A Rough Guide To Brazilian Music : NPR

Samba has its roots in the deep drum beats common in parts of West Africa. Over time, Samba took on European and Indigenous elements and later became extremely popular throughout Brazil. In the latter half of the 18th century, two new styles of popular music were developing that many of these mixed-race musicians would be drawn to. Both dances took Brazil by storm and the composers and compositions of 18th century Minas Gerais were influential in their development to becoming Brazil’s first true popular music genre. From Samba to Sambass, and Frevo to Funk carioca, the music scene in Brazil is as varied and complex as the history of Brazil itself.

The musical melting pot

Hailing from Salvador, and rooted in the Jamaican soundsystem tradition, BaianaSystem are best seen live, where they fuse reggae and dub, Afro-Brazilian pagode and samba with electronic production to produce a blood-pumping live set. In a country with high levels of hate crimes against LBTQIA+ and few legal protections, Flora Matos subverts traditional male rap themes, and defiantly sings about a woman who’s in love with her. She may be best-known for singing ‘The Girl from Ipanema’, but Astrud had a long and successful solo career internationally. ‘Trains and Boats and Planes’ was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and showcases Gilberto’s ability to capture emotion. Gal is one of Brazil’s most well-known singers and this is one of her most famous samba tracks.

• Today, Red Bull Studios in Sao Paulo offer free studio time to budding musicians, as well as music classes from local legends, allowing talented artists from all walks of life to get into music.
• Known as ‘madrinha do samba’ (the godmother of samba), she worked with a range of legendary sambistas.
• Well-known musicians of MPB are Roberto Carlos, Daniela Mercury, and Milton Nascimento.
• Furthermore, their black parents were typically a member of a plantation or church orchestra.
• João Gilberto‘s seminal recording of “Chega de Saudade,” released in 1959, marked the birth of bossa nova and launched a musical revolution that would captivate audiences around the world.

Samba-enredo

Originally written by Belchior, it was Elis Regina’s rendition in the mid-1970s that truly captured the hearts and minds of Brazilians, embedding the song deeply into the cultural fabric of the country. Milton Nascimento, a figure of immense importance in Brazilian music, known for his unique voice and innovative compositions, here offers a message of unity and eternal bonds that transcends time and distance. Released in 1980, this song quickly became one of Nascimento’s most beloved tracks, celebrated for its poignant lyrics and the warmth of its melody.

Coco is a type of music of African influence mainly found in the Northeastern region of Brazil. This genre relies on simple musical instruments such as triangles, surdos, ganzas, and pandiros. Baiao is a type of rural music originating in the Amerindian elements of Brazil.

In the 1960s, young singers like Roberto Carlos and the Jovem Guarda movement were very popular. The 1960s also saw the rise of bands Me Gusta Reviews such as the “tropicalistas” Os Mutantes and the experimental (mixing progressive rock, jazz and Música popular brasileira) Som Imaginário. Widely influenced by the successful rappers in North American, Brazilian rap includes themes of local interest. Many Brazilian rappers criticize public policies and this tends to attract new crowds through political views.