Cinderela is the Portuguese word for "Cinderella". It's an instantly recognizable and enchanting word that evokes images of fairy tales and romance.
In the song, the artist, who is from the favela, falls in love with a girl from a different social background. He affectionately refers to her as his "Cinderela," highlighting her beauty and the almost magical, dream-like quality of their connection despite their differing worlds. This makes the word both charming and central to the song's narrative.
A boy from the morro opens the song walking his own streets and finding nobody who compares: "Rodo becos e viela" (I roam the alleys and the backstreets), "Mas não encontrei ninguém que tenha a beleza dela" (but I never found anyone with her beauty). The catch is where she lives. "Ela é da Zona Sul, loirinha, de olho azul" (she's from the South Zone, blonde, with blue eyes), and he names the obstacle in one flat line: "E o impasse é o pai dela" (and the problem is her father). Then he says out loud what the father is really objecting to: "Só porque eu sou neguin, moro num barraquin" (just because I'm a Black kid who lives in a little shack).
What he does about it is the good part. He never argues the point. He sends a message upstairs instead: "Fala pro teu pai que eu não quero dinheiro" (tell your dad that I don't want money), "Eu já tenho a riqueza que é você" (I already have my riches, and that's you). The proposal arrives with no build-up whatsoever: "Se quiser casar, eu caso" (if you want to get married, I will). Calling her a Cinderela is a little much, and the song half knows it. Underneath all of it the DG e Batidão Stronda beat never slows down for the sentiment.