I’ve never met a Brazilian that doesn’t like music. One of earliest memories of my childhood is my mom singing a song from Ataulfo Alves called “Pois é” – “Pois é! Falaram tanto, que desta vez a morena foi embora…” Because Brazil is so big and receives influences from all over the world, the quantity of musical styles is just enormous. The most famous styles are Bossa Nova, Samba and Forró, some believe that the word Forró is a derivative of the English expression “for all”.

Here are some of the most popular Brazilian rhythms in United States and Canada. I’ve posted audio samples of each type of music, paired with a description and some examples of the most famous artists from that genre of music. Feel free to google the artists names to learn more about them and hear other samples of their music. Obrigado!

Bossa Nova

Bossa Nova started in the 1950′s by a group of young Brazilian students and musicians that were in love with North-American Jazz. Here is a list of famous Bossa Nova singers and bands: Antônio Carlos Jobim, Astrud Gilberto, Billy Blanco, Carlos Lyra, Claudette Soares, Dick Farney, Elizeth Cardoso, Bebel Gilberto, João Gilberto, Johnny Alf, Lúcio Alves, Maysa, Nara Leão, Pery Ribeiro, Roberto Menscal, Ronaldo Bôscoli, Sérgio Ricardo, Sylvia Telles…and more.

Samba

The roots of Samba come from the influence of African slavery, in Brazil Samba originated in Bahia and Rio de Janeiro. It is a mix of various popular rhythms like batuque from the Bantos slaves and Portuguese rhythms.  Here is a list of famous samba singers: Adoniram Barbosa, Agepê, Alcione, Aracy de Almeida, Ari Barroso, Benito de paula, Beth Carvalho, Bezerra da Silva, Cartola, Chico Buarque, Demônios da Garoa, Dorival Caymmi, Elza Soares, Francisco Alves, Jair Rodrigues, Jamelão, Jorge Aragão, Martinho da Vila, Noel Rosa, Paulinho da Viola, Pixinguinha, Zeca pagodinho, etc.

Forró

Forró comes from the Northeastern of Brazil where it is very popular and played all year around. At the end of the 90′s this rhythm was transformed and started to receive more and more attention from the Southern part of country and internationally. These are some of the principal singers/bands from this Brazilian rhythm: Luiz Gonzaga, Sivuca, Trio Virgulino, Falamansa, Flávio José, Jackson do Pandeiro, Genival Lacerda and more.

Frevo

This rhythm is most popular in the State of Pernambuco and the dancers use an umbrella during the performance. It’s one of the coolest and most colorful dances I have ever seen, during carnival frevo is played at all the parties. Some famous singers are: Gal Costa, Moraes Moreira, Carlos Fernando, Elba Ramalho, Alceu Valença and others more.

Maracatu

Maracatu is an Afro-brazilian rhythm played by percussionists that represent the Congo’s Kingdom, it is performed as street theater. It is played with a slightly different rhythm in Pernambuco and Ceará States, some of the most famous Maracatu players are Calé Alencar, Roberto Cruz, Abissal and Nação Zumbi.

Sertaneja

Sertaneja is the equivalent of country music in USA. Its roots stem from the countryside of Brazil and it’s the most popular rhythm across the country. A list of the principal bands are: Bruno e Marrone, Chitãozinho e Chororó, Daniel, Gian e Giovane, Jorge e Mateus, Leandro e Leonardo, Tonico e Tinoco and Zezé di Camargo e Luciano.

Afoxê

Another rhythm from the states of Pernambuco and Bahia, Afoxê represents candomblé - an Afro-Brazilian religion. The most famous Afoxê group is the Filhos de Gandi, they perform every year during carnival in Salvador (Bahia).

Repente or Embolada

Repente or Embolada is a rhythm where 2 opponents sing against each other like a competition; they mock and use bad words in the context of the verse. The music is based on the facts of life and making fun of the  other opponent or making jokes, the crowd usually forms a circle around the Repentistas to watch the performance. The most famous repentistas in Brazil is Cajú e Castanha.

Lambada

Lambada is a rhythm from the State of Pará and comes from the Carimbó rhythm (see below). During the 80′s the French group Kaoma released a song called “Chorando se foi” (the original song was written in Spanish) and made the Lambada rhythm very popular in Europe, the Caribbean and United States. 

Carimbó

Carimbó is a rhythm that reaches far back into history, from a time when Brazil was a Portuguese colony. The rhythm was created by the native indians. The colonizers called this style of music “the forbidden dance”, because woman used very short clothes and the dance was very sensual for that period of time. The roots of this genre were developed in Belém (capital of Pará State). The name came from a musical instrument called “curimbó” and is made from a tree trunk.

