By the sixties, a lot of bands started to pop out from the basement of medium-class houses influenced by the Beatles, by the British Invasion movement, by the new-born psychedelic and garage rock bands and, endly, by the brazilian music, such as bossa nova, samba, cadomblé, etc. They combined each one of these influences to develop one of the most aclamied scene in the history of brazilian rock: the Tropicália.
It was raw, it was true, it was creativity expressed in the many ways they knew and discovered. They were claiming about their country, singing about drugs and love. It was one of the few times Brazil got ahead of much countries, it was the gold age of brazillian music, for sure.
I wouldn't take that order as a one better then other thing. I'm really just listing. These guys are all gods of the brazillian musics, you know. Listen to them all for god's sake.
Gal Costa
She wasn't a songwriter but, man, what a singer. She didn't just sing, she made any song sound like heaven, and I really mean that. Listen to the song Baby, recorded by her along with Caetano Veloso (and composed by him) and you'll know what I mean.
Tom Zé
The guy was amazing. He lessoned freaking Moraes Moreira, who would later form Novos Baianos, one of the best brazillian bands from all time. Hands down to that.
São Paulo, São Paulo is sure one of the best tropicalia songs. His image and the way he made his name by the years is sure unique. Read the text in the
back cover of his first album and you'll get that.
Gilberto Gil
Along with Caetano Veloso, he was for sure the main tropicalia songwriter by the time Tropicália ou Panis et Circencis was released. Panis et circensis, Bat Macumba, man. The guy wrote the songs that all the guys from that time were singing. Not only that but he was an amazing singer, too.
Caetano Veloso
It's even unfair to say. He was the God of the tropicalia movement. Until today, his singing and his songwriting amaze everyone around and by these early days it just couldn't be different. He comes from a class of musicians that you just got to admire.
Os Mutantes
At last, the guys who changed everything. They made the brazillian psychedelic pop go to another level. You can compare them to major names such as Pink Floyd, you know. They influenced Beck to do an album called Mutations with a song called Tropicalia, which is a bossa made by Beck himself. You got to knowledge that.
If you're into any kind of psychedelic rock/pop and you don't know much of the Mutantes, you should really check that out.
That's it. Listen to those guys if you could. Tropicália ou Panis et Circencis is an compilation album featuring all those names in their best shape. Check that first and see what you think.
Later
