A roundup of great masterpieces and popular songs of Brazilian music
If your knowledge of Brazilian music is limited to stylish, relaxing bossa nova you hear at cafés or the samba played during Carnival, this article is a must-read! Brazil is a vast, multiethnic country with a wide range of musical styles—so many, in fact, that when you include subgenres, the variety is astonishing.
In this piece, we’ve researched and compiled a selection focused on classic Brazilian standards and historically significant masterpieces.
Give these tracks a listen, and your image of Brazilian music might just change!
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Great and Popular Masterpieces of Brazilian Music (81–90)
ClareanaJoyce Moreno
Released in 1980, this is a work by the Brazilian acoustic group Joyce.
Hailing from Rio de Janeiro and known as the Queen of MPB (Brazilian Popular Music), Joyce’s songs feature a clear, cool voice and are referred to as part of the second generation of bossa nova.
Fool on the HillSergio Mendes & BRASIL’66
Included on Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66’s fourth album, this 1968 work is a cover of The Beatles.
By arranging a universally known song in bossa nova style, it created a sense of freshness and helped spread bossa nova around the world.
BerimbauVinícius de Moraes & Toquinho
Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art that traces its origins to the Black slaves brought from Africa long ago.
At the heart of its accompaniment is the berimbau, which is also the title of this piece.
Created so as not to arouse the suspicion of white overseers, this martial art appears at first glance to be a dance, and this song conveys its indomitable spirit.
Samba da Minha TerraDorival Caymmi
Titled “Samba of My Homeland,” this piece is by Dorival Caymmi, a master of the Bahia school who greatly influenced Brazilian music.
Inspired by the samba dance, it was released in 1957 and remains a beloved classic to this day.
BrasileirinhoWaldir Azevedo
A 1947 song famous as the most successful and influential piece of choro music.
Characterized by rapid picking played on a small guitar called the cavaquinho, similar to a ukulele, the piece has been performed by many musicians.