Choro

Choro or Chorinho is a Brazilian rhythm from Rio de Janeiro. Despite the fact that the word choro means cry in Portuguese  -  the rhythm is very happy and up beat. Choro peaked in the 30′s and 40′s and used to be played live on the radio. A list of great choro musicians: Altamiro Carrilho, Armandinho, Chiquinha Gonzaga, Ernesto Nazareth, Jacob do Bandolin, Paulo Moura, Pixinguinha, Waldir Azevedo, and many more.

Samba-reggae

Samba-reggae is a mix of Samba with Jamaican reggae, created in Bahia. This mix happened because Bahia is the city with the most Afro-Brazilians in the country, and during the 70′s the black movement emerged in Salvador. The result is a type of samba that reinforces the pride of Afro-Brazilians. The biggest representations of this style are: Olodum, Timbalada, Carlinhos Brown.

MpB

MpB stands for Música Popular Brasileira (Brazilian Popular Music) and is the rhythm that replaced Bossa Nova. It received influence from samba, pop, jazz and rock. Because Brazil was governed by a military dictatorship regime during the time when MpB emerged, the music was very progressive. Some artists have become successful by playing Bossa Nova and MpB, a few examples are: Elis Regina, Edu Lobo , Chico Buarque and Toquinho.

Funk Carioca

Funk Carioca is a rhythm from Rio de Janeiro that uses beats from the Miami Bass style. This music receives much criticism because the lyrics are usually full of violence and sexual references.

A true São Paulo experience is much richer than your guide book could ever provide, and more complex than anyone can tell you. A city with more than 18 million people has lots of great hiding places. I will share with you some of the most amazing places to visit when you are in Sampa. Enjoy!

1- Visit the great O velhão

This amazing place, located in the North of Sampa, is both a store and an antique shop that was built during the 60′s by Moacyr Arcanjo do Santos. He collected demolished materials from abandoned buildings around the city. Over the years, he collected an incredible number of custom built doors, windows, frames and furniture. You will love it.

Address:
Estr. Santa Inês, 3000
Mairiporã – São Paulo, 07600-000, Brazil
(11) 4485-1964
http://www.velhao.com.br/default.asp

2- Watch a sunset at Praça do Pôr-do-Sol

Literally translated as the Sunset Square, this picturesque spot is located in Pinheiros / Vila Madalena neighborhood. It’s famous for an beautiful view of the city and spectacular sunsets, locals often sit on the grass to and watch the sun go down.

Address:
Rua Desembargador Ferreira França, S/N
Pinheiros / Vila Madalena – São Paulo
Link with directions by Google maps here.

3- Dance like crazy at Bar Metrópolis

Located at the end of Paulista Avenue, this venue has a fantastic Brazilian vibe. Live bands play the best of Pop and Rock from the 60′s, 70′s and 80′s – like U2, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin. Highly recommended if you’re more than 30 years old and love live music. The dress code is business casual.

Address:
Paulista Avenue, N. 2668
São Paulo – SP
(11)3256-7957 / 3255-1225 / 3258-0787
http://www.barmetropolis.com.br/

4- Learn more about soccer at Museu do Futebol

The Soccer Museum is located in the charming Pacaembu neighborhood. The museum is rich in history and offers visitors tons of information about Brazilian soccer. There you can learn the inside scope about teams from all over the country, especially the 4 biggest one’s from São Paulo – Corinthians, Palmeiras, Santos and Portuguesa.

Address:
Praça Charles Miller, S/N – Estádio do Pacaembu
São Paulo – SP – Brasil
(11)3664-3848 / 2627-8054
http://www.museudofutebol.org.br/

5- See great art at Museu de Arte Sacra

The Sacred Art Museun is located in Luz neighborhood. They have a fantastic collection of sacred art from the 16th century and from two famous Brazilians painters Benedito Calixto (1853 – 1927) and Anita Mafaltti (1889 – 1964). Remember that all the Museums are close on Mondays, be sure to give them a call before you visit.

Address:
Av. Tiradentes, 676
Luz – São Paulo – SP – Brasil
You can take the subway to Tiradentes station and walk.
(11)5627-5393
http://www.museuartesacra.org.br/

6- Biblioteca Mário de Andrade

The most important and biggest public library space in São Paulo, the Mário de Andrade library has more than 3.3 millions of books. The building, built in 1925, is considered an architectonic master piece of art deco.

