In episode #88, we celebrate 50 years of the album "Refazena" released by Gilberto Gil in 1975. The album was intended as a return to Gilberto Gil's Northeastern roots, moving him away from Tropicalia and the more rock 'n' roll period in his life. "Refazenda" relies on several collaborations with accordion great, Dominguinhos, who co-wrote songs such as "Tenho Sede" and "Lamento Sertanejo". The switch was well received by the audience, turning Refazenda into Gilberto Gil's biggest commercial success, which in turn led to its famous trilogy (along with Refavela and Realce). Check Translationsmith for the translation of many songs from the album. Follow our playlist Brazuca Sounds Soundtrack with over 50 hours of music on Spotify.
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Every episode is a different song. This is the song today:
"Carinhoso" written by Pixinguinha and João de Barros
Considered one of the most important Brazilian songs of all time, "Carinhoso" was written by flutist/saxophonist Pixinguinha in 1917 as an instrumental piece. However, it was not until the 1930s, with added lyrics by João de Barros and a vocal performance by Orlando Silva, that it achieved its acclaim.
A perfect combination between musical structure and poetic narrative, "Carinhoso" is the most recorded Brazilian song according to ECAD, with iconic performances from Elizeth Cardoso, Baden Powell, Tom Jobim, Hermeto Pascoal, and more. We told the story behind the lyrics, different arrangements, the ahead-of-time structure, and Pixinguinha, who eventually became one of the most revered music composers from Brazil.
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Every episode is a different song. This is the song today:
"Deixa Eu Dizer" by Claudia (Ivan Lins/Ronaldo Bastos)
This month, we're celebrating the work of Ivan Lins, who turned 80 years old in June. Another song, written by Ronaldo Bastos and featuring music by Ivan Lins, that criticizes the military regime through metaphors. The song passed by as a love song at the time due to Claudia's charming voice.
A fantastic singer, she spent the 1970s in the shadow of many female singers (Elis Regina, Gal Costa, Maria Bethania). Still, her performance of "Deixa Eu Dizer" is an absolute banger, blending samba beats and a funky groove. This version regained enormous success when samba/rapper Marcelo D2 used it as a sample in the 2000s. Ivan Lins recorded the song on his album Modo Livre. Check the translation of "Deixa Eu Dizer" with our friends at Translationsmith.
In episode #87, we celebrate 45 years of the album "Feminina" released by Joyce Moreno in 1980. Arguably, her most important work, with feminist ideas ahead of her time, especially considering the Brazilian socio-political context. A jack of all trades, Joyce wrote all the lyrics and plays the guitar beautifully, enhanced by her charming voice.
Among the album's highlights are "Feminina", an intergenerational conversation between mother and daughter; "Clareana", written as a lullaby song for her young daughters; and "Aldeia de Ogum", rediscovered by DJs in the 1990s. "Essa Mulher" also became a trademark song performed by Elis Regina, a song that encapsulates the "feminine" album theme of motherhood and sexual desire.
Check Translationsmith for a full translation of "Clareana", and don't forget to follow our Brazuca Sounds playlist on Spotify with over 50 hours of music
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Every episode is a different song. This is the song today:
"Abre Alas" by Ivan Lins
This month, we're celebrating the work of Ivan Lins, who turned 80 years old in June. With lyrics written by Vitor Martins, "Abre Alas", from the album Modo Livre, is one of the most important songs during the military regime in Brazil.
A respected pianist, who wrote big hits before, such as "Madalena", performed by Elis Regina, this song was a breakthrough for Ivan Lins also as a performer with the mainstream audience when it topped the charts in 1974. "Abre Alas" describes a Carnaval parade as a metaphor to get his message across without censorship. The orchestral arrangements were written by Arthur Verocai
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Every episode is a different song. This is the song today:
Clube da Esquina No2 by Lô Borges (Borges/Nascimento)
In 1969, Milton Nascimento and teenager Lô Borges wrote the song "Clube da Esquina" for the album "Milton"(1970). Two years later, they released a sequel, written for their 1972 eponymous album, which tops many lists of the best Brazilian records of all time. "Clube da Esquina No2" was entirely instrumental, with lyrics added seven years later, which became the most poignant song against the military regime.
This second version was recorded by Lô Borges in 1979 on his album Via Láctea. In this episode, we tell the history of it all, from music to lyrics, and everybody involved in producing one of the best Brazilian songs ever recorded. The episode is a tribute to the brilliant Lô, who was 19 when he wrote the song, and passed away in November at the age of 73.
Check the translation for the lyrics of Clube da Esquina No2 with Translationsmith.
