“Lambada” by Kaoma
Kaoma’s “Lambada” centers primarily on an individual whom the vocalist used to date. As presented, he broke her heart. But she is confident that “he will be crying”, the concept which the traditional title of this song actually points to.
Or put more simply, even though she may currently be in her feelings – heartbroken as stated earlier – the singer knows that in the long run the ex will miss her more than vice versa.
But in the meantime, she is commemorating this lost love, which “was king” at one point, by dancing the lambada.
What really is “lambada”?
Lambada is actually a type of dance, which you’d probably be better off watching the music video to understand as opposed to relying on our description.
But if you’re familiar with that Latin American move where women in short skirts are being twirled around or what have you, that’s appears to be part of the routine. It is also one performed by a couple, not solo, with the male and female gyrating pretty close to each other.
So perhaps we can say it’s a late 20th century, South American version of dirty dancing, grinding or however you want to call it.
In Conclusion
So conclusively this is a dance song with an actual storyline, as some of such tunes are designed. And said storyline is relayed from the perspective of a jilted lover who is confident that karma will one day catch up to her ex.
Kaoma
Kaoma was a one-hit wonder band from Paris, France. However, some of its members trace their origins back to the Caribbean and South America. And their one true international hit was “Lambada”, a product of Epic Records that came out on 11 July 1989.
Success of “Lambada”
This song was such a hit for instance that when it was released, it was considered to be the most-successful single from Europe ever put out by CBS Records (i.e. the parent company to Epic). For instance, it managed to sell 5,000,000 copies globally during the year of its release.
It was also a chart topper in over 15 nations – the type of critical success usually reserved for A+ list musicians. Additionally, it has been certified double-platinum in Germany, Portugal and Japan. And it was the 1989 year-end number one in Italy, Kaoma’s homeland of France and on the Eurochart Hot 100.
More Fascinating Facts
This track is an “unauthorized translation” of another entitled “Llorando Se Fue” (1981) by a Bolivian folk act called Los Kjarkas. This is a tune that had actually been heavily covered even prior to Kaoma putting their version out. But again, it was Kaoma who managed to sell a gazillion copies of it. So under such circumstances they were in fact sued, successfully, by Los Kjarkas.
This track is from Kaoma’s debut album, “Worldbeat” (1989). Being extant from the late-1980s to the late-aughts, the band managed to put out three albums altogether, all during the 20th century. And out of the trio it was only “Worldbeat”, buttressed by the success of “Lambada”, which proved to be a hit.
As an interesting but sad side note, Loalwa Braz, i.e. the woman who sang this song, was murdered in her homeland of Brazil.
This track’s music video, which was directed by Olivier Lorsac, was also filmed in Brazil, more specifically the beachside town of Trancoso. And it featured a couple of child dancers who were celebrities at the time known as Chico & Roberta.
Kaoma’s “Worldbeat” Album
Legendary French-Brazilian music group, Kaoma, released their debut album titled Worldbeat on December 16, 1989. The album was incredibly successful. It provided hit songs that topped the music charts in many European and American countries.
The album was composed of 11 singles with Spanish, English, and Portuguese lyrics. It is arguably the group’s best album.
Worldbeat topped the Billboard Latin Pop chart in 1989. The first song on the album, Lambada, sold over 5 million copies in 1989. Furthermore, it was the number 1 song in France for 12 consecutive weeks.
It has received a gold certification from U.S.A (RIAA).
The murder of Loalwa Braz (the Singer of “Lambada”)
Lead Vocalist of Kaoma group and Latin pop hit song Lambada, Loalwa Braz, passed away on January 19, 2017, at age 63.
The police found her body in a burnt-out car in her native Saquarema, Brazil, in the early hours of January 19, 2017. They arrested three alleged male suspects a few hours after finding her body.
According to the police, the three men stormed into Laolwa’s empty quarters, took advantage of the place, then beat and dragged her into her car when she passed out. The car broke down after driving for about one kilometer. The suspects then decided to burn the car, leaving Loalwa inside. Firefighters received a report about the burning car, but the singer was dead and burnt before getting there.
Among these three suspects was Wallace de Paula Vieira, the manager of the Singer’s inn at Saquarema. The police confirmed that Wallace gave contracting stories during questioning. He was subsequently made him the prime suspect for the crime. After pressing him more, Wallace confessed to the crime and was arrested and sent for a murder trial. The two other suspects were found in possession of Loalwa’s phone and credit card. They were also arrested and sent for trial.
Chico & Roberta, the Stars of the “Lambada” Music Video
Chico & Roberta was the name of one of Brazil’s young and great but short-lived music and dance pair. Two talented children from Brazil, Washington “Chico” Oliviera (10 years) and Roberta de Brito (12 years), founded the group in 1989.
Their first appearance in mainstream media was on the famous “Lambada” video clip. The lead vocalist of Kaoma composed most of Chico & Roberta’s songs. In 1990, the group recorded and released its first album, titled “Frente a Frente”.
The album had contributions from Chico and Roberta, members of Kaoma, and other talented musicians such as:
- Alan Pype
- Bonaventure
- Daniel Darras
- M. Nogeuria
The album was a huge success and was certified gold in France (SNEP).
Two tracks from the album, “Esperança do Natal” and “Frente a Frente,” topped the SNEP singles chart for numerous weeks. With a great album and most of their songs recorded in Portuguese, the group performed on television programs in several European and American countries.
Surprisingly, after these performances and album success, the children’s musical career suddenly stopped, with no relevant reasons obtained. Chico became a priest of a Protestant Church in Vila Velha. Roberta went on to work as a full-time Veterinarian in Brasilia.
