This night is dedicated to the ‘Música Popular Brasileira’, or ‘MPB’, literally ‘Brazilian Popular Music’. We let you hear a trend in the period after the bossa nova.
It is a genre that is hard to define, it is rather a collection of styles in which modern versions of traditional Brazilian music styles like the samba and samba-canção with contemporary influences are combined with for example folk, rock and pop music. ‘Música Popular Brasileira’ can represent many forms of Brazilian music and has produced a large number of renowned Brazilian artists.
Portal Música Popular Brasíleira
Djavan.
He is a very productive Brazilian singer-songwriter who combines traditional Brazilian rhythmes with popular music from America, Europe and Africa. He could be grouped in the genres: Brazilian pop, samba, or Latin-American dance music. CD. Compilatie 12 titels Djavan. Labels: CBS; Sony; Columbia; Luanda; EMI (1978, 83, 84, 87, 93, 2000 & 2014). Video
Fourth World.
Fourth World is formed in 1990 and consists of the legendary Brazilian jazz percussionist Airto Moreira, the six-octave voice of Flora Purim, guitar player José Neto, keyboard player/flutist Jovino Santos Neto and Gary Brown on bass and some back-up vocals. The album has ten songs in a style people call neo-worldbeat. The productions vary from smooth electronic grooves, to beautiful acoustic Brazilian pop. And though the extremes between the songs are big, the balance between organic and electronics works very well. CD. Last Journey Fourth World. Label: M.E.L.T. (2000), code: BW2122. Video
Siriá.
This compilation is a good example of music styles from the Amazon region in the north of Brazil. They have been given a new sound, with nice double harmonies, and with lyrics sung in Portuguese. The band performs the South-American cumbia, samba and merengue and at the same time introduces a new form of ‘Afro-Brazilian’ music. CD. Mestre Cupijó e Seu Ritmo Siriá. Label: Analog Africa (2014), code: AACD-076. Video
Maria Bethania.
She is seen by many as one of the greatest MPB ‘Música Populair Brasileira’ singers from the history of Brazil. She started her career in Rio de Janeiro in 1964 with the show ‘Opinião’ (advice). Because of the popularity of this show, and the success of her single ‘Carcara’ from 1965, she became a star in Brazil. She released more than 30 albums up to now, including those with the work by Chico Buarque.
Chico Buarque is one of the earlier stars of the MPB ‘Música Populair Brasileira’ and one of the first who became a pop star. With his warm, nasal, elegant phrasing, and a considerable skill in lyrical writing, Chico was very popular with the women. Chico felt rather uncomfortable in this part, he wanted to be seen as a serious artist. During his career, he has succeeded to unite those two sides. He is still one of the greatest singer-songwriters and interpreter of the samba. CD. Maria Bethania interpreteert Chico Buarque (2 cd’s). Label: Wrasse Records (2007), code: wrasse-196. Video
Vinicius & Caymmi.
No Zum Zum (from 1965) is a collaboration between the bossa nova composer, singer and poet Vinicius de Moraes, samba composer and singer Dorival Caymmi, the singing group Quarteto em Cy and the orchestra Oscar Castro Neves. It is an album with sparkling bossa nova, a successful orchestration, a remarkable contribution of the xylophone, and female vocals. A beautifully powerful and simple album, which strays off a bit from the beaten tracks of the classical bossa nova. CD. No Zum Zum Vinicius & Caymmi. Label: PolyGram do Brasil / Mercury (1998), code: 848-969-2. Video
Joao Gilberto.
Guitar player/singer João Gilberto is seen as initiator of the bossa nova, because of his connection with songwriter Antônio Carlos Jobim. This album is a solo performance at the ‘Umbria Jazz Festival’, in Italy in 1996. His sound is intact and easy to recognize. He plays fourteen pieces, composed by the greatest songwriter in this genre, but also sings his own composition ‘Malaga’. The singing of Joao Gilberto is certainly soothing, and that is without doubt because of his relaxed manner of performing. CD. Live at Umbria Jazz Joao Gilberto. Label: Egea Records (2002), code: EUJ-1004. Video
Marisa Monte.
‘Mixing and matching’ is a speciality of the MPB ‘Música Populair Brasileira’. With her second album Mais (more) from 1991, Marisa Monte is no exception to the tradition. It is a clever mix of Samba and Pop Samba. Her voice on the song Ainda Lembro is nice, sober and modest. A fine album which chooses for creativity in a multi-cultural atmosphere. CD. Mais Marisa Monte. Label: World Pacific (1991), code: CDP-7-96104-2. Video
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