Brazilian popular music plays a larger role in the cultural life of Brazil than popular music seems elsewhere. It wasn't until the second half of the twentieth century that a majority of the population was literate. And a large majority of Brazilians still live below the poverty line. Perhaps these facts contribute to the importance of oral traditions in Brazil. Brazilian Portuguese is constantly evolving, and it's speakers maintain a very playful relationship with it.
The 60's generation, which most of these songs belong to, was part of a worldwide movement that used music to express and focus its political and personal awareness. While in North America psychedelia was following the repression-breaking arrival of rock & roll, in Brazil a new generation was reacting to both Bossa Nova and to The Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
Political upheavals in Brazil led to a military coup in 1964. The repression did not lift until the 70's. Lyrics had always been subject to censorship, and during this period, songwriters had to resort to double and triple entendre to get their point across. Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, though no often directly political in their songs, were considered so threatening to the status quo that they were thrown in jail. Released into exile, they lived in London for many years.
The songwriters featured on this record were among the first to have access to television. Yearly televised music festivals provided a forum for political dissent and artistic experimentation and generated enormous controversy.
Many of the artists on this compilation are cultural heroes in Brazil. Their music is extremely sophisticated, yet it appeals to almost everyone.
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