Song:Roda Viva
Album:The Classic Years
Chico Buarque started out as a pop star in Brazil in the 60s but matured into one of Brazil's most respected songwriters. He is virtually unknown in North America but his music should appeal to fans of other Brazilian artists. He was born Francisco Buarque de Hollanda June 19, 1944 in Rio de Janeiro. His father was a historian and journalist and the family lived in Sao Paulo and Italy. His mother was a pianist. As a child, he was influenced by the Bossa Nova of Antonio Carlos Jobim and Joao Gilberto and he is also a soccer enthusiast. After briefly studying architecture at ther University Of Sao Paulo, Buarque became a professional musician in 1964. He started performing at music festivals and on TV shows and had his first hit A Banda in 1966. He was an early proponent of Musica Popular Brasileira (MBP) which was a lighter pop version of Bossa Nova. And he was a handsome guy so the girls liked him. But he was criticized by Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil for stylistic conservatism. So in 1968 he took a huge chance by writing the play Roda Viva that criticized obsessive fan culture. It was very controversial and Buarque was even thrown in jail for some of the stage antics. He moved to Italy to escape Brazil's military dictatorship. He returned to Brazil in 1972 and since then has struggled with the balance between political commentary and pop stardom. He's still a big star in Brazil but unknown in North America. This comp from Manteca Records covers some of Buarque's 60s recordings. Here's Chico Buarque performing Roda Viva at the 1967 Brazilian Music Festival.
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