“Who is that woman who always sings that refrain?” Miltinho and Chico Buarque, “Angélica,” 1977
Zuzu Angel and Chico Buarque
In April 1976, Zuleika Angel Jones (Zuzu Angel) died in a car accident reported to be the result of exhaustion. Although there was much speculation by the left that her death was politically motivated, the Division of Security and Intelligence (DSI) reported that she fell asleep at the wheel due to a long day of filming and promoting content related to her fashion line. It would be another decade until public officials acknowledged the possibility of political connections to her death.
Once the news of her death reached Chico Buarque, a popular Brazilian music artist and close friend, he was moved to write a song in her honor, “Angélica.” Buarque, “known for his lyrical prose that at times managed to circumvent censors and criticize the regime,” was certain that Zuzu’s death was not accidental. In an October 1985 interview with the Cultural Center of São Paulo Radio, Buarque recounted the imminent threats Zuzu faced during her last days. “She knew of the dangers that hovered around her, she would tell us that she was sure if something happened to her, the fault would be on the same people who murdered her son.” Many parents during the Brazilian military regime could relate to the disappearance of their close ones having political implications (See: Marcos Arruda). In the song “Angélica,” Buarque conveyed the pain of a mother who never got closure for her son’s death.
Lyrics:
Quem é essa mulher // Who is this woman
Que canta sempre esse estribilho? // Who always sings this refrain?
Só queria embalar meu filho // I only wanted to rock my son
Que mora na escuridão do mar // Who lives in the darkness of the sea
Quem é essa mulher // Who is this woman
Que canta sempre esse lamento? // Who always sings this cry?
Só queria lembrar o tormento // I only wanted to remember the torment
Que fez o meu filho suspirar // That led my son to languish
Quem é essa mulher // Who is this woman
Que canta sempre o mesmo arranjo? // Who always sings the same arrangement?
Só queria agasalhar meu anjo // I only wanted to cover my angel
E deixar seu corpo descansar // And leave his body to rest
Quem é essa mulher // Who is this woman
Que canta como dobra um sino? // Who resonates like a bell?
Queria cantar por meu menino // I wanted to sing for my son
Quem é essa mulher // Who is this woman
Que canta sempre esse estribilho? // Who always sings this refrain?
Só queria embalar meu filho // I only wanted to rock my son
Que mora na escuridão do mar // Who lives in the darkness of the sea