Documents from Gilberto Gil's Private Archive

“BRAZIL Brazilian Pop Music: Hard To Define, But Easy To Sell BY ENOR PAIANO he recent surge in the Brazilian market has given new life to a genre the casual Brazilian music lan can recognize, but perhaps cannot deline: MPB. An acronym for "Musica Popular Brasileira" (Brazilian Popular Music), MP'IS could be loosely described as pop music adorned Brazilian rhythmic, harmonic and melodie cle. ments. T And popular MPB artists of the '70s and '80s, unable to Secure recording contracts in the past several years, are being rediscovered by a new generation of music enthusiasts. Further, such MPB stalwarts as Marisa Monte, Caetano Veloso and Djavan have become big album sellers playing to large crowels who once again are lcaring their music on the radio Monte, who appeals to : younger demographic, seems to be the lightning rod of MPB's resurgence. Her 1994 EMI album, "Rosa E Carvão (Rose And Char- coal)." has gone double plat- inum, selling more than 500.000 units. Moreover, Monte won lour awards at MTV Brasil's inaugural Video Music Edu Labo Awards Brasil, hell Aug 31. MTV already had recognized the resurgence of MPB earlier this year when the channel debuted "Território Nacional," a weekly program featuring interviews and videos of MPB acts. PolyGram's Veloso, whose 1994 Spanish-language album, Other MPB artists scoring impressive sales figures are "Fina Estampa." sold 250,000 units: Sony star Djavan, who rangup 200,000 copies of his 1994 recordl. "Novena": Gal Costa, whose 1995 album. "Mina D'Agua Do Meu Canto" (BMG), has surpassed 150,000 units sold; and Adriana Calcanhote, whose 1994 release, "A Fabrica Do Poema" (Sony), reached 110.000 units, MIB has even found a concert home, as well. In Augusta new 1,500 cal concert hall called Tom Brasil, named in honor of famed Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos "Tom" Jobim, premiered in São Paulo under the direction of Fernando l'are, an acclaimed producer of TV music programs. ATTRACTING THE YOUTH Faro notes that MPB's renaissance has come across as a fresh new sound for Brazil's youthful adicionados. "Since this of clinesia ering something they didn't know about," says Faro, ancheling that many 15-10-25-year-old concertgers are attending the shows at Tom Brasil MPS Lisappeared in the '60s antheon of emerging stars, including Velose, Costa Chico Buarque de Holanda Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil, Edu Lobo and Maria Bethania. These buckling luminaries blended sophisticated harmonies with lyrics laced with political owertones. Over the years, however, is more artists identified themselves as MPS act, the genre's defining characteristics became hard to iden tily. While MPB currently enjoys re-established popularity, the origin of the genre's comeback seems to first have taken root back in 1992, with the creation of a record label called Velas The start label was formed by noted MIB composers van Lins and Victor Martins, who established the imprint after fail. ing to land recording deals for their artist clients. Eschewing the music tag MPB for the more encompassing term "Brazilian music," Martins recalls how dillicult it was to interest multina tional record companies in his acts. "The majors thought Bravilian music wasn't worth the investment," he stys. Velas succeeded in rein- troducing long forgotten composers, such as Guinga and Edu Lobe. Among the best-selling records released by Velas is a posthumous album by Elis Regina titled "Elis Ao Vivo," which soll 100.000 units, and we albums by Ivan Lins, which sold 60.000 units each Velas' catalog has grown to 140 titles Several other small labels have followed Velas' lead. such as Rio de Janeiro-scal Dulus, twice by comic Ronaldo Basters and SAD Paulo-based Dabliu, found cd by attorney/composer José Carlos Costa Netto Concurrent with the launch of the MPB indies was the return of MPB to Brazilian reci. In 1983, the Sao Paulo stat tion Musical was in the midst of changing its programming and commissioned the adagency McCann-Erikson to rescarch the musical preference of the station's listeners. MPB turned out to be the overwhelming genre of choice, and soon Musical became the "100% MPB Station. The sta tion soared 10 notches to become No. 11 overall and No. 2 with adults