= The best popular Brazilian music (MPB) of all time
It is such a huge shame that you have to understand <Portuguese (language)> to appreciate those songs... this is yet another great evil outcome of <having more than one natural language is bad for the world>.
The good songs stopped before of just after <Ciro Santilli> was born, they were originally heard by his parent's generation. Those young new kids are boring.
The place to start is definitely <the Holy Trinity of popular Brazilian music>:
* <Caetano Veloso> is arguably <Ciro Santilli>'s favorite MPB artist, he has just too many amazing songs, best ones at: <The best Caetano Veloso songs>{full}
* <Chico Buarque>. Ciro's second favorite.
* <Gilberto Gil>. Perhaps Ciro likes him third because he is the most lighthearted one, although not always: <The best Gilberto Gil songs>{full}
Non trinity songs and artists:
* \Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlp8iY4g--4]
{title=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chega_de_Saudade[Chega de saudade] by Tom Jobim}
* \Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsFSHg2hxbc]
{title=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asa_Branca[Asa Branca] by Luiz Gonzaga}
{description=Written in 1947}
* \Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3U0sHegYgU]
{title="O vento" by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorival_Caymmi[Dorival Caymmi] (1949)}
* \Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETqMNQw-a9M]
{title="Panis et Circenses" from the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropic%C3%A1lia:_ou_Panis_et_Circencis[Tropicália: ou Panis et Circencis (1968)]}
{description=Composed by <Gilberto Gil> and <Caetano Veloso> and performed by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Os_Mutantes[Os Mutantes]}
* \Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWfseMcAUZY]
{title="Mistério do Planeta" from the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acabou_Chorare[Acabou Chorare] album by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novos_Baianos[Novos Baianos] (1972)}
* \Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLTMM3r8wYI]
{title="Senhor Cidadão" from the https://www.discogs.com/release/4652426-Tom-Z%C3%A9-Se-O-Caso-%C3%89-Chorar[Se O Caso É Chorar] album by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Zé[Tom Zé] (1972)}
{description=Anti-<Military dictatorship in Brazil> song, appears to reuse terms used by the dictatorship propaganda in the song.}
* \Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nu4iA_o-18]
{title="Marimbondo" from the "Pirão de Peixe com Pimenta (1977)" album by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sá_%26_Guarabyra[Sá & Guarabyra] (1977)}
* \Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYCS6SJtHvI]
{title=Romaria by Renato Teixeira}
{description=<Title track> of https://www.discogs.com/release/3685518-Renato-Teixeira-Romaria[the 1978 album].}
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raul_Seixas[Raul Seixas]
\Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmB4sfoZkwo]
{title=Metamorfose Ambulante by Raul Seixas (1973)}
{description=From the album https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krig-ha,_Bandolo![Krig-ha, Bandolo!]}
\Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MSCzIxhFKI]
{title=Ouro de Tolo by Raul Seixas (1973)}
{description=This dude <Physics and the illusion of life>[should be a scientist]. But well, he went for mystic/artist. Close enough.}
\Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Xc-Yll4xc0]
{title=Gita by Raul Seixas (1974)}
{description=From the album: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gita_(album)[Gita].}
\Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTFN-zCSLY4]
{title=Maluco Beleza by Raul Seixas (1977)}
{description=From the album https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Dia_em_que_a_Terra_Parou_(álbum)[O Dia em que a Terra Parou]}
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antônio_Carlos_Jobim[Tom Jobim]
\Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxNfGHhETk0]
{title=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_felicidade[A Felicidade] by Tom Jobim (1958)}
{description=Composed for the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Orpheus[Black Orpheus (1958)] film. "Tristeza não tem fim, felicidade sim" (Sadness never ends, but happiness does). The movie itself is OK. Appeals to <The correlation between software engineers and Buddhism>[Ciro's Buddhist sensibilities].}
* https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Ben_Jor[Jorge Ben Jor]
\Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EXtwBdH2Gk]
{title=https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_da_Capadócia_(canção)[Jorge da Capadócia] by Jorge Ben Jor (1975)}
{description=From the https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solta_o_Pavão[Solta o Pavão (1975)] album. The <video Georde de Capadócia by Caetano Veloso (1975)>[Caetano interpretation] is better however, poor Jorge.}
* Jair Rodrigues
\Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWx38M6-CSo]
{title=Disparada by Jair Rodrigues (1968)}
{description=This song is simply amazing. Not exactly MPB, a bit more towards country, but close enough. This was as the track of some soap opera.}
\Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3E1uHdrJws]
{title=Deixa Isso Pra Lá by Jair Rodrigues (1964)}
{description=Fantastic early example of early <rap> music!!! This is regocnized example at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfnDEuuPq4Q[] which builds upon the 1964 song. Amazing. An amazing live performance at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3E1uHdrJws[], only not using that as the default link as it is not from the official channel.}
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinicius_de_Moraes[Vinicius de Moraes]. Many of his lyrics are poetry. Notably, he has some "children" songs that you think about as an adult and go "oh fuck". For some reason, Ciro can't help but think that he looks like a pedophile, but he doesn't have any scandals apparently, poor dude. He was a drunkard for sure though.
\Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEW7wd4fAnY]
{title=A Casa by Vinicius de Moraes (1972)}
{description=Children song.}
\Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-PAcG-Ba5U]
{title=Tarde em Itapuã by Vinicius de Moraes (1971)}
{description=
https://www.dicionariotupiguarani.com.br/dicionario/itapua/ gives the meaning of "Itapuã". It originates from the Tupi Guarani language, and is the name of a beach in Salvador (Praia de Itapuã), to which the song presumably refers:
* https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praia_de_Itapuã
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etdKNl_olhg
\Image[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Praia_em_Itapuã.jpg]
{height=600}
{title=Itapuã beach in Salvador}
}
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toquinho[Toquinho]
\Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT8HIiFQ8Y0]
{title=Aquarela by Toquinho (1983)}
{description=This is a mega childhood hit, and it never gets old. Amazing. One of the most brutal <memento moris> ever?}
* \Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNpBxxjglyw]
{title=Xô Saudade by Alceu Valença}
{description=From the https://www.discogs.com/master/935093-Alceu-Valença-Coração-Bobo[1980 album "Coração Bobo"]}
* \Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FKbRLA-5ys]
{title=Carcará by João Do Vale (1981)}
{description=
From the https://www.discogs.com/master/929475-João-Do-Vale-João-Do-Vale[eponymous album].
\Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRsa_37_kTs]
{title=Carcará by <Maria Bethânia> (1981)}
{description=This very good interpretation likely did much to popularize the song.}
\Image[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/Schopfkarakara.jpg/1024px-Schopfkarakara.jpg]
{title=A carcará bird}
\Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15I4O8ldXQQ]
{title=Carcará by Planeta Aves (2020)}
{description=A Brazilian bird watcher channel. Interestingly he mentions that the carcará actually knows how to scour post wildfire ares searching for dead animals, as mentioned in the song "it even eats burnt snakes".}
}
* \Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y7PQxtmJ5k]
{title=Na Rua, Na Chuava, Na Fazenda by Hyldon (1974)}
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_Nascimento[Milton Nascimento]
\Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGmGMEVbTAY]
{title=Tudo o que você podia ser from the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clube_da_Esquina_(album)[Clube da Esquina album] by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_Nascimento[Milton Nascimento] (1972)}
{description=Anti-<Military dictatorship in Brazil> song, using the common "you means the dictatorship" technique.}
\Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSxO2BLvm8M]
{title=Caçador De Mim from the https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caçador_de_Mim[eponymous album] by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_Nascimento[Milton Nascimento] (1981)}
Honorable mentions:
* \Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZ19CelONfQ]
{title=As Curvas da Estrada de <Santos, São Paulo, Brazil>[Santos] by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Carlos_(singer)[Roberto Carlos] (1969)}
{description=
Roberto Carlos makes Ciro cringe, it brings back memories of pre-New Year television Galas in the early 2000s at his great aunt's home in <Santos, São Paulo, Brazil>.
This is the only bearable song by the artist, as it talks about going down to Ciro's beloved <Santos, São Paulo, Brazil> from the city of <São Paulo>, which lies on a plateau of about 700 meters above sea level, a trip that takes you down through the spectacular https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serra_do_Mar[Serra do Mar] tropical rainforest.
The mountainous roads of the older road, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodovia_Anchieta[Rodovia Anchieta] there are very curvy, and can be very dangerous when there is fog. The heavy truck traffic to/from the port of Santos makes this even worse.
But it also makes everything much more spectacular, as you get closer to the forest, and at slower speeds, with occasional panoramic views of the city.
The newer road, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodovia_dos_Imigrantes[Rodovia dos Imigrantes] is a straighter, safer and boring alternative to it.
Ciro did this many times on bus when he was <Ciro Santilli's formal education>[studying at the university of São Paulo] and going back home for the weekend from time to time.
\Image[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Via_Anchieta.jpg/800px-Via_Anchieta.jpg]
{title=A typical view going down Via Anchieta}
\Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vSIJWB6rFc]
{title=Going down the Via Anchieta by Silvanio Bus Driver (2022)}
}
* \Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBtfKsXEhFo]
{title=Dança Da Solidão by Paulinho da Viola}
{description=Released 1972.}