Brazuca Sounds

José Mauro was a singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Rio de Janeiro who recorded all of his music in a single session in 1970. That resulted in his debut album "Obnoxius", under Roberto Quartin's record label, and a second album, "A Viagem das Horas", released six years later, with the leftover songs. "Rua Dois" is from this second LP, reissued in 2021 by Far O...

In episode #93, we are celebrating the Queen Bee of Brazilian music, Maria Bethânia. She has released 50 studio albums and is among the 10 best-selling music artists in Brazil, having sold more than 26 million copies. Born on June 18th, 1946, in Santo Amaro, Bahia, we honour her 80th birthday with a song-by-song analysis of her album "Pássaro Proibido" (1976). This was the first album to...

This is the preview for a bonus episode for paid subscribers ! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Que Maravilha" , written and performed by Toquinho, featuring Jorge Ben This episode celebrates the 80th birthday of Toquinho, born Antonio Bondeolli Pecci. He started his career as a virtuoso bossa-nova guitarist, but that changed when he met Chico Buarque in Italy,...

Salve! This is the preview of our bonus episode exclusive for paid subscribers ! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Lígia" (Jobim/Buarque), performed by Tom Jobim Tom Jobim wrote this song based on a real story about a girl he met in a bar in Rio de Janeiro, who turned out to be his daughter's teacher. They were never in a relationship, but this song reflects...

In episode #93, we celebrate 50 years of Cartola's second album, released in 1976 by the record label Marcus Pereira Discus. Nearly 50 years into his career, Cartola released his debut featuring many of his early sambas and chorinhos. This follow-up is completed with songs written exclusively for this album, such as "As Rosas Não Rosam", arguably his most popular song. Among other fa...

Salve! This is a preview of our latest bonus episode exclusive for paid subscribers ! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "A Noite do Meu Bem", written and performed by Dolores Duran Dolores Duran is one of the most important figures in Brazilian music. She wasn’t just a crooner or a performer, but was also a prolific lyricist, including words written for Tom Jobim...

In episode #92, we will feature the last 25 songs that mention Brazilian places in their lyrics. This time we traveled all over Brazil with a contemporary approach, and music produced in the 1980s, 1990s, and until now. Among the artists featured are heavyweights such as Marcos Valle, Emílio Santiago, Moraes Moreira, and present-day greats like Criolo, Racionais MCs, and Ed Motta. We finished this...

Salve! This is a preview of a bonus episode exclusive for paid subscribers! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Meu Balanço", written and performed by Waltel Branco Branco was a conductor, arranger, and classical guitarist who worked with Henry Mancini in the USA and became a household composer of soundtracks to soap operas in Brazil. One of the pioneers of Brazil...

Salve! This is a preview of our latest bonus episode, available exclusively for subscribers at Patreon . Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "O Que Será?" by Chico Buarque feat. Milton Nascimento Originally written for the soundtrack to Dona Flor and her Two Husbands, and performed by the singer Simone, this song was already a massive success when its writer record...

In episode #91, we talked about the sole album of percussionist Pedro "Sorongo" Santos. Recorded in a couple of weeks in 1968, he created a distinctive sonic palette, blending Brazilian music, Latin rhythms, and jazz, all while mostly using percussion instruments invented by Sorongo. The sound is so contemporary and so ahead of its time that it resembles electronic music before electroni...

Salve! This is a preview of a bonus episode exclusive for paid subscribers ! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "A Briga do Cachorro com a Onça" by Banda de Pífanos de Caruaru Banda de Pífanos de Caruaru is a band active for over 100 years, with its first music recorded in 1972. The song "A Briga do Cachorro com a Onça" is from that debut album and recen...

This is a preview of the latest bonus episode available exclusively for subscribers at Patreon . Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Sonho Meu" (Dona Yvone Lara) performed by Maria Bethânea feat. Gal Costa The song was first recorded by Maria Bethânia in her album "Álibi" released in 1978, featuring Gal Costa, and lyrics written by Dona Ivone Lara, the f...

Salve! This is a bonus episode for paid subscribers ! Every episode is a different song. This is the song today: "Aquarela Brasileira" (Silas de Oliveira) by Martinho da Vila The intro to “Aquarela Brasileira” is perhaps the most famous ever written for Carnaval. Composer Silas de Oliveira wrote the samba-enredo in 1964 exclusively for Rio’s desfiles —the annual parades of floats and cos...

In episode #90, we explored one of the most revered albums in Brazilian music history. Recorded live between January 3rd and 6th, 1966, Os Afro-Sambas has endured decades of change and upheaval in Brazil’s musical landscape. The unlikely duo behind it—Baden Powell, a 24-year-old virtuoso guitarist of poor Afro-Brazilian origins, and Vinícius de Moraes, 51, celebrated white-diplomat songwriter of G...

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...