Brazilian rock

Brazilian rock stuff
Stylistic origins	North American and British rock music, samba, forró and other Brazilian genres
Cultural origins	Brazil in late 1950s; fusion genres from the late 1960s
Typical instruments	Electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, percussion, acoustic guitar, keyboards
Derivative forms	Tropicália
Fusion genres
Samba rock, forrocore, Mangue Bit

Brazilian rock refers to rock music produced in Brazil and usually sung in Brazilian Portuguese. Brazilian rock has one of the most important histories. Rock entered the Brazilian scene in 1956, with the screening of the film The Blackboard Jungle, featuring Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock", which would later be covered by the singer Nora Ney and have a Portuguese version. In 1957 Miguel Gustavo wrote the first original rock 'n' roll song "Rock and roll em Copacabana", recorded by Cauby Peixoto. The song was #52 in the year's charts. Other rock artists of the 1950s were Celly Campelo and Sergio Murilo, singing covers and versions from the United States and Italy.

Throughout the 1960s rock music was marginalized as crude and imperialistic. This stance led several MPB artists to participate in a protest that would later be called the passeata contra a guitarra elétrica ("demonstration against the electric guitar"). Thanks to the combined influence of Tropicália, The Beatles and the increasing acceptance of electric guitars, this position diminished to the point that Clube da Esquina could produce Beatles-influenced songs and still be regarded as "serious music".

During the 1980s, a new generation of rockers influenced by punk, post-punk and new wave, positioning themselves against MPB (much as punk did against progressive rock) achieved mainstream success, even producing the best selling album in Brazilian history: Rádio Pirata ao vivo by RPM sold about 2,200,000 copies. The initial antagonism turned to cross-pollination when MPB musicians (João Gilberto, Caetano Veloso, Ney Matogrosso) recorded songs by the new bands, while the latter experimented with fusions between rock, forró, samba, reggae and bossa nova.

Actualy the most popular artists from the early times are Roberto Carlos andRaul Seixas. From the recent times names like Angra,Sepultura and Legião Urbana are the most liked.

Early period

In 1957 Miguel Gustavo wrote the first original rock 'n' roll song "Rock and roll em Copacabana", recorded by Cauby Peixoto and #52 on the year's charts.

In Brazil many bands continued to perform translations of English lyrics, though many avoided this problem by playing instrumental rock. Inspired by such instrumental bands Duane Eddy and The Champs, 1958 saw the release of the first Brazilian instrumental rock song, "Here's the Blue Jean Rockers" by The Blue Jean Rockers. Later that year, Bolão & His Rockettes recorded the first purely instrumental LP. This helped make rock the most popular style of Brazilian youth music. More bands, like The Avalons, The Clevers, The Rebels (brazilian band), The Jordans, The Jet Blacks, The Pops, Os Populares, The Bells (brazilian band), The Lions (band) and The Youngs, arose.

1959

1959 was a breakthrough year for Brazilian rock and roll as its pioneers emerged and became true stars. Out of thousands of performers, Nora Ney, Nick Savoia, Celly Campelo, Tony Campelo, Lana Bittencourt, Demetrius (brazilian rocker), Cinderella, Regiane, Ronnie Cord and Hamilton de Giorgio climbed to success seemingly overnight. A number of instrumental bands like The Avalons, The Rebels (brazilian band), The Jordans and "Os incríveis" became girls´ heart-throbs. They enjoyed the same success in Brazil as the Beatles did in Europe and America years later.

Social development

Right after rock'n'roll took America by storm, Bill Haley and Elvis Presley also became liberating icons for Brazilian youth. The youth of Brazil felt that they were under sexual and educational oppression, as Brazilian society had been based on the standards and rules of the Catholic church colonization. For example, looking at a strange boy or girl in public meant falling into public disgrace. With the advent of rock'n'roll, the Brazilian world began to change. Teenagers were not "only to be seen but not heard" anymore. However, the youth's first reaction was violent. Many movie theaters were totally wrecked during the showing of rock'n'roll movies. This went on for a couple of years until finally the young people decided that if American kids could do it, why couldn't they? So, some radio disc-jockeys and recording companies set out to find new talents that could not only sing but who would also do it in perfect English.

