Brazuca Sounds

BONUS EP. (Chico Buarque - O Que Será?)

Salve! This is a preview of our latest bonus episode, available exclusively for subscribers at Patreon [patreon.com/brazucasounds]. 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 recorded it for his album "Meus Caros Amigos" with the subtitle "À flor da terra”. In this episode, we talked about what the song means, its context, and how Milton Nascimento ended up sharing its vocals - Nascimento also recorded “O que será? (À flor da pele)” with different lyrics. Check out the translation and links to multiple versions of the song at TranslationSmith [https://translationsmith.com/translations/qudz06skirxxva99pzblhomfptezag].

Brazuca Souns #91: Pedro Santos - Krishnanda [1968]

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 electronic music existed, or the Afrobeat before the Afrobeat, and seminal "music effects". Pedro also channeled all his musicality in search of a very spiritual theme, influenced by yoga, resulting in poetic lyrics with a mystical perspective and a unique linguistic structure. Produced by fellow percussionist Helcio Milito, of Tamba Trio fame, "Krishnanda" was a commercial failure but gained cult status in the mid-1990s.

BONUS EP. (Banda de Pífanos de Caruaru from the film "The Secret Agent" soundtrack)

Salve! This is a preview of a bonus episode exclusive for paid subscribers [patreon.com/brazucasounds]! 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 recently gained popularity as part of the soundtrack to the film "The Secret Agent", during the pivotal chase in the second-half climax of the 1977-set thriller. Banda de Pífanos de Caruaru is a family ensemble, composed of two fife players (pífanos) and four percussionists, that had a tremendous impact on Gilberto Gil and the birth of Tropicalia. The song was composed by band leader Sebastião Biano at least 30 years before its album release, a blend of forró, maracatu, and free jazz, with a sound based on a real story of a dog fighting a jaguar.

BONUS EP. (Maria Bethanea feat. Gal Costa - Sonho Meu)

This is a preview of the latest bonus episode available exclusively for subscribers at Patreon [patreon.com/brazucasounds]. 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 first woman to join the composers' crew of a samba school in Rio de Janeiro. "Sonho meu", with verses evoking freedom, hope, and nostalgia from better times, became a sort of political anthem for the return of political exiles during the Brazilian dictatorship. The song was a huge success, catapulting the album to sell more than 500,000 copies, making Bethânea the first female singer to reach this milestone in Brazil. It also opened doors for Dona Ivone Lara to finally retire from her career as a nurse and social worker, when she eventually released her debut solo album, also in 1978. Check the translation to "Sonho Meu" provided by Steve Smith from The Anvil blog, also known as Translationsmith [https://translationsmith.com/translations/sonho-meu-maria-beth].

BONUS EP. (Martinho da Vila - Aquarela Brasileira

Salve! This is a bonus episode for paid subscribers [patreon.com/brazucasounds]! 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 costumes held each February—but its extraordinary impact quickly took it beyond the Sambadrome. The song became a lasting samba classic, later recorded by artists such as Martinho da Vila. NOT TO BE confused with “Aquarela do Brasil,” from the 1930s— the first Brazilian song to become an international hit, recorded by Frank Sinatra. That song was, in fact, the inspiration for Silas de Oliveira’s “Aquarela Brasileira,” a tribute to Brazil’s many regions, cultures, and colors—hence the reference to watercolor. We discussed the two songs and their respective impact on Brazilian Carnaval.