Brazuca Sounds

Salve! This is another bonus episode of Brazuca Sounds! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Vale Tudo" by Sandra Sá featuring Tim Maia from Vale Tudo (1983) One may argue that "Vale Tudo" is the most popular Brazilian song from the 1980s. Tim Maia wrote it exclusively for Sandra Sá, who initially thought it was a pranking call. Although Sandra was already a successful funk-...

In episode #61 we talk about singer, songwriter, guitarist, actor, and comedy writer Arnaud Rodrigues. One of the most underrated Brazilian musicians from the 1970s, Arnaud has released, at least, three classics under his belt: "Murituri" (1974) released under his name; "Baiano & os Novos Caetanos" (1974), as a duo with comedian wizard Chico Anysio; and "Som do Paulinho" (1976) released under...

Salve! This is another bonus episode of Brazuca Sounds! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Canto de Ossanha" by Vinícus e Baden from Os Afrosambas (1966) Considered the first recording in Brazilian music to incorporate Candomblé instruments, such as the atabaques , agogô , and afoxé into traditional elements of orchestration.  With lyrics written by Vinícus and music...

Salve! This is a bonus episode of Brazuca Sounds! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Como Nossos Pais" by Elis Regina from Falso Brilhante (1976) Written by Belchior, and brilliantly performed by Elis, this is the definitive song about conflicts between generations. The song also encapsulates perfectly the historical and social context of the time and the anguish of youth...

In this episode, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Cartola's debut album released in 1974. Nearly 50 years after beginning his career, Cartola released his first album featuring 12 songs of the more than 100 he wrote during his lifetime. Recorded in February and March 1974, the album was released by the independent label Discos Marcus Pereira. We talk about Cartola's upbringing as a musici...

Salve! This is another bonus episode of Brazuca Sounds! This is the song today: "Acorda, Amor" by Chico Buarque from Sinal Fechado (1974) Chico Buarque was so targeted by censorship in the mid-1970s that all lyrics he submitted for government approval were denied. He then decided to release an album with songs from his songwriter friends, and a mysterious newcomer among them named Julinho de Adela...

Salve! This is a bonus episode of Brazuca Sounds! "O Sol Nascerá" by Cartola from Cartola (1974) Cartola released his debut album only at the age of 65, after spending four decades writing songs credited to other singers. Then his work was rediscovered by the bossa-nova circle, followed by samba's biggest names. He co-wrote "O Sol Nascerá" with Elton Medeiros, an uplifting song that defined their...

In this episode, we talk about the record label Continental and their (allegedly) melted albums. After the label ran out of Secos e Molhados LPs to sell in 1973, and the lack of raw material during the global oil crisis (and the Brazilian dictatorship's terrible administration), they decided to melt their back catalog to press them into new Secos e Molhados.  Whether is factually hard to prov...

Salve! This is a PREVIEW of our bonus episode for paid subscribers. Access now at patreon.com/brazucasounds This is the song today: "Na Boca do Sol" by Arthur Verocai (1972) In this episode, we break down the lyrics, music, production, and everything about the song. "Na Boca do Sol" was released in Arthur Verocai's masterpiece debut album, only to find a big commercial failure. Then his work was r...

In episode #58, we continue our celebration of albums released 50 years ago in 1973. This year we made specials about the albums released by João Donato, Marcos Valle, Tom Jobim, Gal Costa, Secos e Molhados, and more. Now is the time to discuss some of the most overlooked albums from 1973, from the brilliant debuts of Luiz Melodia and Gonzaguinha (pictured) to the crazy Northeast psychedelia of Sa...

In episode #57 we discussed three Brazilian rock artists that broke in 1973: Secos e Molhados, Raul Seixas, and Novos Baianos. The debut album of Secos e Molhados was a phenomenon in sales like never seen before; their blend of rock, pop, baroque, and poetry made them the first Beatlemania-esque in Brazil. Raul Seixas and his debut also cemented him as a rock icon that even stands today; Novos Bai...

In episode #56 we discuss one of the most important Brazilian record labels: Elenco. Founded in 1963 by Aloysio de Oliveira with the ambition of becoming the best bossa-nova label in the country, Elenco put together a constellation of big names and released a crazy amount of bossa-nova classics. We'll talk about albums from superstars Vinicius de Moraes, Roberto Menescal, Sylvia Telles, Edu Lo...

In episode #55 we celebrate the album "Índia", released by Gal Costa in July 1973. The album’s controversial cover was banned by the Brazilian military regime upon its release, but that was just one of the reasons it became so iconic. Gal Costa distanced herself from the Tropicália movement in "Índia" (like all her peers before her), showcasing a more stripped-down sound, influenced by folk (and f...