This new social era led to a total transformation of customs, and outlived many other attempts to keep Brazil's social structure rooted in the older traditions and religious dogmas.

In 1963, Roberto Carlos had two hits: "Splish Splash" (Portuguese lyrics by Erasmo Carlos for the Bobby Darin song) and Parei na contramão, the first Roberto Carlos/Erasmo Carlos collaboration. Roberto and Erasmo created a style that was named Jovem Guarda then. In the beginning of the Jovem Guarda, with Roberto Carlos, Erasmo Carlos and Wanderlea (a woman singer), was as a kind of Brazilian version of the North American garage bands in the 60's. Also Ronnie Von started his career with the garage influence of Jovem Guarda and his work uleashed on the psychedelic style. Jerry Adriani is identified like Jovem Guarda too, but his influence on Brazilian rock is great with his italian rock/pop style: he brought Raul Seixas from Salvador to the success afterwards in Rio de Janeiro and influenced, for example, one of the best singer of B-rock, Renato Russo in the 1980s, from Legião Urbana band.

Jorge Ben (then Jorge Benjor) had several hits and hiked between Jovem Guarda and a new form of playing guitar, with a rhythmic form that he invented. This new style was named Samba-rock. See also Trio Mocotó.

The Tropicália movement turned the psychedelic rock and the use of electric instruments more popular in the Brazilian music. Some "tropicalistas" were: Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Tom Zé, Gal Costa, Rogério Duprat, Nara Leão, etc... The seminal "tropicalistas" Os Mutantes influenced and tended for the psychedelic rock'n'roll and is one reference for several relevant bands in the world. From the 1960's is also Os Primitivos with a mix of Byrds style with brazilian northeast folk music.

The already mentioned "Clube da Esquina", a group of friends from Minas Gerais, one of the most culturally prolific regions from Brazil, was joined with the Tropicália responsible for the diffusion on bigger scale by the electrification of the pop music, with a universal, but Brazilian proposal. Some musicians from this group are: Milton Nascimento, Lô Borges, Toninho Horta, Beto Guedes and the band Som Imaginário.

70's and the end of the prejudice

The 70's started with the Brazilian rock between the Progressive rock and the Hard rock.

Rita Lee (ex-Mutantes) started her own work with her band Tutti Frutti like a Brazilian Glam rock aesthetic. See also Casa das Máquinas with its music between Glam-hard-rock and Progressive, Patrulha do Espaço between Progressive and Hard-rock, Made in Brazil (band) with its Hard-rock, but in some songs already with the minimal characteristic of Punk rock, the pure Hard rock of Bixo de Sêda and Edy Star with his pure Glam-rock.

There were many Progressive Rock bands in Brazil, such as O Terço, A Bolha (hard rock with progressive mix), A Barca do Sol, Som Nosso de Cada Dia, Vímana and Bacamarte, which were very well-known in Europe and the US by progressive fans. The Progressive rock band Som Imaginário had an experimental characteristic: Jazz, Bossa nova and Contemporary music with the traditional Folk and Baroque from Minas Gerais State resulting in a kind of a brazilian Art rock version, and with renowned musicians: Wagner Tiso, Zé Rodrix, Tavido, Luiz Alves, Frederyko (Fredera).

Other bands of the period mixed the genre with traditional Brazilian music: Secos & Molhados (identified as glam rock too), Raul Seixas , Novos Baianos, A Cor do Som, Robertinho do Recife and an union of Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, Maria Bethânia and Gilberto Gil in the show named Doces Bárbaros. After the end of Secos & Molhados João Ricardo (musician) continued his career and his first album was all glam, but Ney Matogrosso was a pop hit. Other musicians of this mix of brazilian music with rock were a hit too, like Alceu Valença at the start of his career, Geraldo Azevedo, Belchior, Zé Ramalho and after the end of Novos Baianos, Baby Consuelo (then Baby do Brasil), Pepeu Gomes and Airto Moreira, but there were musicians that made a more experimental brazilian music with rock influence who didn't have the same good luck in their careers and access to the media like: Ednardo, Walter Franco, Jorge Mautner, Jards Macalé and Sérgio Sampaio. From that time a genre named Rock Rural had in the folk brazilian music and the rock its influence and some expressive artists are Zé Rodrix, Sá & Guarabira, Ruy Maurity Trio and others...

