A roundup of great masterpieces and popular songs of Brazilian music
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!
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Great Masterpieces and Popular Songs of Brazilian Music (51–60)
Expresso 2222Gilberto Gil
Released in 1972, this track features outstanding guitar work.
By adding rock and jazz-fusion arrangements to bossa nova, it becomes a uniquely distinctive piece.
Beyond this song, Gilberto Gil incorporated various other musical styles into bossa nova to create new music and was a key figure in the Tropicália movement.
Goodbye SadnessSergio Mendes
A famous song that everyone has heard.
Composed by Sergio Mendes, this piece is notable for its lively chorus and is a samba that sets the desire to escape sadness to bright, upbeat music.
It has been covered many times and is a classic that represents Brazil.
Pescador de IlusõesO Rappa
It is a band that fuses reggae and rock.
They are famous for lyrics and activities that influence society and are known for their energetic performances.
A passionate band, they incorporate various genres of music to create original sounds.
Bebete VãoboraJorge Ben Jor
A 1969 song by Jorge Ben.
It’s a track that blends the bright, light sounds of samba with the heavy, solid groove of R&B—what’s known as samba-funk—and it rode the wave of the jazz boom of the ’70s.
This distinct Jorge Ben style, which incorporates funk, soul, and rock, is beloved by many.
Great and Popular Classics of Brazilian Music (61–70)
DesafinadoJoao Gilberto
A bossa nova song composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim with lyrics by Newton Mendonça.
Several English versions also exist.
It is one of the most famous Brazilian songs, a worldwide hit and a classic that has inspired many cover versions.
It was inducted into the Latin Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001.
VoltaGal Costa
A track included on the 1973 album Índia.
Sung by Gal Costa—whose clear voice made her a beloved figure of the Tropicália movement—in a guitar-and-vocal style.
Beautiful bossa nova music with a touch of melancholy.
BerimbauVinícius de Moraes & Toquinho
Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art that traces its origins to the Black slaves brought from Africa long ago.
At the heart of its accompaniment is the berimbau, which is also the title of this piece.
Created so as not to arouse the suspicion of white overseers, this martial art appears at first glance to be a dance, and this song conveys its indomitable spirit.