Brazuca Sounds #86: A Trip to Brazil in 100 Songs (Part 3)

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'Follow our playlist Brazuca Sounds Soundtrack.

Salve! This is a trailer for our bonus episode exclusive for ⁠paid subscribers⁠!Every episode is a different song. This is the song today:"Meu Mundo é Hoje" by Paulinho da Viola; written by Wilson BatistaPaulinho 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.

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.