In the final 70's the progressive influence still was felt in Guilherme Arantes and 14 Bis (Band).

There were two great international shows in Brazil in the 70's: Alice Cooper (1974) and Genesis (1977)

Punk rock

The Brazilian punk-rock scene was born in the middle 70's in São Paulo and Brasília with Joelho de Porco, AI-5, Condutores de Cadáveres, Restos do Nada, Aborto Elétrico. The first show was in 1978 in São Paulo and the punk "boom" was when the 80's began, with Inocentes, Cólera, Ratos de Porão, Garotos Podres, Plebe Rude, Ignoze, Olho Sêco, Mercenárias (an all women band), Lobotomia, a representavive of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro city, Coquetel Molotov (band), a representative of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre city, Os Replicantes, a representative of the State of Pernambuco, Recife city, Devotos, a representative of the Curitiba city, State of Paraná, Beijo AA Força, and many others, most from São Paulo city.

The first records from the end of 1970's to the 1980's were issued by dint of the demo-tapes because Brazil was living a dictatorial regime (until 1985) and there was the rebuke. Since the beginning, the brazilian punk music style was more for Jello Biafra than Sex Pistols, that is, it was more for Hardcore punk. An independent label was created in the beginning of the 1980's, Punk Rock Discos, and the Lixomania single was the first record of an individual band of a brazilian punk band, in 1982, with six songs; from the same independent label, in the same year, a first brazilian LP of punk bands appeared, Grito Suburbano album, with three bands from São Paulo city: Cólera, Olho Sêco and Inocentes. Some of these first registers are rarities and well paid by the collectors in Europe and Japan. The brazilian punk rock gained visibility in the international media also in 1982 with "O Começo do Fim do Mundo", a festival that gathered peacefully the rival gangs for the first time, and it is one of the biggest punk festivals of the world until today. The band Tokyo in 1985 released its first LP in one big label, and then, Inocentes and Replicantes recorded with a big label too, in 1986, when the brazilian punk scene was already growing colder. In 1986 Cólera was the first brazilian punk band to make international shows, and then, Ratos de Porão. In the 90's the punk returned to the scene. Some examples of current bands: Flicts, Zumbis do Espaço, Ludovic (band), Mukeka di Rato, Blind Pigs (today, Porcos Cegos), Carbona (band), Ação Direta (band), Ack (brazilian band), Gritando HC, Nitrominds, Tequila Baby, Dominatrix (feminist band).

The early brazilian punk scene was immortalized on the documentary "Botinada: A Origem do Punk no Brasil" directed by Gastão Moreira.

BRock - the 1980s boom

Even though the 1960s witnessed the phenomenon of Jovem Guarda and the 1970s saw the appearance of many prolific artists, like Raul Seixas, and bands like Os Mutantes, Brazilian rock's explosion began in 1981 with the first expressions of the Brazilian New Wave, later renamed the New Jovem Guarda by the media. The Punk rock already was incorporated but the Ska was the news. The alterations of the English New Wave movement, with its surprising variety of styles, arrived in Brazil through groups and personalities such as the Gang 90, Blitz, Camisa de Vênus, Barão Vermelho, Kid Abelha, Paralamas do Sucesso, Ritchie, Lulu Santos, Rádio Taxi, Sempre Livre, João Penca, Engenheiros do Hawaii, RPM, Metrô, Ultraje a Rigor, Legião Urbana, Ira!, Titãs, Capital Inicial, Nenhum de Nós, Biquini Cavadão, Lobão e Os Ronaldos, Heróis da Resistência, and Miquinhos Amestrados. The Rock in Rio took over a million people to "Cidade do Rock" (where the event was held) during the ten days of the event, and established Brazil as a venue for international artists - some artists, like Santana and Queen, had come before this event, but the number of international attractions rose abruptly after Rock In Rio.

