Milonga três nações
Fernanda Rosa
Guarani-Spanish version and trilingual interlude verses by Romy Martínez
Guarani version revision: Gilberto Santacruz
Special guests: A corda em si. Fernanda Rosa, voice. Mateus Costa, double-bass.
See also:
Cedar tree seedling
Walking ahead
The expat
Heavy rain
...which humbly embraced the waters of forgiveness,
I ask the people of Paraguay
"Milonga Três Nações," translated as "Three Nations Milonga," is a song by singer and songwriter Fernanda Rosa, who was born in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. She wrote it after a trip to Foz do Iguaçu in 2014. During her flight back to Florianópolis, where she currently lives, Fernanda flew over the stunning region of the Iguaçu Falls, where she could see the course of its waters flowing into the mighty Rio Paraná. The panoramic view revealed the banks of both rivers, which define the geographical borders between Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay.
Fernanda was struck by the sight of the Paraná River, its waters tinged with the reddish hue of the soil blending into the riverbanks. “The river looked like a serpent, winding and full of life. The waters of Paraná have an extraordinary force,” she recalls.
The image of the Paraná River also reminded Fernanda of the Triple Alliance War (known in Brazil as War of Paraguay), a historical conflict in the 19th century between three countries — Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay — against Paraguay. “This war turned Paraguay into a victim of an inhumane ambush, and it remains part of a past that is still very present in the lives of all Paraguayans,” she notes.
This visual experience, along with deep conversations with Romy Martínez, inspired Fernanda to create the song Milonga Três Nações. According to Fernanda, only the fresh waters of the Paraná River — which originates in the heart of Brazil, in the state of Minas Gerais, and flows through the three nations — could heal the wounds of the past. The song was written as a request for forgiveness from the Brazilian people to the Paraguayan people.
Flows of inspiration
Just as the waters of the river flow toward the sea, Milonga Três Nações emerged as a powerful stream of inspiration for the Purahéi Trio. The essence of the song aligns perfectly with the group's main objective: to unite the three neighboring nations through music.
Milonga Três Nações suggests a dialogue between the countries touched by the Paraná River. Romy decided to explore the unique expressive qualities of each language — Guarani, Spanish, and Portuguese. In the interlude, she declaims sparse verses in all three languages as a way of highlighting the lack of communication between the three countries.
The song concludes with a Guarani and Spanish version sung by Romy, responding to the song's plea for forgiveness. “Paraguay is a bilingual country, so I thought the best way to express this response would be in the two languages spoken in the country.”
The recording also features the duo A Corda em Si, formed by Fernanda Rosa (voice) and Mateus Costa (double bass). In the final stanza, the two singers alternate voices and languages, sealing the pardon from the waters of the Paraná River, which flow through and connect the three nations.
Text by Cinthya Dávila, journalist