Brazuca Sounds

Salve! This is a bonus episode for paid subscribers! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Atalaia" by Guilherme Coutinho Guilherme Coutinho was an obscure keyboardist from Belém, in Brazil’s Amazon region. “Atalaia” first appeared in 1978 on Guilherme Coutinho e o Grupo Stalo , released by his hometown radio station’s label. It's a laid-back song with an atmosp...

In episode #89, we discussed some of the best Brazilian albums released in 2025. Among the albums discussed were BaianaSystem, Alberto Continentino, and Seu Jorge, with his first album in 10 years. We also discussed singer-songwriter Luedji Luna and her two albums released in 2025; the latest album from Jadsa, the psychedelic duo Parque do São; millenial singer songwriter Rubel; and the new album...

Salve! This is a preview of our bonus episode exclusive for paid ⁠⁠subscribers⁠⁠ ! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Onda" by Cassiano Released on the third Cassiano album, Cuban Soul-18 Kilates, from 1976, "Onda" was never a big hit in Brazil until it found success through hip-hop samples. Combining Brazilian rhythms with American soul and funk elemen...

Salve! This is a bonus episode available for all! Subscribe to our Patreon to unlock all of our archive of bonus eps! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Boas Festas" written by Assis Valente This is the quintessential Brazilian Christmas song. Samba songwriter Assis Valente wrote it in 1932 while living alone, far from his family, in a boarding house in the subur...

This is a preview of our latest monthly episode. It was initially released in full and is now available exclusively to our subscribers on Patreon⁠ . In episode #88, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Refazenda , the landmark album released by Gilberto Gil in 1975. Conceived as a return to his Northeastern roots, the record marked a decisive shift away from the Tropicalia movement and the more ro...

Salve! This is a preview of our bonus episode exclusive for paid ⁠subscribers⁠ ! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Carinhoso" written by Pixinguinha and João de Barros Considered one of the most important Brazilian songs of all time, "Carinhoso" was written by flutist/saxophonist Pixinguinha in 1917 as an instrumental piece. However, it was not until t...

In episode #87, we celebrate 45 years of the album "Feminina" released by Joyce Moreno in 1980. Arguably, her most important work, with feminist ideas ahead of her time, especially considering the Brazilian socio-political context. A jack of all trades, Joyce wrote all the lyrics and plays the guitar beautifully, enhanced by her charming voice. Among the album's highlights are "Feminina", an inter...

Salve! This is a preview of our bonus episode for paid ⁠subscribers⁠ ! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Deixa Eu Dizer" by Claudia (Ivan Lins/Ronaldo Bastos) This month, we're celebrating the work of Ivan Lins, who turned 80 years old in June. Another song, written by Ronaldo Bastos and featuring music by Ivan Lins, that criticizes the military regime through metaphors....

Salve! This is a trailer of our bonus episode for ⁠subscribers⁠ ! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Abre Alas" by Ivan Lins This month, we're celebrating the work of Ivan Lins, who turned 80 years old in June. With lyrics written by Vitor Martins, "Abre Alas", from the album Modo Livre , is one of the most important songs during the military regime...

Salve! This is a bonus episode for ⁠subscribers⁠ ! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: Clube da Esquina No2 by Lô Borges (Borges/Nascimento) In 1969, Milton Nascimento and teenager Lô Borges wrote the song "Clube da Esquina" for the album "Milton"(1970). Two years later, they released a sequel, written for their 1972 eponymous album , which tops many list...

In episode #86, we will feature 25 more songs that mention Brazilian places in their lyrics, this time centered in the Amazon region, the Midwest, and the South. We traveled to Amazonas with João Donato, Fafá de Belém, and more. Then we moved to the Midwest with Ney Matogrosso and discussed the origins of sertanejo country music in Brazil, especially in the "Brazilian Texas" of Goiás We...

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...