In episode #86, we will feature 25 more songs that mention Brazilian places in their lyrics, this time centered in the Amazon region, the Midwest, and the South. We traveled to Amazonas with João Donato, Fafá de Belém, and more. Then we moved to the Midwest with Ney Matogrosso and discussed the origins of sertanejo country music in Brazil, especially in the "Brazilian Texas" of Goiás
We finished this episode in the South region, the land of Elis Regina, bossa master Luiz Henrique, and where Caetano Veloso wrote a very special song. Check the Translationsmith for translations!
A Trip to Brazil in 100 Songs: PART 1 and PART 2
Listen to our playlist 'A Trip to Brazil'
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Every episode is a different song. This is the song today:
"Meu Mundo é Hoje" by Paulinho da Viola;
written by Wilson Batista
Paulinho da Viola once said that Wilson Batista is the best samba songwriter who ever lived, so this episode is as much about Wilson as it is about Paulinho. He was born in 1913, from the first generation of samba songwriters, but never recorded an album, even though he wrote more than 500 songs. Wilson (pictured) did not play instruments, and he became known as the matchbox songwriter, for writing songs playing with a matchbox as percussion instead.
Wilsons' claim to fame in Brazil was his beef with Noel Rosa in the 1920s, which gave us brilliant sambas about their turbulent relationship. However, as anyone would tell, including Paulinho da Viola, Wilson Batista was more than that, is "O Meu Mundo Hoje" is the epitome song to prove it.
Check the lyrics translation at Translationsmith.
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Every episode is a different song. This is the song today:
"O Bêbado e a Equilibrista" by Elis Regina; written by João Bosco and Aldir Blanc
This is probably the most politically charged song in Brazil, released in the late 1970s as the military dictatorship began to crumble. The song was originally written as a tribute to Charlie Chaplin, who had just died. Still, with its lyrics full of symbolic attacks on the government, it became an informal anthem pledging for a law responsible for bringing back to the country the political activists exiled by the regime.
The song is a symbol of this resistance, enhanced by the brilliant performance of Elis Regina. Due to its high volume of metaphors, we recommend listening to the episode and checking the lyrics translation, provided by our friend Steven Smith at his website Translationsmith.
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In episode #85, we discussed the composer, multi-instrumentalist, and musical innovator Hermeto Pascoal, who passed away in September 2025. The word "genius" is often misused, but it applies perfectly to describe the music of Hermeto, who once said, "There is music in everything; you just gotta find it."
We tried to summarize his vast discography, talking about some of his fundamental albums, such as "Zambumbê-bum-á", his previous work with Quarteto Novo, and we also shared clips from the amazing documentary "Hermeto Campeão".
Follow the accompanying playlist on Spotify and our archive playlist, Brazuca Soundstrack.
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Every episode is a different song. This is the song today:
"Ovelha Negra" by Rita Lee
A folk rock ballad about someone expelled from their home for being the "black sheep" of the family suddenly became an anthem for the youth. "Ovelha Negra" also catapulted Rita Lee to stardom in Brazil, no longer an ex-Mutantes with a niche-oriented rock n' roll career, to eventually become the Queen of Brazilian pop. Nonetheless, many believe this song was not about the relationship with her father at all, but instead a direct response to her former bandmates. Closing the album "Fruto Proibido", Rita Lee was backed by her band Tutti Fruti, whose guitarist, Luis Sergio Carlini, came up with one of the most iconic rock solos in Brazilian music.
Check Translationsmith for a full translation of "Ovelha Negra" performed by Rita Lee, and hundreds of other Brazilian songs.
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Every episode is a different song. This is the song today:
"Lotus 72D" by Zé Roberto
The Lotus 72D was the Formula 1 World Championship-winning car driven by Emerson Fittipaldi in 1972. Inspired by watching the 1973 Brazilian Grand Prix in his hometown of São Paulo, an up-and-coming singer-songwriter penned a song about the iconic car.
Released as a single by RCA Victor, the track failed to gain much attention at the time. However, a sped-up version of the original resurfaced online in the 2000s, sparking renewed interest. In this episode, we attempt to unravel the mystery behind Zé Roberto and his recording of "Lotus 72D."
In episode #84, we talked about several debut samba albums. After Martinho da Vila and Clara Nunes topped the Brazilian charts in 1974 and continued to do so a year later, all the major record labels rushed to find their next big thing. The year 1975 marked the release of Alcione's first album, 'A Voz do Samba', on Philips. We also talked about the debuts of Giovana, Emilio Santiago, Agepê, Leci Brandão, and Sonia Santos. We discussed the megahit "Moça", the song of the year performed by samba-rocker Wando, and even some obscure jams such as Milena, Aloisio Machado, and Avan Samba. The year 1975 marked the year when samba became officially mainstream, incorporating arrangements from MPB and replacing traditional percussion. Follow our playlist Brazuca Sounds Soundtrack on Spotify.
