Ponta de Areia is a Brazilian MPB classic written by Milton Nascimento and Fernando Brant and released in 1975 on the album Minas. The song tells a nostalgic story rooted in Brazil’s rail history, referencing the Bahia-Minas link and the old Maria Fumaça steam locomotive that no longer sings to girls, flowers, windows, and courtyards in the empty square. It uses the railway as a metaphor for a fading era and social memory. A notable fact is that Milton Nascimento reportedly wrote the tune almost while sleeping, finishing it during a day when he and Brant were working on another song. The track is one of Nascimento’s biggest hits and sits at the heart of the Minas album, which also features classics like Paula e Bebeto and Fé Cega, Faca Amolada.