The underground scene had experimental bands (Punk rock, with Jazz, Funk, Rap, Dodecafonic and Atonal experience) such as Zero (brazilian band), Violeta de Outono, Patife Band, Fellini (band), Akira S & as Garotas que Erraram, Voluntários da Pátria, Gueto (band) - this group was namead the "Paulista" (from São Paulo) Rock Vanguard, from the beginning of the 1980s - and in the other hand had Hard rock, Punk rock and Heavy metal bands such as Golpe de Estado, Sepultura, Viper, Ratos de Porão, from the mid to late 1980s.

This movement is seen as a reflection of the worldview of urban youth who had grown up under a dictatorial regime and faced such processes as industrial expansion, and family deterioration. This is the same generation that enjoyed the democratic abertura (opening) and began to absorb rather quickly an infinite amount of new information, previously inaccessible. The universe of that generation appeared rich in diversity, implying a desire to enjoy the present.

In the 80's another group that mixes electronic music scene up appeared (from Santos, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro cities - Electronic post-punk, Industrial, EBM, Technopop, and the similar genres) and some bands and artists are well-known in Europe: Suba, Loop B, Sicilian Unit, Individual Industry, Biopsy, Simbolo, Harry, City Limits, Inhumanoids, Morgue, etc... .

Contemporary

In modern times, the 1990s saw a resurgence in instrumental rock's popularity, and some of the classic bands from previous decades reformed. Surf music also became popular, especially The Argonauts and Os Ostras. Also the boundary between the MPB and the Pop/rock was largely broken with the first album of Paulinho Moska, but now in a more definitive form. But none of these styles could keep up with the new bands who were a large success, like Raimundos (which was formed in the late 1980s, but only released its first album in 1994) with its Forrocore style, Skank, Pato Fu, and Charlie Brown Jr. in later years. The band Mamonas Assassinas was a great hit with humour and rock and they died in an tragic plane accident (1996). Also Jota Quest met with the success in the firt album, 1996, and arrived with a pop-rock-funk and made several hits.

From the end of the 1980s to the 1990s names like Pelvs, Virna Lisi (band), Planet Hemp, Dead Fish, Garage Fuzz, Mechanics (band), Pin Ups (band), Boi Mamão, Little Quail and The Mad Birds, Walverdes, Maria Angélica, Tianastácia, Penélope, Second Come, Júpiter Maçã and Killing Chainsaw are proeminent. This moment can be called the first Brazilian indie scene. It was the Grunge and Britpop times, the Hardcore development and the return to Punk. The indie festival Junta Tribo in Campinas city in 1993 and 1994 and M2000, a great beach festival in Santos city, in 1994, were a milestone and turned the indie attitude a new option.

The MTV Brasil Unplugged format brought back bands whose career were considered over, like the Titãs in 1996, Capital Inicial in 2000 and, more recently, Ira! in 2004 and Lobão in 2007.

In the beginning of 90's there was the Manguebeat movement that put Recife city definitely as one of principal places that has an important rock scene and its style is a mix of local rhythms like Maracatú with rock, hip hop, and electronic music . From this movement are Chico Science & Nação Zumbi (with the death of Chico Science the current name is only Nação Zumbi), Mundo Livre S/A, Fred 04 etc...

Kurt Cobain after his shows in Brazil with Nirvana (band) in 1993 helped spread the Brazilian rock in the world.

Between final 90's and beginning of the current century are relevant Los Hermanos that already is a reference, Cássia Eller a woman that recorded several songs of the brazilian rock musicians and suddenly died in 2001, Pitty that has a good woman bandleader and vocal, and Lobão (that in the 80's was mainstream) started his independent career and is obtaining a brilliant result, and the singer of Sepultura, Max Cavalera, left the band and started Soulfly with the same powerful Heavy metal.

The important hardcore scene from Brasília continued in this period with Raimundos and Rumbora. In the highlight of the Raimundos, Rodolfo Abrantes, the vocal, decided to go out and assembled a new band, Rodox, in 2002, but they continued with the typical creative explosion of hardcore into the end of the band, in 2004.

Melodic Hardcore is currently one of the most popular rock genres of the country: bands like CPM 22, ForFun, Fresno, Detonautas and Hateen often hit high spots on the hit parade, thanks mostly to heavy airplay on Brazilian MTV.Ultimately in brazilian rock scene the bands that most gained attention were NX Zero and Strike.

