A roundup of great masterpieces and popular songs of Brazilian music

O Mundo é um MoinhoCartola

Cartola – O Mundo É Um Moinho (Áudio – VIVA)

Cartola, the legendary musician who greatly contributed to the development of samba.

This song he created at the age of 68 is filled with both affection and sternness, like a father speaking to his daughter.

Many listeners may feel deeply moved by its poetic worldview, which gently warns that life’s sweet dreams will eventually be ground down by the mill of the world.

The piece is included on the masterpiece album Cartola II, released in 1976, and you may have heard Beth Carvalho’s cover version, which was used in the TV drama Lado a Lado.

It’s the perfect song to listen to quietly on a contemplative night.

Por SupuestoMarina Sena

MARINA SENA – POR SUPUESTO (VISUALIZER)

Singer-songwriter Marina Sena, from the north of Minas Gerais.

With a hybrid style that freely traverses MPB, pop, indie, and even street music, she’s a defining figure of the contemporary Brazilian music scene.

This track features her slightly nasal, gently wavering, sensual voice delicately sketching a bittersweet love over a pop melody.

While she’s captivated by the other person’s smile, the frustration of unrequited feelings tightens the listener’s chest.

It’s included on her solo debut album De Primeira, released in August 2021, and was also featured on the soundtrack of the TV series As Five.

The song generated buzz on social media even before its release and received massive acclaim, earning diamond certification in Brazil.

Its catchy sound should be comfortable listening even for those unfamiliar with MPB!

Beija EuMarisa Monte

Marisa Monte – Beija Eu

Marisa Monte freely traverses the traditions of Brazilian music and a contemporary pop sensibility.

Not only a singer but also an accomplished composer and producer, she has been hailed by Rolling Stone Brazil as “the most important living singer in the country.” Here, we introduce the opening track from her landmark album Mais, released in March 1991, which marked the full-fledged start of her career as a singer-songwriter.

The song, which expresses an intimate desire to gently ask a lover for a kiss, beautifully matches her whispery, translucent vocals with a subtly complex, shimmering rhythm.

Produced by Arto Lindsay and featuring contributions from Ryuichi Sakamoto, the album offers an urban, sophisticated sound that is irresistibly pleasing.

It went on to sell over 710,000 copies, cementing her reputation.

Preta pretinhaNovos Baianos

Novos Baianos – Preta pretinha

Novos Baianos, the group that led Brazil’s counterculture movement.

Centered on rock while fusing a wide range of traditional styles like samba and bossa nova, they were pivotal figures who showed new possibilities for MPB.

The piece I’m introducing today is a track from their 1972 album Acabou Chorare.

This historic masterpiece has even been ranked number one on all-time best Brazilian music lists.

Inspired by the lyricist’s real-life experience of heartbreak, the song tells a sweet yet bittersweet story, while its acoustic ensemble exudes a certain warmth—a curious charm.

Even among their music, which sang of joy in a melancholy era, this track feels especially tender, as if gently attuned to the subtleties of the human heart.

Samba de Uma Nota SóAntonio Carlos Jobim

Samba de Uma Nota Só

This is a piece by Antônio Carlos Jobim, who is also famous for giving birth to bossa nova.

Its English title is One Note Samba, and as the name suggests, it simply repeats the same note to convey a samba rhythm.

Still, as you’d expect from Jobim, it’s crafted extremely well.

As an American standard, it has been sung and loved by many singers.

Flor de LisDjavan

Djavan – Flor de Lis – versão do DVD Ária ao Vivo

For a while on the internet, the backstory of this song—namely that Djavan’s wife died together with their daughter during childbirth and that the song was composed in mourning—became a major topic.

Djavan himself later declared that this was complete nonsense; in fact, it’s a song that sings about the end of a love with a sense of brightness.

Fico Assim Sem VocêAdriana Calcanhotto

Adriana Calcanhotto – Fico Assim Sem Você (Video Clipe (Extras))

An intellectual figure representing the MPB scene, Adriana Calcanhotto created this irresistibly charming cover under her children’s music moniker.

The lyrics compare the loneliness of missing a loved one to a world where something essential has vanished from everyday life—simple yet profoundly moving.

Originally a track by a funk duo, it becomes an acoustic, warmly textured number through her lens.

Included on her 2004 album “Adriana Partimpim,” the song drew attention when its music video was nominated for a Brazilian music award in 2005.

Another cover version was also used on the children’s TV show “Carrossel.” It’s a song to play when you want to be wrapped in a gentle voice and a tender melody.