Guinga "We tried to make the programming is traditional as possi- ble," says Mauricio Barreira. Nevertheless, Musical rotates some artists not usually considered MPB, including Marina Lima, Lulu Santos and Lobão. "Even if they're pop/rock artists," says Barreira, "if our pub- lic likes them, we include them in our playlist-but not too much; we don't want to lose the personality of the station DEFYING DEFINITION What, then, is MPB? Answers Tom Brasil's Faro: "There's no such thing as pure, rootslased Brazilian music. Since the beginning, Brazilian music has been mixed with fox-trol, schottische, rumba and Tange, so there's no point in having a narrow clefinition." Indeed, Faro describes Tom Brasil merely as a house for Brazilian music and the Brazilian musician.' The return of MPB coincides with the increasing popularity of domestic music in Brazil. The difference with MPIS is that the music is not necessarily as market-friendly as other genres. The nebulous musical idiom Mullills more artistic objectives rather than immediate commercial goals. Maybe the new found notice garnered by an old-school genre coull be called a victory of quality awer quantity. I BILLBOARD SPOTLIGHT LAS OPINIONS Cowgr 52 than 500 titles in its catalog. In the '80s, the company focused on budget-line compilations of international and Namba artists, Now the company is investing in more sophisticated projects, like the three-CDs of remastered recordings of opera diva Maria Callas and new recordings of guitar luminary Baden Powell. mid-size, mid-price company, so now we're try- VP Harry Zuckerman, "We're already established as ing other markets." EMI Jo Govaerts, president of EMI Brazil, reckons the current debt morass with domestic retailers may well depend on the upcoming holiclay season. "Ir the year end sales are at least as good as last year, then I think the problem will be over," says Govaerts, because the retailers will be able to reduce stock and have some liquidity to y us." In any case, retailing in Brazil "is going to change with the entrance of foreign retailers. We just need that first one to open here, in the rest will come," says Govaerts, who thinks he international retailers will comput crime and better mon itor the Brazilian market. Then we will have a better idea of what we are selling and where Paralamas Govaerts is excited about the recent sign- ing ol' Maria Bethani, whose debut is due out next June or July. EMI's top sellers in 1995 have been veteran rock trio Paralamas and two romantic samba acis, Negritude and Art Popular. A current hottis Wacky rock kt Mamonas Assassins, with its eponymes label xw. Also just released is product lay Fernanda Abreu ("Da Lata"). Marina Lima ("Abrigo"), Renato Russo ("Renato Russe"). Moraes Moreira ") and the recently signeel Labão wade"). EXCELENTE Carlos Eduardo Miranda, a former journalist and manager of speed-metal act Sepultura, recently founded Excelente, along with three members of Warner rock group Titas Miranda previously demonstrated that there was a market for alternative rock when he headed up Banguela Records. That label put out an eponymous album in 1994 by rock band Raimundos, which sold 180.000 copies. Raimundos now is signed to WEA Music Brasil Bangucla eventually folled after Warner declined to renew a one-year distribution pact. Based in Sao Paulo, Excelente, which is distributed by PolyGram, is slated to release forth- coming product by rap at Cambio Negro, veteranblues group Blues Ellicos, Bahian metal act Mundo Livre and teen rock acts Little Quail and Graforrcia. INDIE RECORDS This new imprint founded by industry veterans Alan Otto Barrington Powley, Liber Gadelha and Olivio Paes is concen trating on reggae and a street samba callecl pagode. In October, the Rio de Janeiro-based company, which is clistributed by DDF, released the eponymous album by jogole duo Deita & Rola. Other records put out by the label in November include titles from Rio page at Sintonia Total, upstart reggae act Bantus and famed reggae band Tribo Dedah Three projects highlight the first half of next year: The January release Culi Resgate Serie" is a multi-artist page containing material from Jamaica's small reggae imprints, and a March festival called "DJ MIX DJ" will introduce a 10-volume Canned on 60 BILLBOARD DECEMBER 2, 1995