Sound of a City: A journey through São Paulo in 20 songs
Rhythm will follow you down every street in São Paulo. Brazil‘s biggest city is filled with music as people of various backgrounds express themselves in various ways. The sound of flaking pastries torn open and coffee cups hitting counters is accompanied by hip-hop and indie. Car horns, complaints and the nattering of the busy, chilled and in-between are accompanied by a sonic backdrop of rock and R&B. This is a place well and truly built on the idea that music comes as second nature, and that mindset is not only present in the cities modern look but its entire history, for better and for worse.
It’s likely that one of the first types of music that comes to mind when you think of Brazil in general is samba. The whole thing feels like a warm embrace, as a sound that inspires movement and energy has flooded throughout the country from the early 1900s and remains a prominent style today.
These days, if you’re keen on experiencing samba in São Paulo, you should go to ó do Borogodó in Pinheiros. This dive bar is removed from luxury but filled to the brim with Brazilian popular music. Modern artists known and up-and-coming, such as Nani Geissler, Raquel Tobia, and Trio Gato Com Fome, can be seen taking to the stage to deliver some of the most vibrant renditions of a sound entrenched in history.
While a song like ‘Responderei Sambando’ appears put together and complete, the history of the sound isn’t as solid. Samba cannot be pinned down to one particular place, city or people. It is the fusion of various musical influences, stemming from South American folk music to Portuguese military traditions to the African diaspora.
Some artists were responsible for the development of the genre, however, one of which was Noel Rosa. Rosa was a singer-songwriter who brought a new twist to samba music, using witty language and making the genre a vehicle for social commentary. He is widely credited with using songs such as ‘Conversa de Botequim’ and ‘Com Que Roupa?’ to bring the genre closer to the Brazilian middle-class.
It’s thanks to artists like Rosa that the genre can be experienced in different environments today. If you move away from dive bars such as ó do Borogodó and instead head towards what is commonly called the “Musical Corner of São Paulo”, you will be able to experience a variety of some of the best music the city has to offer. Located in the ridge where Rue Direita and Rua Quintino Bocaiúa meet, what was home to some of the town’s first radio stations, music shops, and record labels is now a hub for all things live performance.
While the sound of samba might evoke feelings of joy, given how upbeat and colourful the music is, there is no escaping that São Paulo has a dark past surrounding its music, too. Some of the most popular musical movements in the country are the by-product of sonic rebellion, as people stood up in the face of adversity and made music to voice disdain towards whatever government was ruling at the time. The most recent iteration of this was the election of Jair Bolsonaro, but it goes much further back than that.
During the country’s dictatorship between 1964 and 1985, the Tropicália movement was born, at the helm of which were Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso. The two of them used psych rock alongside poetry and art to make noise about the illegitimacy of the dictatorship at the time. Born in Rua, Chile, in downtown Salvador, only two months apart, the two would go on to make music together, which sparked the movement not only in São Paulo but throughout all of Brazil.
The influences for such a revolutionary sound are varied. Avant-garde artist movements played their part, while Brazilian and foreign pop culture also influenced their sound. When you listen to music like ‘Domingo No Parque’, you can clearly see these various influences at play, as what proved to be a shocking style of music at the time still holds up as something equal parts stirring and sweet-sounding.
Other big artists in the movement included Os Mutantes, who wrote songs such as ‘Panis Et Circenses’ and ‘A Minha Menina’, which received both a positive and negative reception from each end of the political spectrum. There was also the music of Gal Costa, who, with ‘Sebastiana’, captured the heart of the movement in the most rhythmic and upbeat way.
Tropicália was cut short, though, given the two were exiled to London for three years after making too much noise in the city. The final gig they played in Brazil during that period was a fundraiser so they could buy plane tickets. Barra 69 happened the same day that man set on the moon, as giant leaps for mankind were made both on celestial bodies and on Earth. While exiled in England, their sound travelled to the point that they headlined the Isle of Wight festival alongside acts like The Who, The Doors and Jimi Hendrix.
Towards the end of the dictatorship, in the early ‘80s, a hardcore punk movement was born, which documented and sang in favour of the regime’s collapse. Bands like Cólera, playing songs such as ‘Pela Paz’, Olho Seco had ‘Desespero’ and the all-female Mercenârias released ‘Me Perco’ which made their attitude towards the government and their joy in its collapse well known.
Given how underground the movement was, many venues that previously housed some of these bands are now closed to the public. The punk scene hasn’t disappeared in São Paulo, though—quite the opposite. Venues such as Hangar 110, which were initially established in the ‘90s, are still open as a place where musicians can voice their frustrations among like-minded individuals.
This has been necessary in recent years. In Juiz de Fora, a town north of Rio de Janeiro, history was likely cemented as the far-right presidential frontrunner, Jair Bolsonar, was stabbed. “When he got stabbed I just thought, we’re fucked,” recalled Brazillian journalist Amauri Gonzo looking back on the incident, “If he is alive, there is nothing we can do.”
The crime proved the controversial candidate’s point to many swing votes. As he campaigned, saying that Brazil’s violence was out of control and needed to be met head-on with more violence, veils were dropped, and hostile attitudes towards marginalised groups spread throughout the country. The need for rebellion through creative expression was relevant once again, and bands such as Deafkids stepped up to become the voice of many people.
Protest tracks such as ‘Templo da Caos’ captured the hearts of residents as drummer Mamba Negra tried to create what he referred to as “The heat”. In an interview, he described this as a “pulsating will to live, even when at its saddest.” This is heard in more modern tracks by the band, too, such as ‘Força Bruta’ and ‘Primeval I’.
One of the biggest underground parties available in São Paulo to this day was born out of protest. Mamba Negra found its feet in 2013 when people took to the streets of the city to rally against ongoing corruption. While the display gave a voice to people who didn’t feel as though their government spoke for them, it also showed the dissonance present between the São Paulo public and its politicians. Laura Diaz, the party’s founder, was inspired to host the event after seeing such dissonance in action.
Since then, various artists have performed there, and the event hasn’t shown signs of slowing down. Coming up are DJ Lorrany, K-OH, and JLZ, who promote inclusivity and unity. The event is very much a party, consisting of DJs rather than bands, but as tracks such as ‘Bruxaria Brutalista’ ring out across São Paulo, that energetic and rebellious spirit prevails.
One of the most exciting modern bands from the city is Sophia Chablau e Uma Enorme Perda de Tempo, who seems to be an exciting mix of everything discussed. Their self-titled album, released in 2021, embodies all of the various aspects discussed above, whether that is the avant-garde nature of their sound, the heavy guitar influences, or the overwhelming fact that this remains music you can dance and move to.
‘Pop Cabecinha’, ‘Hello’, and ‘Debaixo Do Pano’ are testaments to the history and unrelenting nature of the São Paulo music scene, which makes up the beating heart of such a thriving city.