In episode #54, we tell the history of the most popular music genre in Brazil connected to the Northeast: forró. We also cover all its subtle variances, in genres like baião, xote, xaxado, and maracatu. We'll talk about key artists in forró such as Luiz Gonzaga, Jackson do Pandeiro, Sivuca, and Dominguinhos, the female queens Marinês and Carmélia Alves, and the megahits from names like Ary Lobo, J...

In episode #53 we celebrate the album "Matita Perê" by Tom Jobim, released in May 1973 by Philips. Considered one of the inventors of bossa-nova, Jobim had astronomical success in Brazil and abroad (especially the USA), so for this album, he decided to explore new territories. Produced and arranged by German composer Claus Ogerman, he came up with a complex mix of nature-inspired sounds, Brazilian...

In episode #52 we talk about the album "Milagre dos Peixes" by Milton Nascimento, released in August 1973. Following the success of "Clube da Esquina" in 1972 Milton reunited with his band Som Imaginário to produce a follow-up as good (or better) than his previous masterpiece. "Milagre dos Peixes" had its lyrics heavily censored by the military regime, so it became an...

In episode #51 we discussed the impact of soap opera soundtracks on the Brazilian music industry. The scores were very often written/produced by big names such as Roberto Carlos/Erasmo Carlos, Marcos Valle, Baden Powell, and Vinícius de Moraes. We'll be playing songs performed by Osmar Milito, Chico Batera, Banda Black Rio, Lincoln Olivetti, and obscure jams from Kris & Cristina, Sonia Burnier...

In episode #50 we celebrate the album "Previsão do Tempo" by Marcos Valle, released in September 1973 by Odeon. After experimenting with different bands, and a handful of soundtracks under his name, Marcos Valle came up with his album masterpiece according to many critics. Backed up by the trio Azymuth, "Previsão do Tempo" is a blend of Brazilian MPB, with funk, soul, pop, and jazz, with a high vo...

In episode #49, we introduce a new wave of Brazilian music by presenting albums released in 2023 by Iara Rennó (pictured), Rodrigo Campos, and Bike. They all come out of São Paulo, summarizing a great variety of different genres, styles, and sounds historically being produced by the big city. Then we also quickly review the latest work by artists such as Glue Trip (Paraíba), Bala Desejo (Rio de Ja...

In episode #48, we expand on the Brazilian soul and funk from  Episode #11 and Episode #12 . We put together a list of great albums influenced by soul, funk and disco blended with the touch of regional rhythms. Among the artists discussed are Som Nosso de Cada Dia, União Black, Zeca do Trombone e Roberto Sax, Franko Xavier, Abaeté, Don Beto, and the megahits "Black Coco" by Painel de Controle...

In episode #47 we celebrate the album "Quem é Quem" by João Donato, released 50 years ago in September 1973. After a terrible divorce, Donato left the United States after 12 years and put together a great group of musicians, songwriters, and producers. A master on the piano (and accordion), "Quem é Quem" also shows João Donato singing for the first time, and playing the Fender...

In episode #46, we talk about Samba-Enredo, a sub-genre of modern samba made specifically for Carnaval. "Samba-enredo" translates literally as samba-theme, played by a samba school to narrate a historical event in a lyrical form. Over the years, however, many of those songs became popular beyond the Carnaval parade in February, even being recorded by famous artists. We introduce you to some of the...

In episode #45, we tell the history of samba in Brazil over 100 years. From its early days and songwriters like Noel Rosa, Ismael Silva (pictured), and "the singer of the masses", Orlando Silva, to more contemporary samba-makers such as João Nogueira, Candeia, and Zeca Pagodinho. We also play indispensable songs from Cartola, Carlos Cachaça, Adoniran Barnosa, and Bezerra da Silva by discussing the...

In episode #44, we celebrate the music of Nara Leão. Amongst one the pioneers of the bossa-nova movement in Rio de Janeiro, Nara Leão transcended the music genre. Considered by many the "Muse of Bossa Nova", Nara decided to distance herself from any label imposed by the media, blending the voice of favelas into her music by recording songs composed by legendary samba songwriters such as...

In episode #43, we celebrate the life of Pelé through the music that celebrated his football brilliance. During his life playing for Brazil and Santos, Pelé inspired songs from a variety of artists, such as Wilson Simonal, Jackson do Pandeiro, Caetano and, Gilberto Gil. Pelé, who also played the cavaquinho and guitar, was an avid songwriter and released albums partnered up with the likes of Elis R...