Song released in 1956 recently went viral on social media
Composed in 1956 by Zé Gonzaga and Amorim Roxo, "Cheiro da Carolina" returned to the spotlight recently due to viral videos on the internet. Performed by Luiz Gonzaga, the King of Baião, the track, which is not among the musician's greatest hits, has become one of the most played songs in Brazilian music.
Although there is no official explanation, the track has some theories. One of them is that the lyrics, written by Luiz's brother, Zé Gonzaga, simply narrate the sweetness, mannerisms, and sensuality of the Northeastern woman, in this case synthesized through a pleasant and characteristic scent. Although consistent with the lyrics, some believe that the track actually has another connotation.
Luiz Gonzaga was also known for portraying critical and social issues in his songs, especially if they were prominent in the Northeast region of the country. With this pretext, there is an internet theory that the song is actually a critique of the widespread harassment that Northeastern women suffered at the time.
The sense imposed by this hypothesis is that men would gather around Carolina so they could smell her and invite her to dance.
The fact is that the song has entered the hall of great classics of national music. You can watch a rendition of the track by the Quinteto Violado group on WePlay Music TV, the first platform for streaming Brazilian shows.