Asa Branca is a baião song written by Luiz Gonzaga and Humberto Teixeira in 1947. It was released as a single in May 1947 on Victor, in 78 rpm format, and lasts about 2:51. The song tells of the drought in the Northeast and the migration it forces, with the asa-branca - the picazuro pigeon - symbolizing departure; the protagonist leaves his beloved Rosinha and vows to return. The most famous recording is by Luiz Gonzaga, and the tune has since appeared on many albums and compilations; Caetano Veloso covered it on his 1971 album Caetano Veloso. It is a staple of Festa Junina and, as of 2021, one of the most re-recorded Brazilian songs with hundreds of interpretations. A Volta da Asa-Branca is a sequel that celebrates the return of rain to the sertão. An English version exists as Raul Seixas’ White Wings released posthumously in 1998, and David Byrne performed an English rendition with Forro in the Dark in 2006.