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Every episode is a different song. Today are two songs!
"Kilariô" and "Se O Mundo Acabasse em Mel" by Di Melo
After spending a couple of years living in Japan, singer/songwriter Di Melo moved back to Brazil with three songs in hand, including Kilariô and Se O Mundo Acabasse em Mel. Di Melo's 1975 self-titled album, release by Odeon, became a seminal work in Brazilian funk and soul music, featuring contributions from renowned musicians like Hermeto Pascoal, who plays the clavinet in both songs.
"Kilariô", became a minor hit with its syncopated groove and infectious energy, but the sespite the success in, Di Melo faced issues with the music industry, leading to a period of obscurity. Also check our friends at Translationsmith for a full translation of this and other Brazilian songs.
In episode #83, we are celebrating the 80th birthday of Raul Seixas [1945-1989], and the release of his fourth album, "Novo Aeon", on November 1975. The most popular Brazilian rock artist, Raul's music is characterized by intense guitar riffs, soulful vocals and blend with several music genres, including forró, baião and afrosounds. Novo Aeon is an album signifacantly inspired by Alistair Crowley in its lyrics, with the exploration of themes such as individualism, sexual liberation and freedom.
We also explored Raul Seixas' music by talking about all four albums written in partnership with bestselling author Paulo Coelho. We talked about all of Raul's chameleon portraits: the hitmaker, the esoteric, the storyteller, the rockstar, the alcoholic, the copycat, the madman, the activist, the human.
Follow our playlist Brazuca Sounds Soundtrack on Spotify.
Check Translationsmith for the translation of Brazilian lyrics.
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Every episode is a different song. This is the song today:
"O Trem das 7" by Raul Seixas
Raul Seixas is a foundational figure in Brazilian rock, blending his early influences from Elvis Presley with baião, Dylanesque storytelling, and psychedelia. He died too soon, but in this episode, we're celebrating 80 years of his birthday on June 28th, 1945. "O Trem das 7" is a metaphorical song about transformation, judgment, and a "spiritual awakening", evoking his readings of esoteric philosopher Alistair Crowley.
The song is among the several great hits from his 1974 album "Gita", which sold over 600 thousand copies. Over the years Raul also broke cultural norms and became a cult-followed, Forrest Gump-like figure in Brazilian pop culture.
Check Translationsmith for a full translation of "O Trem das 7".
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Every episode is a different song. This is the song today:
"Homem com H" by Ney Matogrosso
After disbanding Secos e Molhados, the singer Ney Matogrosso embarked on a successful solo career praised by the music critics. However, it was only with "Homem com H" from his seventh solo adventure that he claimed mainstream success. A blend of pop and forró and a sappy vocal performance by Matogrosso, this was a defiant song in 1980s Brazil, when the country started to cease its military regime. "Homem com H" became such a popular song that it was recently titled the Ney Matogrosso biopic released on Netflix (although in English received the title "Latin Blood").
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In episode #82, we talked about "Paêbiru", one of the most important albums from the Brazilian Psychedelic movement. Inspired by a trip to the archaeological site of Pedra do Ingá in Northeastern Brazil, Lula and Zé Ramalho created a blend of folk experimentation, fuzz guitars, and spatial sound, mixed with Brazilian regional music from the Northeast.
The album became a cult treasure among collectors after a flood submerged the record label's factory, causing the loss of almost all the original vinyl pressings of the original batch. Follow our playlist Brazuca Sounds Soundtrack on Spotify.
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Every episode is a different song. This is the song today:
"Mistério do Planeta" by Novos Baianos
In this bonus episode, we uncovered a song from their classic album "Acabou Chorare". Co-written by Luiz Galvão (lyrics) and Moraes Moreira (music), with vocal performances by Paulinho Boca de Cantor,. "Mistério do Planeta" embodies perfectly their collective spirit and their fusion of MPB, samba, and psychedelia.
Our friend Steve Smith at Translationsmith did another amazing job with a full translation of the lyrics. "Mistério do Planeta" is about embracing one's true self and navigating life's journey with a sense of mystery and freedom.
Don't miss Novos Baianos playing in North America.
In episode #81, we shared 25 more songs talking about Brazilian places in their lyrics, this time centred in the Northeast. We traveled to Bahia with Dorival Caymmi, João Gilberto, Novos Baianos, and more. Then we moved to Luiz Gonzaga's Pernambuco, and Jackson do Pandeiro's Paraíba, and all the other Northeastern states. Djavan sings about Alagoas, Alcione praises Maranhão, and Fagner pays homage to his Ceará.
Check the Translationsmith for lyrics translations.
Follow our playlist 'A Trip to Brazil' on Spotify.
Follow our playlist Brazuca Sounds Soundtrack on Spotify.