Brazuca Sounds

Salve! This is a trailer for our bonus episode exclusive for ⁠paid subscribers⁠ ! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Meu Mundo é Hoje" by Paulinho da Viola; written by Wilson Batista Paulinho da Viola once said that Wilson Batista is the best samba songwriter who ever lived, so this episode is as much about Wilson as it is about Paulinho. He was born in 1913, from the firs...

Salve! This is a trailer for our bonus episode exclusive for ⁠paid subscribers⁠ ! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "O Bêbado e a Equilibrista" by Elis Regina; written by João Bosco and Aldir Blanc This is probably the most politically charged song in Brazil, released in the late 1970s as the military dictatorship began to crumble. The song was originally written...

This is a preview of our latest monthly episode. It was initially released in full and is now available exclusively for our paid subscribers on Patreon ! In episode #85, we explored the life and work of composer, multi-instrumentalist, and musical innovator Hermeto Pascoal , who passed away in September 2025. The word “genius” is often overused, but in Hermeto’s case it feels entirely justified. A...

Salve! This bonus episode is now available for free! You can access the episode directly from here. Please consider joining us on Patreon to get more bonus eps by signing up for our ⁠paid subscription ! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Ovelha Negra" by Rita Lee A folk rock ballad about someone expelled from their home for being the "black sheep" of th...

Salve! This is a trailer for our bonus episode exclusive for ⁠paid subscribers⁠ ! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Lotus 72D" by Zé Roberto The Lotus 72D was the Formula 1 World Championship-winning car driven by Emerson Fittipaldi in 1972. Inspired by watching the 1973 Brazilian Grand Prix in his hometown of São Paulo, an up-and-coming singer-songwriter penned...

In episode #84, we talked about several debut samba albums. After Martinho da Vila and Clara Nunes topped the Brazilian charts in 1974 and continued to do so a year later, all the major record labels rushed to find their next big thing . The year 1975 marked the release of Alcione's first album, 'A Voz do Samba', on Philips. We also talked about the debuts of Giovana, Emilio Santiago,...

Salve! This is a preview for the bonus episode for ⁠paid subscribers⁠ ! Every episode is a different song. Today are two songs! "Kilariô" and "Se O Mundo Acabasse em Mel" by Di Melo After spending a couple of years living in Japan, singer/songwriter Di Melo moved back to Brazil with three songs in hand, including Kilariô and Se O Mundo Acabasse em Mel. Di Melo's 1975 self-t...

In episode #83, we are celebrating the 80th birthday of Raul Seixas [1945-1989], and the release of his fourth album, "Novo Aeon", on November 1975. The most popular Brazilian rock artist, Raul's music is characterized by intense guitar riffs, soulful vocals and blend with several music genres, including forró, baião and afrosounds. Novo Aeon is an album signifacantly inspired by Ali...

Salve! This is a bonus episode for ⁠paid subscribers⁠ ! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "O Trem das 7" by Raul Seixas Raul Seixas is a foundational figure in Brazilian rock, blending his early influences from Elvis Presley with baião, Dylanesque storytelling, and psychedelia. He died too soon, but in this episode, we're celebrating 80 years of his birthday...

In episode #82, we talked about "Paêbiru", one of the most important albums from the Brazilian Psychedelic movement. Inspired by a trip to the archaeological site of Pedra do Ingá in Northeastern Brazil, Lula and Zé Ramalho created a blend of folk experimentation, fuzz guitars, and spatial sound, mixed with Brazilian northeastern regional music. The album became a cult treasure among collectors af...

Salve! This is a preview for our bonus episode exclusive for ⁠paid subscribers⁠ ! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Homem com H" by Ney Matogrosso After disbanding Secos e Molhados, the singer Ney Matogrosso embarked on a successful solo career praised by the music critics. However, it was only with "Homem com H" from his seventh solo adventure that he...

Salve! All bonus episodes are for ⁠paid subscribers⁠ only! However, this episode is available for everybody to celebrate Novos Baianos first-ever North American tour! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Mistério do Planeta" by Novos Baianos In this bonus episode, we uncovered a song from their classic album "Acabou Chorare". Co-written by Luiz Galvão (ly...