Subgenres

Some rock genres are very specific in Brazil, but with a important scene like Grindcore, Psycobilly, Death Rock, Ska Punk, etc. Some highlights are: Tihuana, Madame Machado and Rusty Machine in Ska Punk and Kães Vadius in Psycobilly. There are several festivals about these genres.

Underground

The Brazilian underground bands is a division: part is influenced by the Hardcore or Metal, part is influenced by the 90's alternative rock, after Strokes boom, there is the influence of Electro, the Folk (Brazilian or not), the 1980's B-rock, the Jovem Guarda (the garage side of this genre) and the Tropicália revisited, part is influenced by almost all of this genres, and a large number of bands were created; among these from this period are Cachorro Grande, Tetine, Cansei de Ser Sexy (CSS), Autoramas, Cordel do Fogo Encantado, Forgotten Boys, Tequila Baby, Gram (band), Ludov, Luxúria, Canto dos Malditos na Terra do Nunca, Bidê ou Balde.

Today, the Brazilian rock is leaving the second independent scene and has a lot of opportunities with the festivals (like Bananada, Porão do Rock, Humaita Pra Peixe, Grito Rock, Fora do Eixo, Abril Pró Rock, Goiânia Noise, Mada, Calango, Varadouro, Jambolada) and independent labels (like Monstro Discos, Mondo 77, Trama Records, Travolta Discos, Deckdisc etc.). See also the present and relevant bands and artists from several brazilian regions Lampirônicos, Vanguart, Clorofones, Mombojó, Seychelles (band), Macaco Bong (instrumental), Hurtmold (instrumental), Los Porongas, Moptop (band), Matanza (brazilian band), Zeferina Bomba, Violins (band), Mahalab, Astronautas (brazilian band), Sabonetes, Daniel Belleza e os Corações em Fúria, Érika Machado, Maquinado, Móveis Colonias de Acaju, Visitantes, Superguidis, Lucy and the Popsonics, Envydust, Screaming of Hate, Gloria (band), Mallu Magalhães, Wry, Leela (band), Montage (band), Jumbo Elektro, Rock Rockets, Borderlinerz, Monokini (Band), Cidadão Instigado, Faichecleres, Volpina, Ecos Falsos, Charme Chulo, Minnuit, Eu Serei a Hiena, Sweet Cherry Furry that was elected the third best young band of the world by BBC - on the annual The Next Big Thing competition, and Bonde do Rolê that mixes the carioca funk with rock guitars...Some of this bands are living in London.

The rock is mixed with the all genres of Brazilian music and the indie scene is continueing the experimental and creative characteristic of rock-fusion from Brazil, an universal concept of music.

See also

• Brazilian hardcore
• Brazilian Thrash Metal
• Mangue Beat
• Brazilian Music
• Samba rock
• Psychedelic rock
• Tropicália

References

Cravo Albin, Ricardo. "Dicionário Cravo Albin da Música Popular Brasileira". Instituto Cultural Cravo Albin. Retrieved 2007-04-22. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

Dapieve, Arthur (2000). BRock - o rock brasileiro dos anos 80. São Paulo: DBA. ISBN 85-7234-253-2. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

Alexandre, Ricardo (2001). Dias de Luta - o Rock e o Brasil dos Anos 80. Rio de Janeiro: Objetiva. ISBN 85-7302-292-2. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

Motta, Nelson (2001). Noites Tropicais. Rio de Janeiro: Objetiva. ISBN 85-7302-292-2. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

Araújo, Paulo César de (2006). Roberto Carlos em detalhes. São Paulo: Editora Planeta do Brasil. ISBN 85-7665-225-5. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

Basualdo, Carlos (org) (2007). Tropicália, Uma Revolução na Cultura Brasileira. São Paulo: Cosaicnaify. ISBN 9788575036310. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

Sanches, Pedro Alexandre (2004). Como Dois e Dois São Cinco - Roberto Carlos & Erasmo & Wanderlea. São Paulo: Boitempo Editorial. ISBN 85-7559-058-8. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)