Calmarie – Debbie Harry on “Night Music”

One of my favorite TV shows in the late 80s was NBC’s Sunday Night (later known as Night Music). This was a late-night show that featured musicians that didn’t typically get airtime on the more mainstream programs. They featured many jazz, blues, and World Music artists playing live with the in-house band, which included hosts David Sanborn and Squeeze keyboard player Jools Holland. Here’s a link to the Wikipedia page, which shows an impressive and very eclectic lineup of guests.

For anyone with a good TV signal and a HiFi Stereo TV and/or VCR, this show was a real treat. I recorded most of the shows and transferred the performances I liked to cassette so I could listen whenever I wanted.

One of my favorite performances, embedded above, was Debbie Harry’s rendition of “Calmarie,” written by Brazilian percussionist Naná Vasconcelos. Naná’s recording of this song is very trance-like but Harry’s version takes it further– almost dreamy– which is why I liked it. (You can find Debbie Harry’s studio version on her 1989 album Def Dumb and Blonde.)

It’s cold outside here now, but whenever I hear this song it warms me up.


Calmarie (Nana Vasconselos/Maria Toledo)

Neste barco nave gando luz som e color azul desta sandade e o mar e tao calmo
solidao
neste barco nave gando luz som e amor azul desta sandade e o mar e tao calmo

solidao

Aea la la la aea la la la aea la la la aea eae e tao calmo
aea la la la, aea ea ea, la la la aea ea eae e tao calmo
solidao

On this boat navigating sunlight sound and heat and the blue of this longing that the sea is so calm
solitude
on this boat navigating sunlight sound and heat and the blue of this longing that the sea is so calm
solitude

Ah Calmarie ah Calmarie
standing ever so still
looking pretty for me
deep deep aquamarine
ah Calmarie ah Calmarie

Aea la la la aea la la la aea la la la aea eae e tao calmo
neste barco nave gando luz som e amor azul desta sandade e o mar e tao calmo
o mar e tao calmo
o mar e tao calmo

solidao

jtl