In my last article I talked about using music for learning a language. All the major languages have decades of extraordinary artists across multiple genres. Find songs that are catchy enough to listen to 1,000 times. Extra credit for the ones that are so powerful you can’t help learning what they’re talking about. And learn to SING ALONG.
That’s next level language learning.
Here are my Brazilian faves for learning Portuguese.
Sertanejo
“Sertanejo has been the most listened-to genre on Brazilian radio and streaming platforms for a decade,” according to The Economist. “Its ascent reflects changes in Brazil’s economy, which used to be based on manufacturing but is now driven by agriculture… Sertanejo singers’ themes are cattle, beer and American pickup trucks. In 2003 the genre accounted for 15 of the 100 most-played songs on Brazilian radio; in 2022 that figure was 76.”
I’ll just add that, while I’m not a fan of professional bullriding, I know that Brazilians have all but taken over the league. You won’t get that vibe watching my picks, however.
Sertanejo is Brazilian country music … accordion music. I wouldn’t have known when I moved to South America that I very much enjoy accordion music … but not all accordion music. Not vallenato. The sertanejo genre produced a couple megahits that enjoyed heavy radio play in Peru and Colombia, so this is where I started.
Ai Se Eu Te Pego by Michel Telo
At 1.2 billion views, this is probably the biggest hit in Brazilian history.
It was not lost on me that something must be wrong if my top two Portuguese songs are live recordings featuring young girls screaming at the top of their longs. Am I listening to Brazilian N Sync? No, it’s different. It’s good. Humans will listen to this for longer than the Backstreet Boys. Maybe brasileiras have better taste.
Balada by Gusttavo Lima
This one captures a feeling of youth that left me long ago. I wrote this in a recent email (subscribe if you haven’t):
I’m closing in on 50 years old and I can see the way my body and even my brain are changing. Everything I do is so safe and responsible. It’s a good thing, but on the other hand I feel I’ve lost something. I’ve lost my edge. Whatever the source of that youthful recklessness is, as dangerous as it is, you miss it when it’s gone. It’s a part of me that died. I’m grieving.
“Balada” is also an example of genre fusion, something American country needs badly. The politico-cultural divide which cuts across American life also divides fans of country music, between old and new. Overeducated liberal dweebs like me adore Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson while tasteless conservatives listen to horseshit like Jason Aldean and Florida-Georgia Line.
It’s really not debatable, new country just sucks. The only people who like it are monoculturists who don’t know any better. It’s not even country. They don’t use violins or banjos. It’s just Nickelback with southern accents. Country has needed innovation and refreshing for 30 years, since Garth Brooks. I’ve beaten this topic to death, and the change is already coming as some new country is having sex with hip hop and having cute babies.
Brazilian country seems to be doing that kind of fusion with electronic music for a while now. As horrid as that sounds, it works with Balada. For another example, listen to this blend of accordion and electronic (and amazing title): Eu Te Amo E Open Bar.
Vinganca by Luan Santana & MC Kekel
Despite 441 million views, I’m not a big fan of this one but it’s an example of fusing sertanejo with our next genre, funk. Luan Santana is the next big act after Telo and Lima.
Funk
For someone who grew up listening to rap, funk should be a no brainer. It’s the black ghetto music from the favelas, inspired by American hip-hop and starting to export some global hits. But it was an elusive music on the streets of Rio…
I found it difficult to get a listen for the hits on the street. You want the songs that next year’s teenage single mothers are twerking to tonight. It doesn’t matter when you’re reading this, some young favela garota is grinding with and later tonight be knocked up by a future absentee father. I want to hear the songs they are dancing to tonight.
To hear that, you need the commercial ghetto radio station. But when I asked to tune in, every single taxi driver refused to play it. Without exception. Even the black drivers.
It makes sense. Imagine asking taxi drivers in the States to turn on the rap station. Most are going to refuse. It’s the music of the delinquency class, and taxi drivers are uniquely vulnerable to it. They don’t just suffer crimes disproportionately, they have to deal with difficult customers going to bad parts of town.
Imagine asking your American Uber driver to turn on the local rap station. You’ll probably get some refusals too.
Glamurosa by MC Marcinho
This was a huge radio hit when I first visited Brazil in 2007. It ticks the catchy box, even if it lacks in the “powerful” department. But ample lyrics to look up and listen along.
Inoffensive enough, why would the taxi drivers refuse to play this?
Parado no Bailao
457 million views!
I continued my funk exploration online. This song went viral here in the States and Europe because gringo children like mine saw Neymar dancing to it. It’s a little catchy, but also a little obnoxious.
And that is key to why taxi drivers don’t like it. It’s not just the delinquency class … it’s obnoxious. This one almost has more instrumentals than the standard funk hit. It’s almost completely acapella with a minimalist beat and a flute. And I think it’s fair to say this isn’t great singing. Your voice shouldn’t crack if you’re trying to pull off an acapella.
Combine that and assume the driver understands all the lyrics, and I’d refuse to play it too. But hard to argue it’s not at least a little catchy.
Baile de Favela
At 256 million views, this one probably gives the best look at a favela party.
And more minimalist instrumental. It’s as if you gave the music equipment to a class of ghetto 12-year-olds.
Vai Embrazando
At 339 million views, a bigger hit than Baile de Favela.
The obnoxious factor is there.
Baile do Cinga do 12
At 94 million views, one more to reach peak nuisance.
I wasn’t satisfied. This is supposed to be the black music. But if you look at the videos, these songs are about as black as reggaeton … barely black.
What are the hardcore black scenes playing, where there are no Drakes or Bob Marleys around? No light skinneds, no mullattos, where is the undiluted soul, the equivalents of No Limit Records or dancehall reggae? The unintelligible patois? Because this ain’t it.
Classic Funk
I didn’t have enough experience, but moving around downtown Rio over a day or two I suspect that demographic is listening to classic funk from the United States in the 1980s, like this (below).
The blackest Brazilians I saw played mostly instrumental funk, the breaker soundtracks from the 80s. Lyrics were more likely to be in English than Portuguese. I didn’t hear it enough times to make any conclusions, but that was my impression.
Samba
We saw the live samba scene on the beach in Copa and I wasn’t thrilled. Basically bongo music. The classic stuff on the radio is much nicer. Older black taxi drivers would always be listening something like Jorge Aragão.
It’s completely inoffensive, and I could turn on a playlist at the beach or something. But it’s not something I need to look up the lyrics for. It’s not even something you need to know the name of a song. I grabbed this one at random. It’s like reggae in that they all sound the same. Like Eek-A-Mouse for example. They’re good, they’re all the same. Just hit play and chill.
Bossa Nova
I didn’t listen to much bossa nova, Brazilian jazz. I like it just fine, but not ideal for linguistic edification. Not for me anyway.
Garota de Ipanema
The most popular Bossa Nova of all time is this Stan Getz cover that popularized the genre in Gringolandia. The original by Antonio Carlos Jobim has since been covered in English by the likes of Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald.
Expat Chronicles 