Djavan, Caetano Veloso, Dori Caymmi, Milton Nascimento, Antonio Carlos Jobim. Say what you will – in spite of these men and their unquestioned artistry – the Brazilin music we know and love is feminine in its nature.

This was a subject of conversation last weeks ago, while watching Rio’s Carnaval parades live on TV Globo with a small group of friends. As the 5,000-plus members of the Mangueira Escola made their way through the Sambadrome, one asked: ‘Why do all of the Samba Schools have only male singers?” For the most part, it’s true. Each Samba School has a truck, filled with half a dozen or more amplified male voices who sing their Samba Enredo non-stop for 80 minutes. It’s their energy that drives their school along the parade route. And it’s exclusively male.

But Bossa Nova, MPB (Brazilian Popular Music) and much of Samba itself is decidedly feminine. And even the most masculine of singers – like Emilio Santiago for instance – carry an undeniably feminine side to their music. In fact, you could argue that it’s what underscores their manly appeal. So this month we’ll celebrate this notion with Songs In The Feminine Key.

Where do we start? Brazilian music gives a long history to consider. Maybe with Joyce, who was the first femme in Brazilian song to write pop songs from a woman’s point-of-view. Or Gal Costa, who remains today as Brazil’s best known Diva.

Others have been making a serious challenge over the past few years: Maria Bethania, Nana Caymmi, Leila Pinheiro and Zizi Possi all hold places of prestige in Brazilian song and each hold a unique talent. Astrud Gilberto transformed Bossa Nova by coming to New York as João Gilberto’s wife, and then staying on to become the world’s musical ‘Girl from Ipanema’. Back home, she was a virtual unknown due to a plethora of rising stars to fill the feminine sky: Nara Leão, Sylvia Telles, Miucha, Rita Lee and Wanda Sa – that’s the beginning of a long list of 60′s stars who paved the way for other women to follow: Marisa Monte, Rosa Passos, Jane Duboc, Rosalia de Souza, Tutti Bae, Maria Rita, Salena Jones, Bebel Gilberto, Sabrina Malheiros, Zelia Duncan and many more.

Carmen Miranda broke cultural barriers in the 30′s to become a larger-than-life symbol of Brazilian exuberance, and she carried her country’s music with her. Elizeth Cardoso was the musical mother who incubated the first Bossa Nova song in the late 50′s. For this article, she represents a cadre of pre-Bossa female vocalists who ruled Brazilian radio in the first half of our century past.

And that’s just on the vocal side of Brazilian music. Rosinha de Valança picked up her guitar in the mid-60′s to break into Rio’s studio session scene, and went on to become part of Sergio Mendes’ first US band. She opened the door for her generation: Eliane Elias, Badi Assad, Celia Vaz, and Tania Maria continue the tradition. And on this side of the equator Lani Hall, Kevyn Lettau, Kenia, Basia, Karrin Allyson, Luciana Souza – even Dionne Warwick and Sarah Vaughan have lent their talents to Brazilian song.

Of course, this is a very short and incomplete list and a survey of the universe of Brazilian music would reveal that women make up a close minority. Men may write more songs and record more hits but the personality of Brazilian music – especially Brazilian jazz, Bossa Nova and MPB – is indisputably feminine. A fact underscore by Milton Nascimento’s Pieta CD only a few years ago and by an exciting group of newcomers making their way, including Marina Elali, Tutti Bae, Maria Rita, Vanessa da Mata and Patricia Talem .

By the way, the inspiration for our annual theme comes from the memory of Elis Regina. For 17 years, we’ve celebrated her March 17^th birthday with a special radio show featuring her best songs. And if you’d like to learn more about the woman many consider to be Brazil’s best singer ever, you’ll find her biography – the complete book ‘O Furaco’ by Regina Echeverria – in English at Connectbrazil.com, in English. Just type keyword ELIS.

I hope that you’ll enjoy ‘Songs In The Feminine Key’ this month – on the radio, our webcasts and at Connectbrazil.com.