The popular music genre from the mid-60s in Brazil, the MBP (also know as Brazilian Popular Music in English) was inspired by the Brazilian Bossa Nova, American Jazz and classical music with a group of young musicians living in Rio de Janeiro willing to stand out during the period of military repression.
For that reason, is so characteristic the classical fingerpicking nylon guitar, piano and a voice. In additions, the lyrics usually narrate around the topics of nostalgia, true love, passion for the Brazilian landscape and the political issues during the 60s.
Here are 5 artists to fall in love for the Brazilian MPB:
Garota de Ipanema (The Girl From Ipanema) by Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes
Composed by Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes in 1962, the song portraits a girl that used to live in Ipanema and she was so pretty walking around the neighbourhood. The song received the Grammy Awards for the Record of the Year in 1965. The track is also known as “lift song” and it’s the second most recorded song of all-time, losing just for “Yesterday” by Beatles. Artists such as Frank Sinatra, Amy Winehouse, Cher and Madonna already sang Garota de Ipanema during their concerts.
Alegria, Alegria (Joy, Joy) by Caetano Veloso
Inspired by tropical and the distortion guitars from the Beatles, Caetano portraits the repression from the military government in Brazil during the 60s, the violence against artists and how the people need the freedom to claim their rights.
Construção (Construction) by Chico Buarque
Elected by the Rolling Stone as the Brazilian best song ever made, the track portraits a man during just a regular day until he suffers an accident in his job as a constructor. Buarque wrote this song when he returned to Brazil in the 70s after was banned by the military government, however, during an interview, he said that wasn’t his intention to write the song as a form of expression against the government, but as if he was building something, brick by brick.
Chega de Saudade by João Gilberto
Gilberto wrote this song that portraits the melancholy of missing someone that he loves. The track is also made only by nylon guitars and voice. “Saudade“ is an exclusive Brazilian Portuguese word that is lost in translation, but it means that you miss something that you really like.
O Mundo é Um Moinho (The World is a Mill) by Cartola
The song portraits a young girl starting her life dealing with challenges. With tons of root from Samba, Cartola wrote this song as a homage to his daughter, Creuza, that is also a famous singer.
