUPJC]

@ValdirSergio Thank you for your personal words. The story behind the music becomes closer and closer through the people connected with it. Muito obrigado.

[marcelo201268]

You said you don't speak portuguese, but do you know what the lyrics is about? As I said, although is bealtiful, is also said too. By the artists you mentioned, I see you have an excellent taste for music. Congratulations.

[MUPJC]

@marcelo201268 Well, the cd-version I have is well filled with tons of english translations and descriptions. So it was quite easy to understand ;-)

[marcelo201268]

Who did record the song? I only knew the enterprise (Far Out Records) but who's singing it, anyway? By the accent, they sound like foreigners (although their pronouce in excelente)

[MUPJC]

@marcelo201268 On the sleeve notes it's said that this is the re-issue of an original Miltion Nascimento recording from 1980 made for the Grupo Corpo, a ballet group for whom this was composed and recorded. The guitar here is played by Milton himself, the vocal credits in the booklet are a bit confusing - my guess is that this is sung by Zezé Motta (mentioned in the booklet).

[ValdirSergio]

My mother was born in Caravelas. She was the second youngest of 13 brothers and sisters, 10 of them born in Abrolhos islands, where my grandpa, a Navy officer, was in charge of. When she was 12, they permanently moved to Rio de Janeiro, where I was born.

The song mentions my aunts, as some of the "povo alegre que vinha cortejar"., that is, when the train was arriving, my mother used to say her sisters used to run after it to see if there were any beautiful boys to court. (to be continued)

[CLAU1262]

@MUPJC 

[1540nelson]

Que emoção ouvir essa música. E pensar que nossos governates não valoriza nossas ferrovias. e nem esse meio de transporte. que pena.