Brazuca Sounds #85 - The Free Music of Hermeto Pascoal

Salve! This is a trailer for our bonus episode exclusive for ⁠paid subscribers⁠!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 BlancThis 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.

In this episode, 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 documentary "Hermeto Campeão". Follow the accompanying playlist available on Spotify and our archive playlist, Brazuca Soundstrack.

In this episode, 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 documentary "Hermeto Campeão". Follow the accompanying playlist available on Spotify and our archive playlist Brazuca Soundstrack.

Salve! This is a trailer for our bonus episode for ⁠paid subscribers⁠!Every episode is a different song. This is the song today:"Ovelha Negra" by Rita LeeA 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.

Salve! This is a trailer for our bonus episode exclusive for ⁠paid subscribers⁠!Every episode is a different song. This is the song today:"Lotus 72D" by Zé RobertoThe 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.

Salve! This is a preview for the bonus episode for ⁠paid subscribers⁠!Every episode is a different song. Today are two songs!"Kilariô" and "Se O Mundo Acabasse em Mel" by Di MeloAfter 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.

Salve! This is a bonus episode for ⁠paid subscribers⁠!Every episode is a different song. This is the song today:"O Trem das 7" by Raul SeixasRaul 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".

Salve! This is a preview for our bonus episode exclusive for ⁠paid subscribers⁠!Every episode is a different song. This is the song today:"Homem com H" by Ney MatogrossoAfter 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, with a sappy vocal performance by Matogrosso, this was a defiant song in 1980s Brazil, as the country began to emerge from its military regime. "Homem com H" became so popular that it was recently featured in the Ney Matogrosso biopic, released on Netflix (although it received the English title "Latin Blood"). Check the work of Translationsmith for a full translation of the lyrics.