Address:
Rua da Consolação, 94
São Paulo – SP – Brasil
(11)3256-5270
http://www.prefeitura.sp.gov.br/cidade/secretarias/cultura/bma/

7- Watch an opera at Teatro de São Pedro

Build in 1917, the Teatro de São Pedro is located in the Barra Funda neighborhood. Showing a great variety of operas and concerts, like Il Trovatore  (Verdi) and O Guarani (Carlos Gomes); Teatro São Paulo is a important location for good music in São Paulo.

Address:
Rua Barra Funda 171
Lapa / Barra Funda – São Paulo – SP – Brasil
(11)3667-0499
http://www.apaacultural.org.br/saopedro/

8- Take a stroll along the Liberdade neighborhood

Liberdade is the Japan Town of São Paulo, this neighborhood has the biggest colony of Japanese immigrants outside of Japan.  Walking through the streets, you’ll feel like you are in Japan, all the stores including McDonalds, Bradesco Bank, Itaú and etc. are decorated in Japanese style and their billboard slogans are written in Katakana.

Address:
Praça da Liberdade s/n
The best way to get there is by taking the subway and getting out at the Liberdade station (blue line).

9- Explore the Parque do Horto Florestal

The Horto Florestal is a state park similar to the ones you find in U.S., but much smaller. It’s an awesome place to go for a walk after lunch on a Sunday afternoon with your family and dog. Around the park you can see the Museu Florestal and The Palácio de Verão do Estado de São Paulo.

Address:
Rua do Horto, 931
Tremembé – São Paulo – SP – Brasil
(11)2232-3117
Mon to Friday 8 am to 7 pm
http://www.saopaulo.sp.gov.br/conhecasp/turismo_parques_horto-florestal

10- Visit Trianon Parque

A oasis in the middle of a concrete jungle is the perfect description for this urban park. Open since 1892, this public park has a fantastic collection of plants and trees from the Brazilian ecosystem. It’s a good place to take a break if you are around the Paulista Avenue.

Address:
Rua Peixoto Gomide, 949
Cerqueira César – Sào Paulo – Brasil
(11)3289-2160
Link with directions by Google maps here.

Today is Salvador’s birthday, the first capital of Brazil is 463 years old. Adventures in Brazil wants to congratulate all the local guides and operators that make our travel possible. Congratulations!

If you enjoy tea you should try “Chimarrão”. Very popular in the South of Brazil, chimarrão or mate is a infused drink served inside a dried out calabash (cuia)  with a metal straw (bomba) attached where you can suck the tea. Usually the straw is made of silver and surrounded by beautiful stones. In the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Chimarrão is more than just drinking tea, it’s a ritual.

The erva-mate, or “mate” in English, is a 15 meter tall tree. To make the tea, the cultivators roast parts of the leaves and branches together. The flavor is a little bitter and the temperature of the water can influence the taste. You never let the water boil when you are preparing a mate! The water needs to be very hot but shouldn’t bubble, when you hear the sound of the water heating be sure to watch the kettle carefully. Right before it hits boiling temperature, turn off the fire and infuse with the tea. In a few minutes you can enjoy your mate.

Above you can see me planning an AIB tour and drinking my delicious and hot Chimarrão. If the mate is too bitter for your taste, you can add you favorite herbal tea and honey.

Otávio and Gustavo Pandolfo are two identical twin brothers from São Paulo – Brazil. They were born in 1974 and started painting at a very young age. In fact, it’s said that both brothers used to share the same sheet of paper and often choose the same theme to draw when they were kids. By 1986, the brothers began creating graffiti art in downtown São Paulo, around the same time that hip hop Hip Hop music was becoming popular and influenced Otávio and Gustavo’s artistic style. Breakdancing was one of the inspirations for their style. By 1993, the 19 year old brothers started decorated stores and offices with graffiti. In 1995 the twin brothers were invited to show their work at an exposition at the MIS - Image and Sound Museum.

The Pandolfo twin brothers have become a tremendous success, internationally recognized for their work. Their first international exposition was in 2003, at the  Luggage Store Gallery and in 2005 with a more art plastic exposition at the Deich Projects Gallery. Otávio and Gustavo gained notoriety and are considerate one of the most important representatives of the street art. You can follow Os Gêmeos by clicking on their blog right here. You can also watch one of the brothers interview by clicking in the video below:

I ‘m a big fan of the Twin Brothers. For Brazilians, their work is symbolic of a breakthrough in the art world. It’s fantastic to see their street art gain so much attention in art galleries, not only in Brazil but all over the world. São Paulo is the vanguard of this movement; walking thought the streets of downtown you can see many of their paintings and murals.  On Adventures in Brazil tours that include São Paulo, it’s always a pleasure to bring travelers around the city to appreciate the architecture and share the unique art street that reflects the vibrancy of Brazilian culture.

Ricardo Paoletti - São Paulo - Brazil