Lovely Western music

A roundup of great masterpieces and popular songs of Brazilian music

music writerKOH-1
Started working as a music writer as a side job while employed at a record shop, and have been contributing to music magazines and web media for over 15 years. Although Western music is my main field, I always strive to stay curious with the motto, “I like what I like.” I have experience playing in a band, where I was a bassist responsible for songwriting and composition. Instruments I’ve performed on include bass, guitar, and piano. I resumed piano lessons after turning 40 and have been continuing ever since!

If your knowledge of Brazilian music is limited to stylish, relaxing bossa nova you hear at cafés or the samba played during Carnival, this article is a must-read! Brazil is a vast, multiethnic country with a wide range of musical styles—so many, in fact, that when you include subgenres, the variety is astonishing.

In this piece, we’ve researched and compiled a selection focused on classic Brazilian standards and historically significant masterpieces.

Give these tracks a listen, and your image of Brazilian music might just change!

Great and Popular Masterpieces of Brazilian Music (81–90)

BrasileirinhoWaldir Azevedo

Brasileirinho – Waldir Azevedo – Aula de Cavaquinho – TV Cifras

BrasileirinhoWaldir Azevedo

A 1947 song famous as the most successful and influential piece of choro music.

Characterized by rapid picking played on a small guitar called the cavaquinho, similar to a ukulele, the piece has been performed by many musicians.

Raise the rankinglower

Araketu é bom demaisAraketu

Ara Ketu – Ara Ketu Bom Demais (Áudio Oficial)

Araketu é bom demaisAraketu

Every time I listen to it, my heart fills with an indescribable nostalgia, and at the same time it makes me feel as if I’m spending a leisurely day, swaying in a hammock in the shade by the sea—a gentle, mysterious song.

The clear, resonant voice of the vocalist, Tataw, is the group’s greatest appeal.

Raise the rankinglower

Papel MachêJoão Bosco

Papel Machê-João Bosco

Papel MachêJoão Bosco

Comical and romantic, with a lovely bashful smile, João Bosco.

The title Papel Machê means papier-mâché.

He likens himself to a toy made of papier-mâché, portraying an inner world of delicacy and simplicity—something that deserves to be handled with care and heartfelt attention.

Raise the rankinglower

In conclusion

As mentioned at the beginning, if your knowledge of Brazilian music was limited to bossa nova and samba, you were probably surprised by the wide variety of styles when you listened to the classic tracks introduced here.

Of course, Brazilian music continues to produce many great songs even today, so if this piqued your interest, be sure to dig deeper!