In episode #81, we shared 25 more songs talking about Brazilian places in their lyrics, this time centred in the Northeast. We traveled to Bahia with Dorival Caymmi, João Gilberto, Novos Baianos, and more. Then we moved to Luiz Gonzaga's Pernambuco, and Jackson do Pandeiro's Paraíba, and all the other Northeastern states. Djavan sings about Alagoas, Alcione praises Maranhão, and Fagner pay...

Salve! This is a preview for a bonus episode exclusive for ⁠paid subscribers⁠ ! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Nanã" by Moacir Santos Moacir Santos was a highly influential composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist known for his innovative approach to Brazilian music, particularly his fusion of jazz with Afro-Brazilian rhythms. He mentored prominent music...

Salve! This is a bonus episode for ⁠paid subscribers⁠ ! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Manhã" by Azymuth Azymuth has been a staple in studio recordings since the early 1970s, collaborating with artists like Marcos Valle, Hyldon, Raul Seixas, and many others. In 1975, they released their debut album, propelled by the success of its opening track, “A Linha do H...

Salve! This is a previous of our latest episode. All episodes are available for only a week before becoming exclusively for ⁠⁠subscribers at Patreon⁠⁠ . In episode #80, we talked about the history of the vocal group Os Tincoãs. They introduced a new musical concept, not yet explored in Brazilian popular music: vocal arrangements for songs originating from Afro-Brazilian religious rituals, so prese...

Salve! This is a bonus episode for ⁠paid subscribers⁠ ! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Samurai" by Djavan Recently signed with RCA Victor, Djavan recorded his debut album for the label in Los Angeles, with production by Ronnie Foster. When asked about Stevie Wonder's feature on the album, Djavan revealed that he wrote “Samurai” entirely in his hotel room...

Salve! This is a trailer for the latest bonus episode for Brazuca Sounds ⁠paid subscribers⁠ ! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Falador Passa Mal" by Originais do Samba Written by Jorge Ben, the song was a megahit on the radio and TV from Originais do Samba's sixth album, released in 1973. An ensemble of six percussionists, with the same core for over a deca...

Salve! This is a previous of our latest episode. All episodes now are only available for a week before becoming exclusively for ⁠subscribers at Patreon⁠ . In episode #79, we discussed one of the best instrumental albums ever recorded. It is the Quarteto Novo's first and only album, released in 1967 via Odeon in Brazil. This album was fundamental in bringing Northeast folklore music to a nation...

Salve! This is a bonus episode for Brazuca Sounds ⁠paid subscribers⁠ ! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Emoriô" and "Naturalemente" by Fafá de Belém Today we're celebrating the first compacto (single) released in 1975 by singer Fafá de Belém. "Emoriô" was written by João Donato with lyrics by Gilberto Gil, and its Afro-Brazilian arrangem...

Salve! This is a preview to our bonus episode for ⁠paid subscribers⁠ ! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Jorge da Capadócia" by Jorge Ben April 23rd is a state holiday in Rio de Janeiro, celebrated in honor of Saint George's Day. Among his many devotees is Jorge Ben, who paid tribute to the saint in several songs, sometimes blended with Afro-Brazilian spirituality, throug...

Salve! This is a previous of our latest episode. All episodes now are only available for a week before becoming exclusively for ⁠⁠subscribers at Patreon⁠⁠ . In episode #78, we discussed Tim Maia's album Racional Volume 1 , released in 1975. By 1974, Tim Maia had become deeply involved with Cultura Racional , a spiritual philosophy he believed could "save humanity" through the teachin...

Salve! This is a bonus episode for Brazuca Sounds ⁠paid subscribers⁠ ! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Imunização Racional (Que Beleza)" by Tim Maia In 1974, Tim Maia completely overhauled the album he was recording, drawing inspiration from the book about an extraterrestrial spiritual force known as Racional Superior . The only minor hit from the two albums d...

In episode #77, we shared 25 songs explicitly talking about Brazilian places in their lyrics, from worldwide famous Corcovado and Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro, to its neighborhoods, favelas, and birth to samba. We traveled to São Paulo with Caetano, Os Mutantes, and the mango opus album released by César Camargo Maria & Cia. Then we go to Minas Gerais with Milton Nascimento and his Clube da Es...

Salve! This is a bonus episode for Brazuca Sounds paid subscribers ! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Rapaz de Bem" by Johnny Alf Johnny Alf was once described by the New York Times as "a Black pianist that helped birth Bossa Nova, and his story is rarely told", so today we're talking about a song that arguably inspired the way João Gilberto played his guitar and Tom Job...