Quem dá mais?

Noel Rosa's song "Quem dá mais?" is a satirical take on the commercialization and commodification of Brazilian culture and identity. The song is structured as an auction, where various elements of Brazilian life and heritage are put up for sale to the highest bidder. This format allows Rosa to critique the way cultural and historical artifacts, as well as people, are valued in monetary terms rather than for their intrinsic worth.

The first verse introduces a mulata, a woman of mixed race, who is described with a mix of admiration and criticism. She is praised for her skills in samba and batucada, traditional Brazilian music and dance forms, but also labeled as vain and deceitful. This duality reflects the complex social dynamics and stereotypes surrounding race and gender in Brazil. The auctioneer's call for bids highlights the objectification and commodification of the mulata, reducing her to a mere item for sale.

In the second verse, a broken guitar that supposedly belonged to historical figures like Dom Pedro and José Bonifácio is auctioned off. This verse serves as a metaphor for the neglect and pawnshop fate of Brazil's cultural heritage. The guitar, despite its illustrious past, is now just another item to be sold, emphasizing the loss of historical value in the face of economic transactions.

The final verse offers a samba, a quintessentially Brazilian musical form, stripped of its complexity and reduced to a simple refrain. This symbolizes the oversimplification and commercialization of cultural expressions. The song ends with a poignant question about the auctioneer, who is also Brazilian, selling off the entire country in three lots. This closing line underscores the theme of self-exploitation and the loss of national identity in the pursuit of profit.