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BOSSA NOVA, TROPICÁLIA, AND THE RISE OF

MÚSICA POPULAR BRASILEIRA (MPB)

Jeff Packman, PhD University of Toronto

MPB •  Música Popular Brasileira •  “Popular”? Varied uses, but typically: •  Eclectic, hybrid, urban, middle-class •  “Boa música, música de qualidade” •  Post bossa nova •  E.g., Elis Regina, Caetano Veloso,

Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Maria Rita, Marisa Monte, Lenine…

•  But before this…

Brazilian Music into the 1950s •  Carnival Samba reigns as national music/

dance •  Numerous other sambas and “regional”

musics •  Influx of international music incl. jazz •  Samba canção is widely popular (Carmen

Miranda, Ary Barroso, Dorival Caymmi) •  Venues include big auditoriums, theaters, etc. •  Big arrangements, big voices

Brazil’s National Music and Dance

•  Samba •  “Nos Podemos…Oito

Ideas para Mudar o Mundo”

•  G.R.E.S. Portela •  Samba Enredo (theme

samba) from carnival in Rio de Janeiro

Samba de Morro

•  “Piedade” trad. Rec. 1966 •  Clementina de Jesus

(1901-1987) •  Cavaquinho, pandeiro,

atabaque, palmas •  Strong influence on

Carnival samba •  Associated with poorer

classes

Samba Canção •  “A Vizinha do Lado” (1955) •  Dorival Caymmi •  Cavaquihno, pandeiro, violão,

trombone, clarinet, violins, acoustic bass

•  Elaborated orchestration and arrangements

•  Appeals to middle and upper classes

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Some of the Many Samba (escola de samba)

Instruments A Key Moment

•  1955 Jucelino Kubitschek elected president

•  National optimism, industrial growth, new ideas about Brazilianness

•  Brasilia project begun: “modern city” for “modern Brazil”

•  50 into 5 year plan

Bossa Nova--The New Way/Beat

•  Sense of national optimism but… •  Rio has become divided city •  South Zone middle-class youth (university students)

(Carlos Lyra, Roberto Menescal, Nara Leão) •  Seek music that reflects their cosmopolitan, “refined”

sensibilities •  Suitable for small clubs and apartments •  Interactions with professionals incl. João Gilberto,

Antônio Carlos (Tom) Jobim

The First Bossa Nova

•  “Chega de Saudade” •  João Gilberto (1959) •  Comp: Tom Jobim and

Vinícius de Moraes •  Arrangement/Instrumentation? •  Harmonies? •  Vocal timbre?

Bossa Nova •  Decreased percussion/small ensembles or solo

performers •  Guitar--imitates percussion •  Soft, subdued voice •  Extended harmony (from jazz, French Impressionists) •  Introspective, subtly romantic lyrics express middle-

class perspectives •  Rio nightlife scene for educated/moneyed •  International collaborations, esp, jazz •  International attention--Film “Orfeu Negro” (Black

Orpheus) •  Is short lived but has lasting effect

Also Spurs Controversy

•  Critiqued as “alienated” •  Too American (corrupted) •  Ongoing poverty despite Kubitschek’s

plan and affluence in Rio, SP, etc.

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Another 60s Youth Culture •  Jovem Guarda (Young Guard)--Brazilian pop-

rock ‘n’ roll •  Escapist •  Very commercial •  TV and recordings •  Leans toward the apolitical

The Jovem Guarda’s Leader •  “E Proibido Fumar” (1964) •  Roberto Carlos •  Iê iê Iê (yeah, yeah, yeah) •  Conscientious embrace of

Rock ‘n’ Roll •  Fades in late 1960s •  But influence will last

Key Events in the 1960s •  Viet Nam War: fears of Communism

(among some) •  Military Coup-- “Golpe” 1964 •  Dictatorship (lasts until 1985) •  Expanding media and increasing

government control

Rio/São Paulo in the 1960s •  Military Dictatorship •  Bossa nova goes international (e.g., Jobim,

Bonfá, Gilberto), but loses steam at home •  Several bossa artists (e.g., Nara Leão, Carlos

Lyra) embrace more political stance •  Jovem Guarda and Bossa Nova compete for

middle class youth audience •  More conservative (including some w/ left

politics) support samba and other more “traditional” styles.

Music Festivals and Media •  Music/Variety TV: “O Fino da Bossa” •  C 1965 public song festivals begin •  Government involvement •  Numerous other music TV programs,

live variety shows, and nightlife •  At first, little resistance expressed and

little censorship •  Both increase

Festival Controversies •  Disputed outcomes •  Audiences react strongly judges’ decisions and

music not in line with their preferences •  Music scene (audiences, musicians, journalists, etc.)

fragments further •  At issue: Musical traditionalism/experimentalism &

political engagement of lyrics

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The Traditionalists •  “A Banda” •  Chico Buarque •  Conventional marcha •  About the transformative

power of music in dark times

•  Hope for the future/nostalgia for past

•  Light social critique compared to other artists’ more aggressive protest

The Radicals •  “É Proibido Proibir” •  Caetano Veloso w/ Os Mutantes •  Booing incites Caetano’s

(1968) tirade against musical conservatism (and obliquely, lack of political will)

Tropícalia •  Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Maria Bethania, Gal

Costa, Tom Ze, Os Mutantes, Rogério Duprat •  Critical of musical conservatives •  Invoke anthropofagia •  Musically eclectic and adventurous •  Critical of politically disengaged •  Politically engaged texts •  Part of larger progressive art, theater, and poetry

movement

Tropicália and Other Arts

•  “Bat Macumba” (1968)

•  Caetano Veloso & Gilberto Gil

•  “Macumba” •  “Batman” •  “Yea, yea” •  Concrete Poetry

Post Tropicália

•  1968 Gil and Veloso arrested and exiled •  But, they and Tropicalia remain VERY

influential •  Gil, Veloso, and other Tropicalists still active

today •  Helped open doors for rock, more

adventurous popular music, politically engaged texts

•  Continues to Influence MPB

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Early Música Popular Brasileira (MPB)

•  “Aguas de Março” (1972) •  Elis Regina and Tom Jobim •  Draws on bossa nova, less

subdued,more eclectic •  Electric guitar comping •  Text used for sounds as well

as meaning

MPB Over Time •  Highly varied draws on traditional, progressive,

foreign, domestic, and international •  Seen as sophisticated, favored music of middle

classes (educated) but embraced across Brazilian society

•  Often includes and is valued for (more) complex harmony, arrangements, poetry

MPB Currents

•  “Toda Menina Baiana” •  Gilberto Gil •  From Realce (1979) •  Third of Album “Trilogy” •  Albums draw on samba ,

other Afro-Brazilian styles, funk, rock, R&B, Reggae, Disco, and more

MPB Currents

•  “Flor de Lis” (1976) •  Djavan from Ao Vivo

(1998)

MPB Currents

•  “Panis et Circenses” (1996)

•  Marisa Monte •  Comp: Gilberto Gil

and Caetano Veloso •  On Tropicália (1968)

MPB Currents

•  “Queda” •  Marcia Castro

(2007) •  Novela hit