In Brazil we celebrate Dia do Rock on June 13.
You may think about Samba and MPB when you think about Brazilian music, but rock is also big in Brazil.
I grew up listening to Brazilian rock much more than to Samba or MPB.
Here are 5 Brazilian rock bands that made history in Brazil.
Legião Urbana
Legião Urbana started in 1982 in Brasília, capital of Brazil. The band members were Renato Russo (absolutely a genius in my opinion), Marcelo Bonfá, Dado Villa-Lobos, and Renato Rocha. That’s them in the picture above.
Some of the most popular songs are Tempo Perdido, Eduardo e Mônica, and Faroeste Cabloco. You must reads the lyrics of these songs! I love them.
More than three decades ago the song Eduardo e Mônica became a big hit in Brazilian pop culture. Then in 2011 Brazilian cell phone carrier Vivo recreated the story in a short movie in partnership with Fernando Meirelles, director of City of God, The Constant Gardener, and Blindness. I wrote a post about it. You will find the lyrics with translation to English there 🙂
Meanwhile, here is another great song:
Download this Portuguese class handout
Street Smart Brazil’s Portuguese lessons are packed with cultural content, and that includes Brazilian rock!
Here is a class handout that talks about Renato Russo and Legião Urbana, and teaches you vocabulary using the lyrics of a song.
Titãs
Titãs is from São Paulo. They are extremely creative – and a little crazy 🙂
Titãs have so many great songs with great lyrics, I will not even try to list them here.
But here is their YouTube channel, now as an acoustic trio. The TBT Titãs playlist has some great old songs.
Of course, I have a couple of class handouts with songs by Titãs.
I fondly remember singing Bichos Escrotos at the top of my lungs when I was very young! Ahhhh, fun memories 🙂
Rita Lee
Rita Lee is the queen of Brazilian rock. She is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, actress, writer, and activist. She has sold more than 55 million records.
Here is a live performance from 2016:
Paralamas do Sucesso
Os Paralamas do Sucesso is a rock band from Rio de Janeiro. The band was formed in 1982. In the beginning they mixed rock with reggae; later they started to add wind instruments and Latin rhythms.
Barão Vermelho
Last but absolutely not least we have Barão Vermelho. I was so into them!
Barão Vermelho is a Brazilian rock band founded in 1981, in Rio de Janeiro. They are considered one of the four most influential Brazilian bands of all times.
Have you heard about Cazuza? He was the lead singer. Cazuza was a genius and a rebel. Unfortunately AIDS took him from us when he was still very young. There is a movie about Cazuza’s life and it is available on YouTube.
Yes, I also have a class handout about him. How would I not?
Here is Barão Vermelho performing at Rock in Rio in 1985:
What other Brazilian rock bands do you like? Share in the comments!
Your list lacks the main Brazilian rock bands: Made in Brazil, Patrulha do Espaço, O Terço, Som Nosso, Casa das Máquinas, Vímana, Ave de Veludo, and others that did not have the same media visibility as the ones you mentioned.
You are right. Some great names will certainly be left out any short list.
Engenheiros do hawaii, pouca vogal, cidadão quem, reação em cadeia are more recent brazilian rock bands. and Sepultura is thrash metal
Curti muito Engenheiros logo que eles ficaram famosos. Eu morava em Recife. Já vi show do Sepultura também. Muito bom. Ótimas dicas! Valeu!
Great Brazilian bands! How no one still didn’t mention Skank!? Garota Nacional, Resposta, Mandrake e os Cubanos, Te Ver, Dois Rios, Jackie Tequila, Vamos Fugir, Acima do Sol, just to mention some of their best songs. That could easily be my fav one, although I really like so many others as well. Cássia Eller was such a great artist too, she should never be forgotten ^^
I also do like Skank a lot 🙂 There are two many great Brazilian bands and artists to fit in one post 😉
I have only been aware of and into Brazilian music for a year – started with Sangue Latino and now i have a couple Nando Reis CDs – I have bought Babbel now and am on my way – but knowing nothing about the culture and times leaves me a little empty and a little directionless – I don’t know how to communicate my deep connection to this place I do not know – anyone’s help is appreciated – how does an outsider become not an outsider – what does anyone recommend ?
Que tal:
Capital Inicial
Plebe Rude
Irá
Os Engenheiros do Havaí
Sou um Americano que morou no Rio nos anos 86-88. Gostei bastante da música da época. Legião Urbano, Titãs, e Os Paralamas do Sucesso são favoritos meus também. Tenho muito interesse na sena de punk/rock que aconteceu em Brasília nos 80’s durante os últimos anos da ditadura e os primeiros anos do democracia. Por causa da censura da ditadura os bandas não gravaram discos, sabendo que a música era political demais. There was a lot of pent up angst and with new found freedom from censorship and a lot of great music emerged. The music from Brasília was more influenced by punk because many kids of diplomats would live for a time in England or the United States and would bring back punk records from the 70’s London and New York punk scenes. The mid-eighties Brazilian rock movement is unknown outside of Brazil. But to me, it stands up with any scene. Its emotional, angry, and passionate music deserves to be known by music lovers worldwide. Too bad it’s not.
I used to listen to all of these bands that you mentioned 🙂 A lot of great music, yes!
I recently bought the CD compilation, Psychedelic Pernambuco. It features great bands from the 70s who were from Pernambuco. I enjoyed all the songs but my favorites on the CD were by the duo, Geraldo Azevedo e Alceu Valenca. Their full duo CD is posted on YouTube. I really liked it.
Milton Nascimento is legendary. I was blessed to see him give a concert in DC about 5 to 7 years ago. I had to buy his CD box set that included his first 20 albums. All the music is good but Clube Da Esquina takes me to another place.
That is so cool to hear! Thank you for sharing this. I will look for the CD on YouTube!
The Psychedelic Pernambuco CD is posted on YouTube, too.
I have already saved it in a playlist 😉
I am a huge fan of Brazilian music and particularly the progressive and psychedelic rock of the late 60’s and 70’s. Amongst my favourite artists from that period I would include:
Os Mutantes (of course)
Bacmarte
Casa das Máquinas
Som Imaginário
Secos and Molhados
Novos Bainos
Patralha do Espaço
Módulo 1000
Lula Côrtes and Zé Ramalho
There are many, many more Jorge Ben, Caetano Veloso, Milton Nascimento, Arthur Verocai, Trio Mocotó, Banda Black Rio.The list of fantastic music from Brazil goes on and on and should in a just world be much more widely known. I certainly know it has enriched my life enormously.
Yes! Great bands and musicians in this list! I love Zé Ramalho! Have enjoyed great concerts by Jorge Ben 🙂
E aí Phil! Tem uma banda brasileira chamada Boogarins – ouviu falar deles? acho que vai gostar… As Plantas que Curam é meu albúm favorito deles.
Olá Talley. Não, eu nunca ouvi falar dessa banda. Meu conhecimento de música mais contemporânea não é tão bom. Confira algumas resenhas dos álbuns deles sobre a rate your music site e elas parecem muito intrigantes. Certamente vou ver se consigo encontrar a música deles no YouTube. Obrigado e muitas felicidades da Inglaterra
O Rappa!
Adorooooooooooooooooooooo!!!
Maravilhosa banda! A Minha Alma é uma linda canção para refletir